Jerry Jones Hints at Cowboys Blockbuster Trade, Says He’d ‘Give Up the Future’ for a Star
Jerry Jones is up to something, and the Cowboys owner is not hiding it anymore.
Jones told reporters at Cowboys training camp that he is exploring a potential blockbuster trade to add more talent to the roster, and he made it very clear how much he is willing to give up to make it happen. He said he would be willing to “give up the future” to add a big-time player who can help Dallas win now.
“A top pick is expendable this year for me to add to somebody that meaningfully would help us now,” Jones said. He also revealed he had a conversation with an owner as recently as Monday about a potential deal.
Jerry being Jerry is nothing new, but this is a different tone than we usually get from him. He is essentially telling the whole league that the Cowboys have a first-round pick available, and that he is not afraid to move it for a difference-making player. That kind of public statement changes the leverage in every conversation Dallas has for the rest of the summer.
The obvious question is who the target could be. If Dallas is going to give up a first-round pick for a star, the shortlist is not long. Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby is at the top of everyone’s list of possible targets. Jerry Jones was famously interested in Crosby earlier this offseason and never really shut down the possibility of revisiting that pursuit.
Other names to think about include any veteran cornerback or interior linebacker who could be shaken loose from a rebuilding team. Cornerback, edge rusher, and interior linebacker are the three weakest position groups on the Cowboys roster. Jones probably wants to fix at least one of them before the season starts.
The Cowboys went 7-9-1 last year and missed the playoffs. That was a huge disappointment for a team that had been a regular playoff contender for years. The offense is still capable of scoring points, and Dak Prescott is one of the top quarterbacks in the league when healthy. But the defense has enough holes that adding one star player could really change the outlook for the season.
Jerry’s willingness to trade a first-round pick shows how serious he is about winning right now. Draft picks are the currency of NFL roster building, and giving one up voluntarily is a big deal. Jones has done this before, of course. He traded a first-round pick for Amari Cooper years ago and got great value out of it. He is not afraid to make bold moves.
The Crosby angle is what most fans will hyperfocus on. Crosby is the exact kind of player Dallas needs. He is an elite pass rusher, still in his prime, and could immediately upgrade the defense. The Raiders would demand a huge return, but if Jerry is willing to pay that price, it could actually happen.
Las Vegas has been publicly resistant to trading Crosby all offseason, but every player has a price. If Dallas offered a first-round pick plus a young player and a second-round pick, the Raiders would have to at least seriously consider it.
The other side of this is that Jerry could just be doing what he always does, which is talk loudly to keep the Cowboys in the news. He does not always follow through on the biggest hints he drops. But this time feels different, especially given the specific mention of already talking to another owner.
Cowboys camp just got a lot more interesting. Watch the trade wire this week.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
