The Dallas Cowboys had to make a move. The news surrounding Dez Bryant appears to be getting worse as the wide receiver could be out for much longer than originally anticipated, leaving the team without their top offense threat. With just Terrance Williams as their best downfield playmaker, the Cowboys needed another option and were forced to make a trade.
According to ESPN's Todd Archer, the Cowboys traded a draft pick to acquire Brice Butler from the Oakland Raiders. The deal for Butler came after the Cowboys worked out several options on the free agent market including Hakeem Nicks and Nick Toon. However, they appeared to favor the youth in Butler who put up 383 yards off 30 catches in two seasons after getting drafted in 2013. Head coach Jason Garrett predicts that Butler could be playing right away thanks to the system that the Cowboys work with.
"We do believe we have a player-friendly system where players can learn quickly," Garrett said, via ESPN.com. "That's a big part of the NFL these days, is you want to be able to have a guy -- a young player, maybe a guy you drafted, maybe a guy you signed as a college free agent or a veteran player you're bringing in who has no history with you -- you want them to be able to come in and learn, and learn quickly."
Despite the addition of Butler, fantasy owners would be wise to invest heavily in Williams. The wide receiver is going to be the new star of the offense and the team remains confident in what he can bring to the field. Jason Witten and the surprise of Week 1, Lance Dunbar, will also play huge roles in the passing game. Williams must quickly develop into Tony Romo's new safety blanket moving forward.
"I thought he did a really good job in the game where he had an opportunity on a slant and another slant and wasn't able to finish those plays," Garrett said. "Young players sometimes get down on themselves, while veterans and the better players somehow put those behind them and go one to the next one."
The Cowboys need their running backs to step up. Both Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle were lackluster in their first game of the season as they split carries moving forward. If the Cowboys are going to keep winning as they prepare to face the Philadelphia Eagles, they must stay balanced.