The Dallas Cowboys may not be finished upgrading their roster.
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones confirmed Tuesday that Dallas remains open to completing another trade. Although Jones did not indicate that a deal was imminent, he made it clear that the Cowboys monitoring potential opportunities around the NFL.
“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,” Jones said when asked if he had still been holding “substantive” trade talks with teams around the league like he hinted at during training camp. “And that’s the best way to describe it.”
The Cowboys have until the Nov. 10 trade deadline to make another move.
Cowboys could target defensive depth
If Dallas completes a trade, Jones believes it would most likely strength defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s unit.
“You could look for it to be defensively,” Jones said. “You could more than likely see depth on defense. Defense would be the place.”
Dallas aggressively rebuilt its defense following a disappointing 2025 season. The Cowboys acquired Rashan Gary and Jalen Thompson in free agency while adding veteran pass rusher Von Miller. They also selected safety Caleb Downs and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence in the first round of the draft.
Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and DaRon Bland give the Cowboys proven talent at other levels of the defense. However, Dallas still has depth concerns at cornerback, linebacker and edge rusher.
Linebacker Marist Liufau and rookie cornerback Devin Moore will begin the season on injured reserve. Miller is also expected to play a situational role, potentially leaving Dallas in need of another dependable pass rusher.
Dallas has financial room to make a trade
The Cowboys recently created more than $19 million in salary-cap space by restructuring the contracts of Clark, Bland and tight end Jake Ferguson. Dallas now reportedly has more than $30 million available.
“The timing is conspicuously obvious. But yeah, we could use it for this year’s team,” Jones said. “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.”
Unused cap space can carry into 2027, meaning Dallas does not have to force a move. The money could also provide flexibility for future expenses, including a potential long-term extension for George Pickens.
However, the Cowboys now have enough space to absorb a significant contract if an impactful defender becomes available.
Jones willing to trade premium draft pick
The Cowboys currently hold only five selections in the 2027 NFL Draft after using future picks in previous trades. Despite that limited capital, Jones is willing to sacrifice another valuable selection for the right player.
“A top pick is expendable this year for me to add to somebody that meaningfully would help us now,” he said, unequivocally. “And we would have the right kind of spot on our team for it. So I’m not just looking for a player. We’re looking for somebody that can add to the mix here.”
Dallas demonstrated its win-now approach last season by acquiring Williams from the New York Jets before the trade deadline. The Cowboys also recently traded for offensive tackle Broderick jones.
Jones’ latest comments do not guarantee another blockbuster. They do confirm that Dallas has the financial flexibility and willingness to trade meaningful draft capital if a defensive difference-maker becomes available.
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