“The door is always open to get better.” That’s what Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan this Wednesday morning, and honestly, for the first time in a while, there’s every reason to believe him. For years, his “all-in” talk felt more like a cliché, drawing scrutiny back in early 2025 for how little his actions actually matched his big words. The team was loaded with talent but kept underachieving, yet they seemed passive when it came to those final, needle-moving upgrades. That’s all changed, big time.
Forget The Old Strategy, This Is A Whole New Jerry
Rewind roughly 18 months, and the Cowboys’ strategy was pretty much by the book: draft, develop, extend the stars like Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, then draft more to offset those big contracts. Free agency and trades were just for patching up cost-effective holes. Jones, the guy known for striking gold in the oil business, seemed to have lost that risk-taking edge he had in the 90s. His comments this week about being “never shut down from trying to get something that would really advance the needle” and being “willing to put some things out there that lean more today than they would be three years from now” used to sound hollow. But his actions since May 2025? They speak volumes.
A Wild Ride Of Trades That Shook The League
The proof is in the moves, and man, have there been some moves. It started in May 2025 when they dealt a third-round pick (and swapped a fifth and sixth) to the Steelers for receiver George Pickens. That was just the warm-up. By late August 2025, a week before the season opener, Jones dropped a bombshell: three-time first-team All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons was off to the Green Bay Packers. In return, the Cowboys snagged defensive tackle Kenny Clark and first-round picks in 2026 and 2027. Think about that for a second. Parsons gone for future picks and another DT.
Then, at last year’s trade deadline, Jones pulled off what was arguably an even more stunning trade. We’re talking the most dramatic move since their 2018 Amari Cooper deal. They sent a 2027 first-round pick, a 2026 second, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith to the New York Jets for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. That’s a massive haul for one player! And it didn’t stop there. They later traded up to grab safety Caleb Downs in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. In August, they hit up the Steelers again, trading a third and sixth for offensive tackle Broderick Jones and a fourth. Last week, after a stalemate with the Steelers and cornerback Joey Porter Jr., Dallas swooped in, sending a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth to improve their defense. Porter Jr. jumped right into action, playing 25 defensive snaps, 45% of the total, in their 34-30 win against the Houston Texans.
What’s Next For This Aggressive Cowboys Squad?
So, with the Cowboys sitting at 2-2, and a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team led by a backup quarterback visiting on Thursday, the question isn’t *if* Jerry Jones will make another move before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, but *what* he’s planning. Their schedule looks highly manageable between now and that deadline, which means there’s every reason to believe Jones is seriously exploring adding another piece. With this kind of aggressive approach, anything feels possible right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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