The Cowboys’ front office may be looking ahead to 2027 on paper, but Jerry Jones sounds plenty focused on what can be done right now. With only five picks in that draft, Jones isn’t treating it like a problem, and he’s open to moving more capital if it helps Dallas upgrade the roster.
Jones made it clear the Cowboys are “in play” to make a move, and Jon Machota believes the most likely area would be on defense. He also pointed to the recent contract restructures as proof Dallas has flexibility if it decides to strike.
“That does show that we have really serious room to make a trade if we wanted to right now.” Jones said.
Jones also spoke about George Pickens, who is heading into a season on the franchise tag, and he sounded upbeat about what the receiver can bring now and beyond.
“I’m excited what he has to do with us this year and in coming years, and I emphasize that, in coming years.”
The Cowboys also had to navigate a sudden change up front when Tyler Smith landed on injured reserve with a thumb injury. Todd Archer reported that Smith first dealt with the issue late in Oxnard, and the team tried to find a way for him to keep playing after returning to Frisco.
Once that didn’t work, surgery became the answer. Archer added that even if Smith had gone under the knife immediately after returning from Oxnard, he was still likely to miss the first four games because the team would have needed the roster spot.
“Is any of it ideal? No but surgery is always last option in these situations, not the first.”
There was also a tough roster-cutdown moment for Joe Milton, who said he was stunned when Dallas let him go but chose to come back to the practice squad because he wants to keep developing around people he trusts.
“It’s life, man. You’ve got to be able to live with it and roll with it and be able to deliver blows back whenever it’s time.”
When asked whether anything changes for him now, Milton didn’t budge from his own confidence.
“Nah, I’m still the best quarterback in my eyes. So it is what it is. It’s just something you gotta live with, take it to the chin.”
In Washington, Samuel Cosmi is keeping his focus on the Commanders’ offensive line room despite the injuries that have hit the unit before the season has even kicked off. He said he likes what the group has and believes it can answer the doubters.
“I’m excited about what we got,” Cosmi told the team website. “We can prove everybody wrong, I don’t really care about everyone else, to be honest with you. I care about the guys in that room and our ability and what we can do.”
And in New York, Malik Nabers has drawn support from someone who knows exactly what the grind of a major knee injury looks like. Odell Beckham Jr., who went through a serious knee injury early in his own career, said he sees a lot of himself in Nabers and has tried to pass along the kind of guidance he wishes he’d had when he was younger.
“It’s been great. Like you said, I see a lot of myself in him,” Beckham said, via Sunday Night Football on NBC.
“And he’s worked hard in his rehab and coming back. It’s not easy.
I’ve just been kind of expressing to him what I went through. Never telling him what he should or shouldn’t do, but just be able to give him the wisdom that I wish when I was a younger guy, like I had somebody around to give me.”
Dan Graziano added on ESPN’s Get Up that the Giants’ staff has been pleasantly surprised by Nabers, saying they believed he was further along in his ACL recovery than expected.
“It sounds like [Malik Nabers is going to be good to go for Sunday Night.”
In Other News...
Commanders Just Added Receiver Depth That Could Matter Faster Than Expected
Ahead of Week 1 preparations, the Commanders quietly added another layer to their receiver room by signing Van Jefferson Jr. to the practice squad. Jefferson had put together a strong training camp, but Washington ultimately kept Luke McCaffrey on the final 53-man roster, leaving Jefferson available for a quick return to the building if the team wanted more experience and depth at the position.
For a roster still taking shape early in the season, the move gives Washington a useful contingency if injuries hit or if the wideout rotation needs a boost. Jeffersons arrival does not change the depth chart today, but it does give the Commanders a proven option in reserve, and those kinds of additions can matter sooner than expected once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Are Playing The Long Game With A Young Defender
Washingtons preseason conversation has been shaped as much by patience as by performance, and the latest example is Trey Amos. The Commanders put the young defensive back on injured reserve as a precaution, a move that fits a roster-building approach from general manager Adam Peters that has leaned toward the long view rather than forcing a quick return before the season settles in.
Elsewhere in camp, Dan Quinn has been talking up Nick Allegretti as one of the smartest players on the roster, even with the center missing camp time, a reminder that the staff still values mental sharpness as much as availability. Around the division, the Cowboys are hearing encouraging things about their own young defenders under Christian Parker and rookie Jaishawn Barham, but in Washington the focus remains on making sure Amos is ready when the timing is right later in the year. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Just Sent A Clear Message About Who Runs This Team
The Commanders have set their leadership structure for the season, and it starts with Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin on offense. Daniels was named the offensive captain, while McLaurin will serve as a leader among the skill players, giving Washington a clear sense of who is expected to guide that side of the ball. On defense, Frankie Luvu earned captain honors and Jeremy Reaves was listed as a defensive leader, rounding out a group that gives the locker room a mix of young momentum and established voices.
For a team trying to define its identity under a new seasons pressure, captaincy announcements can matter as much for symbolism as for anything else. Washington is making plain which players it wants front and center when things get tense, and the blend of Daniels, McLaurin, Luvu and Reaves suggests the Commanders are leaning on both production and presence. The real question now is how that structure shows up once the games start and leadership has to be more than a label. [Read more 🡒]