Dallas Cowboys owner and general Jerry Jones' attitude toward the 2023 trade deadline was that of someone who participates in the spring cleaning of their house and then doesn't feel the need to do so again until the following spring. The 5-2 Cowboys didn't make any in-season trades prior to the Oct. 31 deadline, and the reason for that is because Jones was satisfied with acquiring cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Brandin Cooks back in March.
"We made our trading deadline before the season started," Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, via The Athletic. "That's why we traded for Stephon Gilmore, and that's why we traded for Brandin Cooks. Thank goodness we had the opportunity to get that trading deadline done back before we started the season."
Leading up to the trade deadline, Jones said his team was "a contender" and that a trade would "have to come our way." That simply isn't the mindset two of the Cowboys top NFC rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles (7-1) and the San Francisco 49ers (5-3) -- the two NFC Championship Games participants last season -- have. At each of the last two trade deadlines, the 49ers have made notable moves. This season, they traded a third-round pick to the Washington Commanders in exchange for defensive end Chase Young. His 16.2% quarterback pressure rate ranks as the fifth-highest in the NFL in 2023 among players with at least 200 pass rushes. He will now team up with 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa along the the 49ers defensive line, a player whose 16.7% quarterback pressure rate ranks as the fourth-best in the NFL this season. Last year, San Francisco traded four draft picks to the Carolina Panthers for All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey. His 2,154 scrimmage yards and 23 scrimmage touchdowns as a 49er lead the NFL since his San Francisco debut last season.
The Eagles were also aggressive this trade deadline, adding two-time First-Team All-Pro safety Kevin Byard after sending safety Terrell Edmunds, a 2024 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans. Even the 5-2 Seattle Seahawks upgraded their roster as they acquired Pro Bowl defensive lineman Leonard Williams from the New York Giants in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
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Dallas acquired Gilmore, the 33-year-old 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, from the Indianapolis Colts on March 15 in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick, and he has been spectacular so far in 2023. Cowboys second-year cornerback DaRon Bland, a 2022 fifth-round pick, and Gilmore both rank top three in the NFL in passer rating allowed as the primary defender in coverage and in completion percentage allowed. Bland's 9.6 passer rating allowed as the primary defender in coverage is the lowest in the NFL among 50 players with 40 or more targets thrown their way this season while Gilmore's 46.3 passer rating allowed as the primary defender ranks third in the league. They also rank one and two in the NFL in completion percentage allowed as the primary defender in coverage with Bland's 41.5% rate just ahead of Gilmore's 42.9% figure.
The Cowboys acquiring Cooks from the Houston Texans on March 19 in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth-round pick this past offseason was supposed to atone for their horrendous sin of trading away four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for late-round draft pick compensation. Entering Week 6, he had only nine catches for 73 yards on 19 targets. Against the two Los Angeles teams, the Chargers in Week 6 and the Rams in Week 8, Cooks has produced more yards (85) and more receiving touchdowns (two) on two fewer catches (seven). His 25-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter on Sunday occurred because Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy approved of Cooks' play-call suggestion, highlighting the trust he has already in Year 1 with a new team. That's the type of belief that indicates bigger and better performances are on the horizon, but the Cowboys could still have some more juice in their wide receiver room.
The Cowboys' two offseason trades have produced mostly favorable results, but it would have made sense for Jones to actively seek out more moves to keep up with the rest of the NFC contenders especially since next offseason is loaded with major financial decisions on contracts for quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and edge rusher Micah Parsons. Plus, backup quarterback Trey Lance, the third overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft, has his fifth-year option decision ahead in the 2024 offseason as well. Jones may end up being right, but given the recent history of the Cowboys -- 12 consecutive playoff trips without reaching the NFC title game -- doing whatever he could have to upgrade his roster midseason was likely the best course of action.
