The Dallas Cowboys won on Sunday, making them 3-3-1 and keeping their 2025 season alive. It was another stellar showing from the offense, with some good plays sprinkled in from the defense. It’s games of this nature that give fans hope, believing that if they can just fix a couple of things here and there, they might be contenders again. And with an aging quarterback who makes $60 million per season, who knows how many opportunities they’re going to have. The time is now to pull out all the stops
to win, which is why many people would love to see the front office trade away some of their extra premium draft resources to add a playmaker that can help them win right now. Who doesn’t want to see that?
On Tuesday, Cowboys Nation got excited when we first learned that the team had made inquiries with the Las Vegas Raiders about a possible trade for Maxx Crosby. Then, later in the day, we learned that the Cowboys had, in fact, not had a discussion with the Raiders about Crosby. And then even later, we learned that the Raiders talked with Crosby and let him know that they were not shopping him. Just like that, those dreams were on hold.
While Crosby may have been the focus of recent stories, there are more rumors that they could be interested in Trey Hendrickson, or some type of defensive playmaker. Given all that smoke, let’s talk about making a trade. They have two extra first-round draft picks from the Micah Parsons trade, giving them a total of four over the next two drafts. While those picks will help strengthen the team in 2026 and in 2027, the front office could choose to spend those picks now to help them in 2025.
Previously, we discussed how the Cowboys could pull off such a move and make a big push for the immediate future. Being aggressive and taking advantage of this window of opportunity certainly makes sense if they go about it correctly. However, the team should also be smart about it. Trading premium draft capital just for the sake of doing something isn’t always the best move. There are consequences. So, while looking for the right trade is fine, shipping off precious draft resources for a proven commodity may not be the best approach, and here are some reasons why.
The player will come with a heavy financial investment
If the team trades away one of their first-round draft picks, it’s going to be for a star player. That means the player will likely be a former first-round player who is nearing the end of their rookie deal or a player who has already received a hefty second contract. So, not only would this new addition consume precious draft capital, but they’d take up a huge chunk of cap space.
That’s an issue because the Cowboys just added four players this offseason who have an average annual salary of at least $20 million. Before, it was just Dak Prescott ($60M) and CeeDee Lamb ($34M). But now, they have Tyler Smith ($24M), DaRon Bland ($22.5M), Kenny Clark ($21.3M), and Osa Odighizuwa ($20M). The team also re-upped with Jake Ferguson ($12.5M) as well. That’s a lot of cap space already allocated.
And who is to say the Cowboys don’t decide to hang on to George Pickens after this offseason? They gave up a third-round pick to get him, and he’s been everything they could have asked for. Why let someone like him get away when you’ve already done the legwork to get him?
The Cowboys have made large investments throughout multiple extensions, so taking on another big contract would be a big deal. The team needs to be careful, and that’s what makes this next one very important.
They need quality players on lower-cost rookie deals
One way to afford all those high-cost players is to fill up the roster with lower-cost players. We know the team likes to shop in the bargain bin for free agents, but they also rely on plenty of their own draft picks to fill the holes.
The Cowboys have an opportunity to add some strong players over the next couple of years because of their extra draft capital. Adding quality college prospects and getting five years of player control for a much lower cost is a nice luxury to have for this football team. They are in a great position to replenish talent on their roster, and the more quality rookies they can acquire, the better they will be long term. And this becomes even more crucial when you factor in this last point of reasoning.
The Cowboys are good at drafting in the first round
You can always point to a Taco, a Mazi, or a Mo, but over the last decade and a half, the front office has been extremely efficient in finding strong talent at the beginning of the draft. Since 2010, the Cowboys have drafted 10 players who have earned All-Pro honors. That’s astounding! While no one expects the Cowboys to use those four first-round picks to land four stars, it’s not unreasonable to expect them to put them to good use by selecting strong contributors. Giving up such high draft capital would be less of a risk if the Cowboys’ player personnel department weren’t so good at drafting on Day 1.
The real solution
We all want the Cowboys to be good right now. And it’s true, time is ticking on the window of opportunity for Dak Prescott. If the right player comes along, the team should be open to the idea of making a move, and maybe that move isn’t necessarily a first-round pick, but a second? But what they don’t want to do is panic. Don’t get hasty and believe that they are one player away. That kind of thinking has gotten Jerry Jones in trouble in the past with trades for Joey Galloway and Roy Williams. Protect that precious draft capital at all costs!
What will make the Cowboys a better football team is that their current players gain a better understanding of the schemes the new coaching staff is trying to convey, particularly on defense. And for the coaches themselves to make adjustments in their schemes that better accommodate their players’ abilities. The breakdowns we are seeing won’t be remedied by one defender, but rather by a collective group of more disciplined players. Save the draft picks, improve the coaching.
