The Cowboys say they won’t trade cornerback Mike Jenkins, despite the fact that they tried to during the draft. But a trade ultimately makes the most sense for both sides. The Cowboys could get a mid- to late-round draft pick before Jenkins’ rookie deal expires, and Jenkins can go play out his contract year as a starter as opposed to the dime back he’d be in Dallas.
ESPN’s John Clayton reported on SportsCenter over the weekend that if a trade is going to happen, it won’t occur until late July or August.
“If they’re going to deal [Jenkins],” Clayton said, “they’re going to deal him during training camp.”
The theory here is that a cornerback-needy team might get desperate in camp, especially if one of its top corners goes down in practice or a preseason game. Jenkins is young, and his base salary is an affordable $1.052 million. He’s been a Pro Bowl-caliber cover guy when healthy.
And that’s another issue: Jenkins isn’t healthy yet. He underwent significant surgery on his right shoulder in January, and won’t be medically cleared to resume football activities until training camp.
The Colts and Lions are known to have interest in Jenkins. Clayton mentioned the Tennessee Titans as another potential trade partner.