Jerry Jones' latest disappointing statement could cost the Cowboys
It's officially NFL trade deadline season! Teams around the league, including the Dallas Cowboys, have one more week to pull off trades before the market is locked up for the remainder of the 2023 campaign. General managers, particularly on winning teams, are probably working the phones like stock brokers in the 1970s, trying to upgrade […]
It's officially NFL trade deadline season! Teams around the league, including the Dallas Cowboys, have one more week to pull off trades before the market is locked up for the remainder of the 2023 campaign.
General managers, particularly on winning teams, are probably working the phones like stock brokers in the 1970s, trying to upgrade their teams by picking top-tier talent from losing teams aiming to rebuild. The Philadelphia Eagles just landed an All-Pro safety in another genius trade. Every contender is likely following their example, right? Right!?
Well, not exactly. Not the Cowboys, at least. According to Jerry Jones, they're not even dialing up any number. If anything, they'll pick up the phone if it happens to ring.
“The initiation of an opportunity to make a trade at this time that would help us principally has to start over on the other end," Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Monday. "I like where we are with our personnel today.”
In other words, Jones is confessing the Cowboys are being reactive instead of proactive during the last few days where they could significantly upgrade the team after a 4-2 start to the season. Sure, free agency is still an option. But you're likely not getting any difference maker there as opposed to in the trade market.
Meanwhile, Eagles GM Howie Roseman saw a sign of weakness at safety and immediately acted on it by adding Kevin Byard to the roster. The Cowboys' division rival has been a master of exploiting these market inefficiencies.
In Dallas, it's all about their guys, however. Never mind the concerning lack of depth at cornerback and linebacker. Don't you worry about a wide receiver group that has no convincing No. 3 wide receiver and a future benching could be in play. The Cowboys like their guys and that's all you need to know.
That seems like a costly way of doing things when trying to rip the division title off of the hands of the Eagles, who are doing things the aggressive way. They're 5-1, fresh off of a big-time win, and still aiming to get better by working proactively.
Could Jones be "playing it cool" while Stephen Jones and Will McClay are actually working behind the scenes on pulling off a move? Perhaps. But the facts speak louder than Jerry's words so I can't easily give them the benefit of the doubt.
Offseason trades for Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks might've suggested a different mindset but unless they prove us wrong over the last few days, it'll become clear it was a short-term thing and not a big-picture change of strategy.
Cowboys: DE Sam Williams sends strong message to coaching staff
He’s not happy.
