Texans, Cowboys Swap Disappointing Players in Trade Proposal

Could the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys hook up on this intriguing trade during the NFL offseason?

Jul 29, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith (58) wears a Guardian helmet cap during training camp at the River Ridge Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans may consider pursuing some intriguing trades to patch up some holes during the NFL offseason, but that does not necessarily many they will be making any blockbuster moves.

Instead, the Texans may prefer to swing a shrewd trade for a player still on his rookie contract in order to ensure their financial situation remains in order.

That is exactly what Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine thinks Houston should do and has concocted a trade idea in which the Texans would send offensive lineman Kenyon Green to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for defensive tackle Mazi Smith in a swap of disappointing players.

"Player-for-player trades are rare in the league, but they can be fun when they happen," Ballentine wrote. "Here, two Texas teams would be swapping two questionable first-round picks in the trenches. The Texans have given Green time to develop, but he hasn't been able to reach the kind of consistency they need. That's a familiar story for the Cowboys. They drafted nose tackle Mazi Smith in the first round of the 2023 draft, but he hasn't been a high-impact defender yet."

This actually wouldn't be a terrible trade for either side, and it's something Houston may want to consider, especially with its need for help on the interior of the defensive line and that Green has already been labeled a bust.

Smith started all 17 games for the Cowboys this past season, logging 41 tackles and a sack. He also posted a miserable 34.8 overall grade at Pro Football Focus, so he obviously still has a whole lot to work on.

Still, for a Texans squad that doesn't have a whole lot of cap space, creative trades like this may be the way to go in the coming months.