Jerry Jones appreciates his current view at the table with two weeks before the NFL trade deadline and a perspective that the Dallas Cowboys hold a winning hand should they opt to make a move.
Dallas realized a level of financial flexibility under the salary cap when it subtracted All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons in August. The trade to the Green Bay Packers also brought a windfall of draft compensation that Jones could weaponize before the Nov. 4 deadline in order to boost the Cowboys’ defense.
“We are in as good a shape as we’ve been in years with picks … with our cap,” Jones told 105.3 FM in Dallas on Tuesday. “And if we see a way to improve our team with a player that makes sense (we’ll inquire).”
Jones made reference to using trade and cap assets to find a defensive difference-maker days after dealing away Parsons in a contract standoff that turned sour during training camp.
ESPN reported Tuesday that the Cowboys are already having those conversations and kicked the tires with the Las Vegas Raiders about acquiring defensive end Maxx Crosby. For the Cowboys and any other suitors, prying Crosby, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, from the Raiders might come at an extreme cost.
The Raiders signed Crosby to an extension in the offseason, carrying his contract through the 2029 season, which includes more than $30 million guaranteed in 2026.
Dallas is “no more likely” to make a trade at 3-3-1 than the Cowboys were prior to defeating the Washington Commanders last week, Jones said Tuesday. He also repeated plans to discuss contract extensions with players currently on the roster, including wide receiver George Pickens and kicker Brandon Aubrey. Both players are in the final year on their existing contracts.
Any asking price for Crosby would presumably start with one first-round pick but very likely follow the precedent Jones and the Cowboys set when they accepted first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 and defensive end Kenny Clark in exchange for Parsons, a four-time Pro Bowl pick and two-time first-team All-Pro. Parsons, 26, signed a four-year, $188 million contract with the Packers.
The final four years on Crosby’s contract are worth around $105 million including bonuses.
Crosby turned 28 in August and has four sacks this season, giving him 63.5 in his career.
