The Cowboys’ shaky start on defense has already reopened a familiar conversation, and Maxx Crosby is right back at the center of it.
Dallas is 1-1 after its Week 2 win over the Washington Commanders, but there’s still plenty of uncertainty around how much Christian Parker has actually changed on that side of the ball. The opener against the New York Giants was rough, and through two games the Cowboys have only managed two sacks as a team, which leaves them tied for third-fewest in the NFL.
That’s exactly why the Las Vegas Raiders’ early surge up front matters. Las Vegas is 2-0 and tied for the league lead with eight sacks, a fast start driven by its pass rush. Crosby, though, has not been as heavily involved as many would expect, and that detail could matter if Dallas wants to revisit trade talks for the five-time Pro Bowler.
Bleacher Report recently named the Cowboys as a possible landing spot for Crosby later this season, and the logic is easy to see. Dallas needs more juice getting after the quarterback, while Las Vegas has shown enough early production to make the idea of moving Crosby at least worth discussing.
Veterans Kwity Paye and Malcolm Koonce have given the Raiders early help off the edge, and that gives the team something to work with even if Crosby were eventually dealt. That doesn’t mean Las Vegas would be better without him. It does mean the first two weeks have suggested the Raiders may have enough pass-rush depth to absorb the blow more easily than expected.
From the Raiders’ point of view, the question is simple: keep an aging pass rusher whose value will only decline, or turn him into major draft assets to help build around No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza? The source’s answer is pretty clear.
If Las Vegas is going to make that kind of move, the argument is to do it sooner rather than later. A new deal for Crosby could become expensive fast, and there’s also the risk of an injury wiping out the chance to cash in on his trade value at all.
So yes, the Crosby chatter feels like it could be heating up again. Whether the Cowboys are the team to jump back in is the part still waiting to be answered.
In Other News...
Jerry Jones Pushes Back As Cowboys Get Pulled Into NFL Debate
Jerry Jones is not buying the idea that the NFL is anywhere close to planting a permanent flag overseas, even as the league keeps leaning harder into its international push. The Cowboys owner said an international expansion team feels like a long way off, pushing back on the notion that Europe is ready to house an NFL franchise anytime soon.
Still, Jones was not dismissing the leagues global ambitions outright. The Cowboys are headed to Brazil for the NFLs first game in Rio de Janeiro, another sign of how far the sport has stretched beyond U.S. borders, and Jones acknowledged the complications that come with taking games abroad while still supporting the effort to grow the league. Roger Goodell has made clear he sees international teams as inevitable, with London viewed as the likeliest landing spot, leaving one of the NFLs most influential owners on the skeptical side of a debate that is only getting louder. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Face A Real Problem Ahead Of Rio Showdown With Cowboys
The NFLs first regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro is set to bring the Cowboys and Ravens to Maracan Stadium on Sept. 27, but the buildup has already taken on an unusual tone because of the playing surface. Heavy rain, heat and a packed soccer calendar have left the grass in poor condition, creating the kind of backdrop that can alter how a game unfolds before either team takes a snap.
For Dallas, the setting adds another layer to an early-season matchup that already matters, since both clubs enter at 1-1. The league plans to move ahead anyway, and the field is expected to be part of the story in a game that could look and feel very different from a typical September Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Defense Suddenly Has A Ravens Problem Fans Need To Watch
Dallas got a clearer look at its defensive health picture on the Week 3 injury report, and it comes at a time when the Ravens are looming on the schedule. Cobie Durant, Malik Hooker, P.J. Locke, DeMarvion Overshown and James Houston all showed up on the report, giving the Cowboys another reminder that the secondary and linebacker depth is still very much in flux heading into a tough matchup.
Brian Schottenheimers updates only sharpened the concern. Overshown is a low-probability play because of a hamstring injury, Locke is working back from plantar fasciitis with a possible return within four weeks, and Durant is still rehabbing his own hamstring issue. Hooker, meanwhile, remains sidelined while recovering from a fractured forearm and is not expected back this week, leaving Dallas with more questions than answers as it tries to get its defense ready for Baltimore. [Read more 🡒]