Jerry Jones Reignites Dallas Cowboys Trade Rumors After Salary Cap Gymnastics

The Dallas Cowboys had an unusually active offseason as the team attempted to completely overhaul its defense, after a dreadful 2025 campaign that saw the worst-ranked pass defense and No. 30 overall defense suiting up for Big D.

Dallas started the offseason by hiring new defensive coordinator Christian Parker and trading for Green Bay Packers pass rusher Rashan Gary, before bringing in several key contributors through free agency.

Then, there was the NFL Draft, and Dallas added Ohio State All-American Caleb Downs and UCF pass rusher Malach Lawrence.

The hype surrounding the Cowboys continues to build, and recent comments from owner and general manager Jerry Jones will only add to the intrigue surrounding the team. During an appearance on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday morning, Jones opened up about some potential moves and revealed the door is open for Dallas to make another trade.

While nothing appears to be imminent, the team would be looking to add talent at pass rusher or cornerback. The flexibility for the Cowboys comes after a recent string of contract restructurings.

Jerry Jones Open To Adding Defensive Talent

Dallas Cowboys chief brand officer Charlotte Jones and owner Jerry Jones at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“The best way for me to answer that is not timing -wise, right on something this morning or this week, but if you look at it generally speaking, we’re in play. And that’s the best way to describe it,” Jones said.

He went on to acknowledge that if a move was to be made, it would be on the defensive side of the ball.

"You could look for it to be defensively," Jones said. "You could more than likely see depth on defense. Defense would be the place.

"The timing is conspicuously obvious. But yeah, we could use it for this year's team. The cap is fungible, it laps over into multi-years, 3 or 4 on parts that you make available. That's hard to put your finger on. But that does show that we have really viable, serious room financially to make a trade if we wanted to right now."

Those comments are sure to get social media buzzing, and you can expect to hear the team linked to some of the usual suspects like Las Vegas Raiders superstar Maxx Crosby. Dallas was in the mix for Crosby earlier in the offseason, but ultimately fell short.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby walks on the field after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, if the team finds itself in position to make a playoff push ahead of the NFL trade deadline and the Raiders are looking toward the future and preparing for a firesale, finally bringing Crosby to Dallas could be a move that benefits all sides involved. After all, the Cowboys can never have too much pass rushing help.

Last season, Crosby recorded 73 total tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, 20 quarterback hits, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception. Adding him to the pass rushing rotation for Christian Parker could be exactly what the Cowboys need to finally get over the hump.

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