With the NFL trade deadline only days away, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones appears ready to wheel and deal. During a radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Jones was asked about making a trade and responded: “If I see something … we look for all the meat on the bone that can improve our team.” Throughout the season’s first several weeks, the Cowboys made it sound like they had no intentions of making any moves. Perhaps Dallas’s struggles during their past two games opened their eyes because the front office suddenly sounds more open-minded.
These comments are far from being “all-in,” which Jones claimed the team was during the offseason. However, the Cowboys are at a potential crossroads as they look to make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year under Mike McCarthy’s watch. They enter play in Week 9 at just 3-4 and are sitting in third place in the NFC East behind the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles.
Dallas’s next four opponents have winning records, making the Cowboys’ uphill climb even more difficult. Making a move before the November 5 trade deadline could give the Cowboys a much-needed spark, but that seems highly unlikely with how Dallas navigated the offseason fleshing out their roster.
What are the Cowboys going to do before the NFL trade deadline?
Instead of making a trade, Dallas’s current plan is to depend on its younger players to step up. On top of that, the Cowboys are hoping for a boost from the return of injured players like Micah Parsons, DaRon Bland, DeMarcus Lawrence, Brandin Cooks, and Marshawn Kneeland. The problem is that the Cowboys might be in too big of a hole by the time that happens. And there’s no guarantee other critical Cowboys players won’t suffer injuries.
“We’ll do business as usual,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “We’ve got a lot of good players that are going to be coming back over the next three or four weeks. We also know that’s an important part of this. I know no one likes to hear about the business side of it, but the salary cap is what it is. Obviously we made some tough decisions in the offseason, so we’re looking for younger guys who can help. But if the right deal pops itself up, then we’ll certainly look at that.”
It also makes it challenging for Dallas, which has limited financial resources. The Cowboys recently signed Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to huge deals and also plan to sign Parsons at some point. So, although Dallas needs a spark, it won’t come from a splashy move with the bit of money they have. Regardless, the Cowboys could make smaller moves. Hopefully, it’s for a running back and defensive tackle.
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