Getty The Cowboys have had a quiet offseason.
The Dallas Cowboys did not land star pass rusher Von Miller, but the team attempted to make a big splash. NFL Network’s Peter Schrager revealed the Cowboys were in contact with the Denver Broncos about a potential deal prior to the Rams landing the eight-time Pro Bowler.
“I will add to Ian’s [Rapoport] report with stuff that hasn’t been heard yet that it wasn’t just the Rams calling, the Buffalo Bills called about Von Miller, the Dallas Cowboys called about Von Miller,” Schrager noted during the November 2 episode of Good Morning Football. “And Von Miller, who lives in Los Angeles in the offseason, lives in Venice, and he was like excited beyond belief to go, and they weren’t sure if he was going to be excited to go to Los Angeles because he was surprised by it when they made the move.”
The Rams acquired Miller for their 2022 second and third-round picks. Denver will pay $9 million of Miller’s remaining $9.7 million salary, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Broncos insider Benjamin Allbright confirmed that the Cowboys, as well as the Buffalo Bills, did show interest in acquiring Miller, but “talks were just never as substantial as Rams.”
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Jones on Potential Trades: ‘You Pay a Huge Price, a Premium, When You Go Get’
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked if the team is watching other contenders like the Rams make big deals at the deadline. Jones implied that the price to acquire a top player was higher than the Cowboys were willing to pay.
“Well, I think you need to stay aware of what other clubs are doing, where they’re looking to improve,” Jones noted during a November 2 interview with Dallas’ 105.3 the Fan. “Of course, all of that goes out the window after today, with the deadline over, I mean, the time to trade over. But again, the things that I’ve seen that were really outstanding and made the best sense was when the phone rings and they come to you.
“That’s all the difference in the world, and it is really hard to go get. You pay a huge price, a premium, when you go get, but if you’ll sit there and take it and then something comes along that just happens to hit you right between the eyes good then that’s something to think about there. But, I don’t look for us to be doing anything today.”
Stephen Jones on Trade Deadline: ‘Our Phone Lines Are Open’
Prior to the deadline, the Cowboys maintained that they were unlikely to make a deal, but Schrager’s report shows the front office was active in exploring potential trades. Miller will be a free agent after the season, and the Rams are banking on their ability to re-sign the linebacker.
Unlike the Rams, the Cowboys have repeatedly expressed how much they value future draft picks as a way to help offset big contracts like Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys look to take advantage of finding players who can contribute while on their rookie deals. Prior to the trade deadline, Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones explained why the team was reluctant to move players at positions of depth.
“Well, our phone lines are open,” Jones noted during a November 1 interview with 105.3 the Fan. “I will say this, we really like our football team and we all know how quickly [things change]. Last night, obviously Tyron [Smith] had to sit out the second half and the end of the second quarter. So, you can think you’ve got some depth at one point [and] in the next minute, you’re up against the walls. So, we really like our football team now.
“If the right situation came along that we felt like it was worth it to maybe give up a little in one area and really improve ourselves in an area that we felt like it would make a difference, then we’re we’re open to that. … It would have to be something really significant to make us move at this point, in terms of some of the guys you just mentioned.
“They’re all going to play a big role as we move into the last ten games of the season. They’re going to play. My bet is they play huge roles in winning football games for us and then all of them are important parts of this football team and at the end of the day, you need them all.”