While there’s a lot to criticize about the Dallas Cowboys’ front office, their willingness to engage in trade talks isn’t one of them. Jerry Jones is called a gambler for a reason, and in recent iterations, his franchise has been more than willing to play the asset-swap game.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, who has two first-round picks in April’s draft and the ability to create as much cap space as possible, acknowledged at the NFL’s scouting combine how the team is keeping an “open mind” in finding the right fit.
It’s unclear if Jones is meant to be traded for one of the two first-round picks or if there are other options, but the Cowboys are one of the more aggressive teams on the trade market. The front office made a lot of moves last offseason, even before ultimately dealing away star pass rusher Micah Parsons.
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Dallas traded two former first-round picks in cornerback Kyle Elam and linebacker Kenneth Murray before the draft in March, then sent a seventh-round pick for quarterback Joe Milton in early April. After the draft, the Cowboys made a splash in May by acquiring wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Of the four trades, the most traded pick was a third-round pick from the Cowboys to the Steelers that will appear in the upcoming draft. Elam and Murray are both exactly the same as they were when they were with the team, former first-round draft picks who struggled and didn’t perform very well. Elam did not last the season before being released. Milton solves a need for a developmental backup quarterback at a very cheap price.
Pickens proved to be a steal, giving the Cowboys offense something they had always dreamed of, a vertical threat and a legitimate WR2 opposite fellow WR CeeDee Lamb.
Then the Parsons trade gave the Cowboys a ton of draft and trade capital. With two first-round picks in the next two drafts, the Joneses begin the 2025 season trying to get better. The Cowboys’ next few trades are all in-season deals. They traded a seventh-round pick for recently released LB Logan Wilson, and then they hit another bombshell.
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The Cowboys traded defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the New York Jets, costing them a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick. Williams is now one of the cornerstones of a reshaping defense.
Pickens and Williams are a big piece of the puzzle for the Cowboys moving forward, but they cost the franchise premium draft capital that the team could try to recoup through trades. It wouldn’t be surprising if Dallas made a trade on draft day and reacquired the extra pick on draft day two. Currently, the Cowboys don’t have a second- or third-round pick in April.
Upgrading to acquire a senior player is also being considered. Even in some hopeful cases, they can both move up and revert to later options.
History tells us that the Jones family had no issues early in the draft. The Cowboys have traded first-round picks five times in the past 15 years. They have traded up once, traded back three times for additional draft picks, and once traded a pick, WR Amari Cooper. In the past four years, the team has also rejected trade proposals twice, once when they selected DT Mazi Smith, and the other time when they selected offensive lineman Tyler Smith.
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The Cowboys are often open to trades, especially in the draft. If there are no second or third round picks in this draft, teams may want to move back and add to their collection of picks.
No one should make it about the Jones family trading players or draft picks. With Pickens earning the franchise tag, another team could make an offer to lure the All-Pro receiver. Rumors of Pickens for Max Crosbie plus draft compensation have been swirling as the Cowboys desperately need defensive help, but he’s not the only option. If the Cowboys can’t come to an agreement with Pickens, getting more draft ammunition or other defensive help could be of interest to the Cowboys.
Last year, the team was in a similar situation to Parsons and chose to trade him. Parsons was originally scheduled to use his fifth-year option, but Jones decided to trade his best player to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round picks. It’s hard to see Pickens bringing back this type of compensation, but trading him is one path to improving the defense.
They may not be aggressive in free agency as they’ve already committed to making changes this year, but one place where it’s going to be hard to beat the Cowboys is on the trade market. That’s where they like to live, and there could be more trades in store for Dallas this offseason.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wired: Cowboys’ Jones family could look to use trades to improve again