'Shark!' Cowboys Trade Announcement Gets Insider Reaction

FRISCO - Mostly because of the movie "Jaws,'' even non-fishermen know what "chum in the water'' means.

Is that what the Dallas Cowboys are doing with their wide-open announcement of their upcoming trade plans?

Most fans don't know what to expect in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft. ... and surely that's the way Jerry and Stephen Jones want it.

Ideally, Dallas - which has the No. 12 pick - would also like the other 31 teams to be in the dark.

However, COO Stephen Jones has revealed an important update that gives foes and fans much more clarity into the team's plans for April 24.

On a radio appearance with 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Jones said:

"I don’t necessarily see us moving up based on way the board is coming together but could see a situation where we move down.”

Does that mean no aggressiveness toward a deal to get up to Colorado two-way superstar Travis Hunter or to Boise State running back phenom Ashton Jeanty?

That's what Stephen is saying.

So, who would they target if they chose to trade down?

We would assume the scenario comes into play if their top receiver targets are already off the board. Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan, Texas' Matthew Golden, and Missouri's Luther Burden III are expected to be their top-3 wideout names ... but that is the case for many other teams as well.

That position class features other interesting prospects like Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka that could fall into a trade-back range for Dallas.

But wait. What about that "chum''?

Cowboys insider Mike Fisher is still talking about the possibility of a move-up, despite Stephen's words. And why?

"Jerry, a long time ago, developed a habit of 'announcing' that the team might move up,'' Fish says. "And we'd all write it in our notepads, furiously. But then, after a dramatic pause ...

"He'd add, 'Or, we might move down.''

"By the time he was done, he might as well have also said, "We might move sideways.''

According to Stephen, we don't expect the Cowboys picking any higher than No. 12.

But according to Fish ... maybe we should expect the unexpected because this "announcement'' might just be "chum in the water.''

And if the Cowboys trade up? "We're gonna need a bigger boat.''