The Cowboys just handed themselves a little more room to dream.
By restructuring the contracts of Kenny Clark, DaRon Bland and Jake Ferguson, Dallas created more than $19 million in salary cap space and now sits on $33 million it can roll over into next year or use on a major in-season move. For now, according to Jane Slater of NFL Media, nothing is brewing. But the flexibility is there, and that alone has the trade machine humming.
Naturally, the first name that keeps surfacing is Maxx Crosby.
That buzz is not going away before the deadline, and it’s easy to see why. Jerry Jones said before training camp that he never stopped being interested in Crosby after Dallas finished as the runner-up to Baltimore in the initial sweepstakes before the Ravens backed out of their trade with Las Vegas.
Crosby is still with the Raiders, and his base salary this year is $30 million. The Cowboys clearly couldn’t make that kind of move before, and now they can.
A deal may still depend on how the Raiders season goes, but the speculation is back in full force in DFW.
If Dallas goes looking beyond Crosby, Joey Porter Jr. would make plenty of sense.
The Steelers and Porter are reportedly far apart on a new contract, and the corner is in the final year of his rookie deal. Pittsburgh already extended Nick Herbig, Keeanu Benton and Darnell Washington from that same class, and Porter has every reason to want his turn.
He’s earned it. Among cornerbacks who played at least 300 coverage snaps in 2025, Porter ranked second in passer rating allowed at 56.2 and fourth in completion percentage allowed at 48.3 percent, according to PFF.
He also gave up the eighth-fewest receiving yards and finished with 11 pass breakups, tied for seventh-most. Dallas likes its cornerback group, but there’s a lot of projection in it right now.
DaRon Bland is not a No. 1 corner, Shavon Revel still has to prove his summer can carry into the regular season, and the Cowboys are counting on both to bounce back. Porter would give Christian Parker a true answer against opposing X receivers.
Josh Sweat is another name worth watching.
He’s been a trade candidate for a while after Jonathan Gannon was fired in Arizona, since Gannon brought him in during the 2025 offseason. The Cardinals have said they don’t want to move him, but that kind of stance can change fast if the season goes sideways.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote, "Don't be surprised if ... edge rusher Josh Sweat gets moved before the trade deadline." He added, "Arizona is going to continue to get calls," Graziano added.
"Though I believe the team doesn't want to trade him, I also know these things change. And if Arizona is out of it in late October and/or Sweat indicates he doesn't want to be there anymore, you'll hear his name ahead of the deadline."
Sweat’s contract would be easy for another team to absorb, with no guaranteed money left beyond this season and only about $5 million owed to an acquiring club. He’s also a proven producer, averaging 56.6 pressures, 18.3 QB hits, 10.0 sacks and a 15.3 percent pass-rush win rate over the last two seasons, per PFF.
Dallas connections are there too, through Christian Parker, Jalen Thompson, Emari Demercado and secondary coach Ryan Smith. A group with Rashan Gary and Josh Sweat starting on the edge, plus Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence and Von Miller behind them, would be loaded.
Then there’s Christian Gonzalez, who lands fourth but isn’t far behind Crosby on the wishlist.
New England has been playing hardball with one of the league’s best cornerbacks, and the two sides still don’t appear close to a deal. A resolution looked likely once the Seahawks made Devon Witherspoon the highest-paid corner, but nearly three weeks later, nothing has moved much.
The Patriots haven’t often handed out market-setting contracts, and Gonzalez won’t negotiate once the season begins. New England could let him play out the year and revisit everything later, but if this gets messy before then, Dallas would have to be ready.
Gonzalez is an elite press-man corner who allowed a 64.4 passer rating last season and gave up just one touchdown, while forcing 10 incompletions. He’s the kind of defender who can erase one side of the field.
He would also cost real draft capital and require cap maneuvering, but a player of that caliber doesn’t come cheap.
For now, the Cowboys have the cap space and the options. The question is whether they’ll use either on a swing this big.
In Other News...
Cowboys Just Opened The Door For Another Move Before Week 1
The Cowboys spent the lead-up to Week 1 doing more than tightening up the depth chart. By restructuring the contracts of Kenny Clark, DaRon Bland and Jake Ferguson, Dallas opened up more than $19 million in salary cap room, giving the front office a little more breathing room as the season gets underway. It also came on a day when the team leaned into its leadership structure, naming Dak Prescott, Quinnen Williams, Clark and Brandon Aubrey as captains for the 2026 season.
There are still a few moving parts worth watching. Joe Milton is back on the practice squad, adding another quarterback option in the background, and the Cowboys have continued to talk up Tyler Guytons progress at left tackle after his camp development. With cap space now available, the question is whether Dallas is simply banking flexibility for later or quietly positioning itself for another move before the opener. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Camp Drama Just Exposed A Bigger NFL Problem
The Cowboys briefly stirred up training camp this week when they moved to restrict reporters from video recording team drills, only to reverse course after the decision drew public criticism. It was a short-lived policy, but it tapped into a growing leaguewide debate over how much access teams should allow when cameras are pointed at the practice field and how much competitive value can be squeezed from a few clips of offseason work.
Defensive coordinator Christian Parker said the concern was opponents using camp video to glean strategic clues, and that warning has plenty of backing around the NFL. Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley pointed to a game in which the Philadelphia Eagles appeared to use practice footage to anticipate pressures against his Green Bay Packers, and Jalen Hurts handled the blitz especially well in that matchup. For Dallas, the episode was less about optics than it was a reminder that in an information-driven league, even practice tape can become part of the chess match. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Roster Cuts Are Already Raising Questions Around Young Talent
The Cowboys roster cuts have already begun sending familiar names elsewhere, and Jaydon Blue is the latest example of how quickly the league can turn over a young player. After Dallas released him, Blue landed on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad, adding another wrinkle to a division rivalry while underlining how much interest there still is around unproven talent when teams trim down to their final roster.
Blue was hardly the only former Cowboy to find a new opportunity. Sam Williams, Julius Wood, and Trevor Keegan also moved on quickly, getting claimed or signed by other NFL teams in the wake of Dallas decisions. For the Cowboys, the immediate aftermath of cutdown day is more than a paperwork exercise, since it keeps exposing which young players other clubs believe are worth betting on. [Read more 🡒]