After a blockbuster trade to the Baltimore Ravens collapsed due to medical concerns, Maxx Crosby remains with the Las Vegas Raiders while continuing his recovery. But around the league, teams are still watching closely.
That includes the Dallas Cowboys, where owner Jerry Jones has made it clear he’s not shutting the door on anything.
Jerry Jones Teases Possibility of Maxx Crosby Trade
The Cowboys owner addressed the situation publicly while discussing his team’s offseason plans. Speaking with reporter Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press at an event promoting an IndyCar street race in Arlington, Jones acknowledged that Dallas has already progressed significantly through its offseason strategy.
“We’re pretty far down the road relative to what our plans are,” Jones said. “So while I don’t anticipate it, I don’t want to rule anything out.” Those remarks came after a dramatic week surrounding Crosby’s future with the Raiders.
The star edge rusher was nearly dealt to the Baltimore Ravens in a blockbuster trade involving two first-round picks before the deal collapsed. Despite that uncertainty, Crosby quickly reaffirmed his commitment to the Raiders.
And that news couldn’t have come much sooner for the franchise and its fans. Crosby remains one of the franchise’s defining players, earning five Pro Bowl selections while recording 69.5 career sacks, even as the team has struggled to consistently contend.
From a production standpoint, Crosby has been among the league’s most impactful edge defenders. According to PFSN’s NFL Edge Impact metrics, he ranks tied for first among qualifying players since 2019, receiving an A grade and an elite 97 impact score.
Meanwhile, Dallas has been aggressively reshaping its defense following a disappointing season. The Cowboys recently acquired Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers and added safeties Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke as part of a broader effort to stabilize the unit.
Jones acknowledged the defensive struggles while expressing optimism about the direction of the roster moving forward. “I feel very good about it,” Jones said. “We have nowhere but up to go on defense. It’s not anyone’s fault at all. But we’ll almost assuredly be much better. And I’m betting on us improving on offense. That ought to get us with better feeling when we get to December.”
Financial decisions have also played a role in Dallas’ roster reshaping. The Cowboys recently traded defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers for a third-round pick to create additional cap flexibility.
Jones explained the reasoning behind spreading resources more evenly across the roster.
“We needed to spread it around a little bit,” he said. “Let’s not take anything away from him [Odighizuwa] individually, but we’ve got two outstanding football players, we have other backup players, plus we don’t want to rule out drafting a player.”
Even with all those moves already completed, Jones’ refusal to completely dismiss the Crosby possibility ensures the speculation will continue. Whether or not Dallas ultimately revisits trade talks with Las Vegas, the Cowboys owner has once again shown he’s willing to keep every option on the table.
