With 10 days until kickoff, the Dallas Cowboys are adding a piece to their offensive line.
The Kansas City Chiefs are trading offensive lineman Parker Ehinger to the Cowboys for cornerback Charvarius Ward, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source informed of the situation.
Ehinger was a fourth-round pick of the Chiefs out of Cincinnati in the 2016 draft and won a starting guard job as a rookie, but saw that campaign cut short by a torn ACL. The knee injury has kept him from regaining his job since -- save for his lone start in Week 17 of 2017 -- and GM Brett Veach evidently deemed him expendable.
Dallas welcomes him in a move that appears to be for interior depth. We took a close look Wednesday at the struggles the Cowboys have faced and likely will continue to endure with Joe Looney taking over at center, but Ehinger has only seen starting snaps in the NFL as a guard. The Cowboys are looking at starting rookie Connor Williams at left guard, opposite two-time All-Pro Zack Martin, and might feel more comfortable with Ehinger behind (or competing with) Williams than the previous situation. It doesn't appear as though Ehinger will play center, though crazier things have happened.
The loss of backup Marcus Martin to a torn ligament in his toe during this preseason likely is a more logical explanation for this trade. Dallas doesn't want to enter the season without reliable depth behind the rookie guard and acquiring Ehinger for a bubble player addresses that concern.
Ward was an undrafted free agent who some expected to make the final 53-man roster in Dallas after he showed potential during camp. He'll instead move to a team that has had issues with its secondary during the preseason.
