Cowboys trade rumors are heating up quickly, and one of the NFL’s top pass rushers could be involved
It’s looking increasingly likely the Cowboys will be buyers at the trade deadline.
When putting together my list of seven trade deadline targets for the Dallas Cowboys, I was relatively cautious about adding many major names. The front office has fallen on the conservative side of things for years now, so any blockbuster trade appears to be a long shot these days.
However, trade rumors around the Cowboys are heating up, and it’s looking increasingly likely they’re involved in a high-profile deal before the Nov. 4 deadline to execute trades. At 3-3-1, two games separate Dallas from the big day.
Multiple NFL insiders have linked the Cowboys to defensive stars, and even ESPN’s Adam Schefter expects them to be buyers at the deadline.
“I would say that the Dallas Cowboys are having conversations about moves that they can make before the trade deadline to try to improve that defense, just like Jerry Jones said that they could and would once they traded Micah Parsons,” Schefter said on his podcast. “I’m not telling you they’ll be able to pull anything off. But I would not be surprised if we hear Dallas at the very least inquiring about the availability of various defensive players and ultimately trading for one.”
Based on a report from Tuesday, Schefter is not only right, but the Cowboys are asking around about elite players.
Report indicates Cowboys inquired about Maxx Crosby
Per NFL insider Trey Wingo, the Cowboys have “made inquiries” with the Las Vegas Raiders about a potential trade for elite edge rusher Maxx Crosby. A two-time second-team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, Crosby is one of the league’s best defenders.
Crosby entered the 2025 season as one of four players with over 300 pressures in the last four seasons, per The 33rd Team. The four-man club was made up of him, Micah Parsons, Nick Bosa, and Myles Garrett. That’s the kind of player we’re talking about here.
Trading for Crosby would likely take at least one first-round draft pick, as well as taking on a large contract that includes $30 million in guaranteed salary for the 2026 NFL season and runs through 2029, per Over the Cap.
But is a trade for Crosby feasible from the Raiders’ point of view? I reached out to A to Z Sports’ Raiders expert Justin Churchill for his insight.
Crosby is unlikely to be moved from Raiders
“There aren’t many people covering the Raiders who believe Maxx Crosby will be traded. Of course, as the season goes on and the team gets worse, that could start to change. This offseason, the Raiders made Crosby the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league before Myles Garrett got his deal. He’s a Raider through and through, and the only player left that embodies what it truly means to be a Raider. This team is bad, but Crosby is the team. Trading him away feels like something that would put head coach Pete Carroll’s and general manager John Spytek’s jobs on the line.
“Owner Mark Davis loves Crosby and wants him to be in silver and black for his entire career. The only way I could see this happening is if Crosby demands a trade, and even then, the Raiders would want to try and make things work. Crosby has had a great start to the season despite being on such a bad team. It’s his seventh year in the league, and he’s only made the playoffs once, so maybe that would be enticing to him. But even then, Crosby is just so loyal, maybe even loyal to a fault.” – A to Z Sports Las Vegas, Justin Churchill.
Even if not Crosby, Cowboys could be eyeing a blockbuster deal
Last week, Yahoo Sports NFL insider Charles Robinson also indicated the Cowboys could be in the mix for a big trade.
“Multiple sources across the league told Yahoo Sports this week they believe Jones will be listening for a plus-sized talent — on the level of the Cincinnati Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson or Tennessee Titans’ Jeffery Simmons — if Dallas is in the playoff hunt at the end of October,” Robinson wrote.
In recent memory, the Cowboys have erred on the side of caution when it comes to team building. Could an elite offense like the one they have this year — fueled by Prescott’s best football ever — entice Jones to go all-in in the same year that Netflix made him reminisce about his “Gambler” days of the 1990s?
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