Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones may have been choosing his words carefully during his radio appearance Tuesday morning. The last thing he probably wanted to do was appear to make a promise and then later fail to deliver.
But ever the showman, Jones also didn’t want to shoot down the idea the Cowboys were shopping around the trade market.
So, Jones summed where the Cowboys stand on potentially making a big trade early in the 2026 NFL season with three words.
“The best way for me to answer that is not timing wise, right no something this morning or this week, but if you look at it generally speaking we’re in play,” said Jones.
Cowboys.com’s Tommy Yarrish highlighted “we’re in play” as the biggest takeaway point from Jones’ answer.
“That’s the best way to describe it.”
The Cowboys just made a trade before the NFL roster deadline on August 30. Dallas acquired former first-round pick Broderick Jones from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But on Tuesday, Jones said the Cowboys are “in play” for a defensive upgrade.
Cowboys Closing In on Defensive Upgrade?
It’s difficult to say for sure when a deal might occur for Dallas. To suggest the Cowboys are closing in on making a move on the trade market for a defender doesn’t appear to be accurate.
Jones not only didn’t address the potentially timing of a possible trade, he flat out said he couldn’t answer when it could happen.
But should a move happen, Jones implied it will come on defense.
“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 Cowboys recently restructuring the contracts for Kenny Clark, DaRon Bland and Jake Ferguson confirm the team is probably trying to make a move. Clearing cap space with those restructures will enable the Cowboys to take on another cap hit with a significant player, perhaps even a starter.
Defense has been a focal point for the Cowboys throughout the offseason. It should remain so until the unit proves it will be better this fall than last year.
The Cowboys finished the 2025 campaign ranked 30th in yards allowed and last in points yielded.
Who Could Jerry Jones Target For Cowboys Defense on Trade Market?
Jones didn’t get any more specific about what position group a potential trade for the Cowboys could address. He also didn’t really say if the team was looking at more minor moves or a blockbuster deal.
One way the Cowboys could certainly cause waves in the trade market would be to reopen conversations into acquiring edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
That’s what FOX Sports’ Danny Parkins predicted to happen last week while appearing on FS1’s First Things First. The FOX analyst used the recent contract restructures as support in his argument Dallas will make a big splash with Crosby.
The Las Vegas Raiders traded Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens days before the new league year began in March. In controversial fashion, the Ravens reneged the deal before the trade could become official. That sent Crosby back to the Raiders.
It’s been relatively quiet on the Crosby front lately. But because the Raiders almost very nearly traded him once, few will be surprised if he’s shipped to another team during this season.
In a press conference at the beginning of training camp, Jones left open the possibility of the Cowboys acquiring Crosby.
“We didn’t [walk away from the trade],” said Jones on a Crosby deal. “… There’s nothing more to elaborate about, but we didn’t walk away.”
Jerry Jones Summarizes Cowboys Trade Talks With 3 Words Before Season Opener