Cowboys owner Jerry Jones 'stirs the pot' on potential trade for Raiders DE Maxx Crosby

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones started his Tuesday news conference saying he wasn't "going to stir the pot." Guess he was kidding. 

Jones spoke with the media at Oxnard, California, the site of the team's training camp. He said he likes the club's Super Bowl chances this upcoming season but noted he would like to add one more player on defense. He then made some eyebrow-raising comments regarding Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. 

Jerry Jones seems to reopen door on Maxx Crosby trade 

The Cowboys were reportedly one of the teams that eyed Crosby before he was traded to the Baltimore Ravens ... almost. The deal fell through after Baltimore's medical team wouldn't give him a clean bill of health due to a left knee issue. 

The Cowboys reportedly backed out of trade talks due to concerns about his knee. Jones refuted that. 

"We didn't. We did not walk away," Jones said before declining to expand to avoid tampering violations. "He's a Raider." 

The Cowboys could use one more defensive standout to separate themselves from other NFC contenders, especially after the Los Angeles Rams acquired DE Myles Garrett, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, in an offseason deal with the Cleveland Browns. 

On paper, the Cowboys defense has dramatically improved after ranking last in the league in points allowed (30.1 points per game) in 2025. They acquired linebackers Dee Winters and Rashan Gary in offseason trades with the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers. In the NFL Draft, they took Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs with pick No. 11. Many scouts consider him a generational talent. 

Even then, those moves may not make Dallas' defense Super Bowl-caliber. Questions about the pass-rush remain.

Per Pro Football Reference, the Cowboys ranked second in the league in pressures (197) in 2025 but only turned 35 of those into sacks. For context, the Seattle Seahawks, the defending Super Bowl champions, recorded 180 pressures and 47 sacks last season.  

Crosby could help Dallas boost those numbers. In 15 games for the Raiders last season, he logged 10 sacks and 29 pressures (via PFR). 

The Raiders may be keeping Crosby for now, but it wouldn't be surprising if they're open to trading him again. They need more draft picks to build around rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza. 

Now, don't anticipate a Crosby-Cowboys trade anytime soon. Both teams will need much more time to assess if it's worth agreeing to such a blockbuster deal. That said, Jones is hinting Dallas remains interested in Crosby, which should be duly noted.