Jerry Jones traded away his most talented player before the season started. Less than three weeks before the NFL's trade deadline, the Dallas Cowboys owner might not be done maneuvering.
Speaking at a press conference announcing that the East-West Shrine Bowl will be played at Ford Center on Jan. 27, 2026, Jones said he wouldn't rule out improving the defense if a trade presented itself.
"If there is a trade that would help the defense, we're in position to make that trade," Jones said, via the team’s official website. "[It] doesn't mean we're going to make one, but we certainly had in mind when we started this season that we were going to have ammo to be more flexible in terms of what we do with the roster as we move along this year, and of course as we get into the next couple of years."
The Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to Green Bay for Kenny Clark and first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, giving Jones that "ammo" he speaks of in both terms of extra picks and salary cap space.
Dallas sits at 2-3-1 following Sunday’s loss to Carolina. The Eagles and Washington both losing helped the Cowboys remain close enough to make a late-season run a possibility. Jones' comments underscore that he knows if Dallas is to make a move, it would be for a defensive player, as that side of the ball has proven to be one of the worst units in the NFL.
There are few players whom Dallas could add who would justify paying a premium price. Tennessee's Jeffery Simmons comes to mind -- an All-Pro talent under contract through 2027 on a team going nowhere. A cheaper move or two could be had to add depth to the secondary or a rotational pass rusher.
"We have thought all along that if we see a way to improve this year with a trade at the deadline, then we'll take advantage of it," Jones said. "That's what we positioned for to start this year, was to have ammunition to do things if we have an opportunity."
Jones noted that the club expects to get linebacker DeMarvion Overshown back, possibly after the Week 10 bye, and rookie corner Shavon Revel Jr. could return from a torn ACL at some point. He wouldn't put a timeline on either, but they're part of any calculus that comes with trade chatter.
"We will weigh what are the likelihood of the players we've got coming back, how will they impact where that will put this team as opposed to should we add a player in a trade?" Jones said. "I don't have a trade in mind right now, at all. That comes about right now if someone is on the phone calling."
