Cowboys Named Trade Candidate for Titans WR

A Tennessee Titans wide receiver came up in a hypothetical trade rumor.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks exits the field after losing to the Cleveland Browns / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA

NASHVILLE — Another day, another proposed trade for a Tennessee Titans wide receiver. 

As the NFL trade season approaches, the air is thick with speculative whispers. In this atmosphere, the name of Titans' 2022 first-round pick, Treylon Burks, is being tossed around in the trade rumor mill once again. The latest rumor suggests a potential move to the Dallas Cowboys, adding a layer of intrigue to the situation. 

Inside the star writer Mario Herrera has weighed in on the potential trade options. Among the names, he singles out Burks, five-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. However, it's his belief that Burks is the most realistic choice that holds weight.

Herrera's belief in a change of scenery for Burks stems from the pressure he's been under and the controversial trading of wide receiver AJ Brown. He argues that a new environment could help Burks disconnect from the past and focus on his game. This perspective gains weight when considering Burks' underwhelming performance in his first two seasons.

"Brown, unhappy with his role in Tennessee, was traded on draft night to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the 18th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft," Herrera wrote. "The Titans used the pick on WR Treylon Burks, but have yet to see the return on investment they were expecting.

Now a new coaching staff is in Tennessee. Could Burks become available for trade behind a crowded depth chart?

The Cowboys showed interest in Burks during the draft process, and if what Stephen Jones says is true about talent acquisition being a 24 hour job, they should give Titans GM Ran Carthon a call."

Burks has faced a lot of criticism, including here. He missed six games in 2022 and started 2023 with a knee injury. Later, he suffered a concussion and missed six games again. As a result, his production dropped to only 16 catches for 221 yards. He has 49 catches, 665 yards, and one touchdown for his career, numbers that pale in comparison to other receivers in his draft class. 

Part of the argument for trading Burks is that the Titans' addition of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd in free agency makes the Arkansas alum expendable. However, Titans coach Brian Callahan recently disagreed with similar assertions.

"I wouldn't say there's a diminished role of any sort," Callahan said. "We've made very clear to Treylon that the signing of Tyler is not about him. It's about helping our team get better, adding better players to our team, making us a competitive football team.

"What he's done and how he's worked has been great. And I'm anticipating him still being able to play a good role for us. Look, you’ve got to have guys that can step in and play. You've got to have guys that play roles and that hasn't changed. It doesn't change anything for Treylon as far as what we're expecting from him and what I'm hopeful that he's able to bring to the offense. So, we communicated that to him and made sure he was aware and it's not about him. It's about making our team better, making our receiving corps more competitive, adding more depth to our team in general."

Make sure you bookmark All Titans for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Titans LB Named Cap Casualty
• Titans QB Shows Support for Special Olympics
• Watch: Titans' JC Latham Mic'd Up at Camp
• Titans Miss Out On Veteran TE
• Titans Fired Up About Running Back Duo