The Dallas Cowboys are scrambling to bolster a defense that’s been hemorrhaging yards and points all season, but owner Jerry Jones insists the team never reached out to the Las Vegas Raiders about acquiring star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby.
In comments to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Jones pushed back on trade rumors while acknowledging the need for reinforcements on that side of the ball.
Jones did, however, suggest that the team was looking for help on the defensive side of the ball, but not specifically for a pass-rusher.
That narrative took a hit Sunday morning when Fox NFL insider Jay Glazer dropped a bombshell, claiming the Cowboys had indeed inquired about not one, but two elite edge rushers—Crosby and Cincinnati Bengals standout Trey Hendrickson. Glazer’s report paints a picture of a desperate front office dialing around the league for solutions.
“Dallas is trying, they’ve actually called around…they called the Raiders for Maxx Crosby and they were told, ‘no.’ They called the Bengals for Trey Hendrickson and were told ‘no.’ They are calling around for help on defense,” Glazer revealed on Sunday before the games.
The urgency makes sense given Dallas’ statistical nightmare through seven weeks.
The Cowboys boast one of the league’s most porous defenses, surrendering the most yards per game and ranking third in points allowed. The unit has been further gutted by the offseason trade of linebacker Micah Parsons, a move Jones stands firmly behind despite Parsons thriving elsewhere.
“I expected that,” he said. “When I made the trade, I thought both sides would do well — us with (defensive tackle Kenny) Clark and the picks, and him up there. We both have good days, and we have our picks.”
With the trade deadline looming and no immediate fixes in sight after reported rejections from Las Vegas and Cincinnati, Dallas heads into Sunday afternoon’s matchup against the Denver Broncos still searching for answers on a defense that’s become the team’s Achilles’ heel.
Whether more calls go out remains to be seen, but the pressure is mounting in Big D.
