Over the last few weeks, the Dallas Cowboys have been linked heavily to a potential trade for Las Vegas Raiders superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby. On Friday evening, those dreams came to an end.
Crosby was traded to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for two first-round picks. At the end of the day, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys weren’t willing to pay enough to land him.
Now, Dallas will have to turn its attention to other pass rushing options.
After trading superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers before the start of the 2025 NFL season, it was clear that the Cowboys needed more help. Heading into this offseason, they are expected to be very aggressive in trying to work back into Super Bowl contention.
Keeping that in mind, Dallas has been linked to three potential pass rushing options after missing out on Crosby.
Dallas Cowboys Could Target These Three Names Next
Jerry Trotta of The Landry Hat has suggested three players who could make sense for the Cowboys. Those three players were Trey Hendrickson, Odafe Oweh, and Jaelan Phillips.
Hendrickson is the big name on that list. There were rumblings even before Dallas passed on paying the hefty asking price for Crosby that the team could shift its attention to the Cincinnati Bengals star. Prior to the 2025 season, he had back-to-back years of 17.5 sacks in 2023 and 2024.
Oweh may not be a household name, but he would be a quality addition for the Cowboys. During the 2025 season split between the Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers, the 27-year-old pass rusher racked up 38 total tackles to go along with 7.5 sacks. He may not be a star, but he would upgrade the Dallas pass rush.
Finally, a move for Phillips could make sense as well. Phillips played for both the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles last season, racking up 53 tackles, five sacks, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and four defended passes.
Any of those players would be well worth looking into for the Cowboys to improve the defense.
What Would Each of Those Pass Rushing Options Cost the Cowboys?
Spotrac has suggested potential market value’s for each of those players entering the 2026 NFL free agency market.
Hendrickson would be the most expensive of the three players. His market value is projected at around $25.4 million per year, with a suggested contract of two years and almost $50.9 million.
As for Oweh, he would come a bit cheaper per season. His projected value would be $19.3 million per season with a suggested deal of three years and $57.9 million.
Phillips comes in at a $17.3 million per season projection. His suggested contract would be worth just over $52 million over the course of three years.
No quality pass rusher comes cheap in today’s NFL. If Dallas wants to make an impact move, Jones will have to bring out the checkbook.
Cowboys Linked to 3 Pass Rush Options After Maxx Crosby Miss