The last thing the Dallas Cowboys should do at the trade deadline is move on from assets just to make a trade. However, given how talented the offense has been behind Dak Prescott playing the best football of his career, it’s obvious that the defense is the only thing holding this organization back at the moment.
If the Cowboys want to be a serious team in the playoffs—or even make it there to begin with—it will likely come down to making a trade. Owner Jerry Jones has made it clear over the past few weeks that he’s very interested in getting a deal done. According to his son and vice president, Stephen Jones, this sentiment is shared throughout the organization.
Stephen Jones echoed his father’s stance, saying the team will make a trade if the right opportunity arises. “The trade deadline is the trade deadline. Until that point, you’re always looking for ways to improve yourself, and you can do that up until the trade deadline. And as I said, we’re always very serious about looking at any way to make our team better,” he said, per Jon Machota of The Athletic.
### Should the Cowboys Make a Blockbuster Trade?
The big questions for the Dallas Cowboys revolve around who they want and what they are willing to give up. The reality is that if the Cowboys pursue a blockbuster trade, it has to help them win now or in the immediate future. Trading for a win-now piece but failing to win instantly would be a significant problem.
That’s why the Cowboys need to target a player who has multiple years left on their contract. From the sounds of it, Jerry Jones understands he has the assets to make a deal but wants to proceed carefully.
“If there is a trade that would help the defense, we’re in position to make that trade,” Jones said, per 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.
“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 added. “That’s what we positioned for to start this year, was to have ammunition to do things if we have an opportunity.”
### Will the Cowboys Look to Improve on Defense?
The Dallas Cowboys have struggled defensively and have also dealt with several injuries, which doesn’t excuse their poor performance so far this season. While there is room for improvement, the defense has been a significant problem.
Jones has stated that the team plans to weigh all options, including the likelihood of injured players returning, before making any moves.
“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.”
As the trade deadline approaches, it will be interesting to see if the Cowboys take advantage of their roster flexibility and make a move to shore up their defense heading into the playoff push.
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/stephen-jones-mirrors-jerrys-words-trade/
