Jerry Jones isn’t backing off the idea that the Cowboys could still make a move.
With Dallas preparing to open the regular season, Jones went on 105.3 The Fan for his weekly segment and addressed the trade chatter that has followed the team through the offseason. He said he’s pleased with what he has seen from the roster, but he didn’t close the door on dealing for help.
“The best way for me to answer that is not timing wise, right on something this morning or this week, but if you look at it generally speaking, we’re in play,” Jones said when asked if he had still been holding “substantive” trade talks with teams around the league like he hinted at during training camp. “And that’s the best way to describe it.”
The Cowboys also have a lot riding on the new voice guiding the defense. Christian Parker’s rise to defensive coordinator has drawn attention, and one of the details around his approach is the way he handles every interaction with players and staff.
“Every meeting is an opportunity to win or lose players’ respect,” Parker said. “Every interaction is an opportunity to learn, to earn or lose players, coaches, anybody’s respect, and give them confidence in themselves. They’re going to draw that from you, because you’re the one who’s pouring into them.”
There’s also growing buzz around Caleb Downs as his pro debut approaches. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler included him among the early picks for 2026 Defensive Rookie of the Year, with one AFC executive pointing to the role Dallas plans to give him.
The Cowboys will play Downs primarily in the slot, where he can disrupt in the open field. “He will play in the middle of the defense, so he will probably have some ball production and high tackle numbers,” an AFC executive said. “And if he helps turn around Dallas’ defense, he’ll be looked at as a catalyst.”
On offense, the Cowboys are dealing with the potential ripple effects of losing Tyler Smith. A former offensive lineman said the absence could matter a lot for Dak Prescott, especially with two division games among the first four weeks.
“This is massive. And not just because the first four games, you’ve got two division games obviously to start the season off.
But you’re talking about Dak Prescott who likes to stay in the pocket, live in the pocket and is an internal guy. Pro Bowl guard and, the thumb-to put this in reference, just because you’re fine does not mean that thing is back.
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Elsewhere in the locker room, Kenny Clark’s standing with the team keeps rising. After arriving from Green Bay, he was voted onto the leadership council and named one of just four captains for the 2026 season, joining Dak Prescott, Brandon Aubrey and Quinnen Williams.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s huge,” Clark said of the honors. “It’s something that you never take for granted and always are appreciative of - the team, my teammates viewing me as a leader. It’s just my standard every day, just coming up here and showing the guys who I am and proving that every day.”
In Other News...
Cowboys Suddenly Face A Week 1 Problem They Know Too Well
Malik Nabers is back in the mix for the Giants just in time for Week 1, and that matters because Dallas opens the season facing a receiver it has already spent plenty of time game-planning around. Nabers was a full participant in practice after working his way back from the torn ACL he suffered in Week 4, clearing up the uncertainty that had hung over his availability for the matchup.
For the Cowboys, the timing is less than ideal. New York is getting ready for its first game under head coach John Harbaugh, and Nabers presence gives that offense a dangerous piece right away against a Dallas defense coordinated by Christian Parker. Even before kickoff, the Cowboys are dealing with a familiar kind of early-season stress test, the sort that can turn a clean opener into a long afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Could Be Watching A Costly Secondary Opportunity Develop
The Cowboys have been tied to plenty of defensive rumor traffic as the calendar creeps toward the Nov. 10 trade deadline, and Joey Porter Jr. has emerged as one of the more intriguing names to watch. The Steelers cornerback had been viewed as a possible trade chip, with Dallas and Washington both mentioned as potential suitors if Pittsburgh ever decided to move him, which would naturally catch the eye of a Cowboys team always looking for help on the back end.
But the latest word out of Pittsburgh is that the Steelers may simply hold onto Porter, even as contract talks remain at an impasse and his status for the start of the season is unsettled. For Dallas, that creates a familiar kind of waiting game, the sort where a promising secondary upgrade can shift from realistic to unlikely in a hurry, depending on how another team chooses to handle its own long-term plans. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Must Solve A Major O-Line Problem Without Tyler Smith
Tyler Smiths thumb surgery has put the Cowboys in a familiar but unwelcome spot, asking them to patch together the offensive line without one of their most reliable blockers. The All-Pro lineman was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return, meaning Dallas will have to get through at least the next four to six weeks without him as it tries to keep its front stable. To help cover the roster opening, the Cowboys signed offensive lineman Nick Leverett from the practice squad.
Smiths procedure was handled by Dr. Steven Shin, whose history includes expedited recoveries in similar cases, which at least gives Dallas some reason for optimism about the timeline. Still, the immediate concern is straightforward: the Cowboys need the line to hold up now, and any absence for a player of Smiths caliber forces the rest of the group to absorb a lot more responsibility in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]