The Dallas Cowboys have been searching for a defensive game-changer ever since trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers before the 2025 season. Owner Jerry Jones hasn’t been quiet about it either, making it clear he’s determined to add another star to that side of the ball.

Recently, rumors circulated about a possible move for Raiders standout Maxx Crosby. Las Vegas quickly shut that door, insisting their pass rusher wasn’t going anywhere. Still, that brief buzz reignited conversations in Dallas about exploring options ahead of the trade deadline.

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When Jones was pressed on whether the team might reach out for Crosby, his answer revealed exactly where his priorities lie right now.

“I would say, without incriminating any area of it,” Jones told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, “it would be a defensive player. But not a pass rusher.”

The Cowboys’ pass rush has faced questions since the Parsons trade, but Dallas’ defense as a whole has been poor all season. It would make sense for the Cowboys to ask about Crosby if he were available. However, Jerry Jones was clear to tell her that they never reached out to the Raiders about Maxx Crosby.

The numbers paint a grim picture. Seven games into the season, Dallas is giving up a league-worst 401.6 total yards per game. That includes 260.3 through the air and 141.3 on the ground, the third-highest rushing mark in the NFL.

It doesn’t stop there either. The Cowboys are surrendering 29.4 points per contest and ranking among the league’s bottom half in takeaways with only six.

Their 15 sacks place them squarely in the middle of the pack. But opposing quarterbacks have posted a 110.6 passer rating, the second highest in the league.

To make matters worse, those quarterbacks are getting 2.95 seconds per drop-back, also the second-most generous mark across the NFL. Clearly, Jones knows something needs to change before the deadline passes.