The Cowboys spent deadline day watching the clock run out without making a move, and by the time 4 p.m. ET hit on Tuesday, nothing had changed in Dallas.
That outcome lined up with what Jerry Jones had already been saying. Even after the deal for Joey Porter Jr., Jones kept the door cracked open, but he also made it clear he wasn’t expecting a major splash.
On 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday, he said, “You know that old country song? When that phone’s not ringing, that’s me calling.
It’s really not ringing," he said. "But don’t count it out," Jones said.
"A lot of things happen on that last day. But I don’t look for us to make a significant trade today.”
There were reasons the Cowboys could have stayed put. If Dallas was going to swing, it needed to be a real difference-maker, especially on the edge. The problem is that elite edge rushers almost never hit the market, and when they do, the asking price is steep.
That price would have been even harder for Dallas to absorb because of the draft capital it has already spent in recent years. Even if a big-name pass rusher had been available, the Cowboys would have had to thread a very tight financial and asset needle to make it happen.
Smaller deals may have been out there, but that likely wasn’t the kind of move Dallas was chasing. With the defense struggling the way it has this season, a modest pickup probably wouldn’t have justified giving up what few picks the team still has.
There’s also the possibility that Jones decided the market simply didn’t offer anything that could truly change this team, which would explain why Dallas chose to preserve the draft picks it has left instead of forcing a move.
The rest of the NFC East was quiet, too. The Giants and Commanders also stood pat on deadline day, even though New York had been tied to plenty of rumors.
Philadelphia was the one division team that at least came close to making another move. The Eagles nearly sent Arnold Ebiketie to the Cincinnati Bengals, but the deal collapsed after the Bengals realized it would cost them a third-round compensatory pick they are due to get after the departure of Trey Hendrickson in free agency.
The Eagles did make a major move on Monday, though, sending Jordan Davis to Jacksonville in a blockbuster deal with the Jaguars. Philadelphia landed a first- and second-round pick in return, and for Dallas, there’s at least one small silver lining: the Cowboys won’t have to face the massive interior defensive lineman twice a year anymore.
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