Cowboys Trade Rumor Casts Doubt on Dallas' Willingness to Make Deadline Deal

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is hearing the Dallas Cowboys having the desire to make another trade is not a foregone conclusion.

Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer (left) and owner Jerry Jones at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If the Dallas Cowboys can't fix their defense with what they have in-house, the expectation has been that owner Jerry Jones will make another move.

However, one NFL insider, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, is pumping the brakes on that notion with what he's hearing.

Fowler is hearing from a source that a trade is "not a front-burner issue" for the Cowboys right now and the team could decide to not give up more draft capital than it already has in its quest to improve the defense.

"We talked about Dallas earlier. A source told me a trade to aid the Cowboys defense is not a front-burner issue at the moment," he reported. "So, Dallas will always explore a potential move, but it's quite possible the franchise holds onto whatever 2027 draft capital it has left (just three picks in the first six rounds)."

Cowboys' shaky draft pick situation

The Dallas Cowboys logo is projected on the video board during the NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When it comes to draft capital, the Cowboys are in rough shape. After the Joey Porter Jr. trade, Dallas has just four picks in 2027, including one selection apiece in the first, second, fourth and seventh rounds.

Things aren't great in 2028, either, as the Cowboys don't have their second- or seventh-round picks.

Of course, it's possible Dallas could pick up more selections via comp picks next offseason, but it's hard to forecast that.

Should Cowboys make another trade?

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones looks looks on prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jerry Jones has said several times that's he not opposed to doing more because he has faith in this team, but it's conceivable that might have changed after six weeks.

The Cowboys' willingness to make a trade is partly dependent on who is actually out there. The Cowboys need a difference-maker at edge rusher, for example, but those guys don't become available very often.

Another part of the equation is the Cowboys actually having faith in a trade making a big impact on the defense and right now they just can't possibly feel confident in that.

This defense is much more than one player away with all of its issues that include players underperforming and bad coaching from defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

If the Cowboys give up another premium draft pick and it doesn't change their fortunes, that would be a catastrophic scenario.

The right approach for the Cowboys is to gauge how things go between now and the Nov. 10 trade deadline. That gives the Cowboys a little under three weeks.

If things are looking as completely dysfunctional and hopeless as they currently do, the Cowboys would be wise to just wave the white flag and save what picks they have left.

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