The Dallas Cowboys appear to be big-game hunting in their search for help on the defensive side of the ball.
The first sign of this came on Tuesday, when former ESPN anchor Trey Wingo said the Cowboys called the Las Vegas Raiders about a trade for star edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero later reported that the Raiders have met with Crosby and told him they don't intend to trade him, and Crosby doesn't want to leave.
Despite that, it shows the Cowboys are trying to do something big. Now, a report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler adds more smoke to that fire.
Fowler reports that the Cowboys have "looked into" a trade for Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, although the four-time Pro Bowler is not available.
Fowler adds that he expects the Cowboys to get involved in the edge rusher market.
My understanding of the situation is the Cowboys are on the hunt for an impact defensive player and have reached out to teams throughout the league -- likely all of them -- to gauge interest with a number of players, Crosby presumably being one. So yes, I think there's interest. My sense is that Dallas would be pretty surprised if the Raiders actually moved on from Crosby, with whom owner Mark Davis has a deep affection. The Cowboys -- armed with two first-rounders in 2026 and seven picks in total before compensatory selections -- also have looked into Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, whom the Bengals don't plan to deal. Several other edge rushers will be available leaguewide, so expect the Cowboys to get involved in various talks.
Dallas' need for an edge rusher is clear.
The Cowboys never replaced the sack production lost in the Micah Parsons trade and Dallas has just 15 sacks through seven games, which isn't going to cut it.
Along with edge rusher, Dallas could also use a cornerback and a run-stuffing interior defender. The Cowboys rank dead-last in pass defense and 30th in run defense. Adding an impact edge rusher would obviously help the former, also.
The Cowboys certainly have the draft capital to pull off something big, with the team having two first-round picks in 2026 thanks to the Parsons trade.
The market will ultimately dictate if they're able to do that, but it's good to see Jerry Jones and Co. Are at least trying.
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