Adam Schefter Explains Why Cowboys Stood Pat on Trade Deadline Day

ESPN's Adam Schefter weighed in on why the Dallas Cowboys didn't make another trade before the deadline passed on Tuesday.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reacts before the game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After all of the moves the Dallas Cowboys made during the offseason to try and fix their defense, none of it worked.

So, owner Jerry Jones decided to spring for a trade for Joey Porter Jr. late in September, but that hasn't worked, either.

Then, the trade deadline came on Tuesday, and despite owner Jerry Jones saying he wanted to do more, the Cowboys did nothing and will instead hope what they have on the roster currently will be enough to right the ship.

Why didn't the Cowboys make another trade?

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones walks the field during warms ups prior to a game against the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ESPN's Adam Schefter was asked why the Cowboys didn't make a move on Tuesday and the answer was simple: Dallas thinks it has enough talent on the roster for this team to succeed.

He also noted that the Cowboys were never close to making a deal.

"It never sounded like they got close to making any big deals," Schefter said.

"I know there's a lot of chatter out there about George Pickens. Never sensed any movement towards a George Pickens trade. Never sensed any movement about Dallas making a big move," Schefter added.

"Last year, they made a number of moves. Earlier this season, they traded for Joey Porter Jr. That was a big move at the time. There's only so many big moves a team can make," he said. "Dallas felt like it was aggressive in upgrading its roster. The Cowboys still believe they have the talent they need to make a late second half of the season push here. Let's see if they can get it done."

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) runs with the ball during the game between the Cardinals and the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Schefter briefly mentioned the chatter surrounding Pickens. Well, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Wednesday that the Cowboys were never going to trade Pickens, and Pickens didn't want to be traded, either. Fowler also noted that the Cowboys didn't receive any calls about Pickens.

"The Cowboys did not receive any trade calls on receiver George Pickens, who is happy in Dallas and didn't want to be traded," he said. "Teams in the receiver market weren't shopping in the high-end aisle, either, so the idea of a Pickens trade was a nonstarter. Plus, Dallas had no plans to deal him."

Schefter's report echoes what head coach Brian Schottenheimer said on Wednesday. The Cowboys head coach said the team believes it has enough talent to get the job done.

“It shows you that we’re confident in our roster and our best football is still ahead," Schottenheimer said, according to The Athletic's Jon Machota.

So, what's the problem?

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer during the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Schefter's report and even Schottenheimer's comments are both damning for the coaching staff.

If there is enough talent on the roster — which we would agree there is, at least to avoid being this terrible — and the Cowboys aren't playing good football, especially on defense, we can only blame the coaching staff from there.

Even if you want to say there are effort issues on both sides of the ball, as some former Cowboys have pointed out, that points to a culture problem that is also on the coaching staff.

And with the Cowboys' insistence on not making any changes to the group, it's hard to have any hope for the rest of this season.

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