Cowboys news: A reason why Dallas didn’t make any moves at the trade deadline

Don’t be fooled by Dallas’ inactivity at the deadline. Cowboys made their moves months ago - David Moore, Dallas Morning News

The Dallas Cowboys didn’t make any trades at the deadline. Here’s one explanation as to why.

Why didn’t the club make a comparable move ahead of Tuesday’s deadline? Well, it didn’t have a sixth-round pick in this draft to trade.

Or a fourth- or fifth-rounder, for that matter.

Those who equate action with success will be disappointed by the Cowboys’ inability to make a deal. How could Dallas not upgrade the roster heading into the final two full months of the regular season?

San Francisco acquires defensive end Chase Young from Washington for a mid-round pick, and the Cowboys sit idly by? Does Dallas not care about the postseason? That’s one narrative.

The more accurate one is that the franchise made its moves months ago and has the benefit of those players for an entire season, not just part.

The Cowboys gave up a fifth-round pick on March 15 for corner Stephon Gilmore. Four days later, the team sent a fifth-round pick and a sixth in next year’s draft to Houston for receiver Brandin Cooks.

Dallas sent a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft to the 49ers in August for quarterback Trey Lance.

That’s two quality veteran starters and a developmental quarterback for third-day draft picks. That’s a strong return on investment.

Nick at Nite: This offense can bring the motion - Nick Harris, Dallascowboys.com

A change in offensive philosophy seems to be set in motion.

The bye week came at a good time – which is funny to think when I think back to when the schedule was released and remember absolutely hating the early bye week – as the Cowboys’ offense got an opportunity to look in the mirror and find the missing element. That included the team participating in “across the hall” meetings that saw groups of players get different perspectives from different coaches on their positives and negatives.

“Across the hall is one of the best things that we do,” Dak Prescott said. “Obviously, there’s not a lot of times that you have that you can implement that in your schedule. When they went in and dissected us from a defensive coordinator’s point of view and gave us some good things, it was just all around awesome.”

The fresh point of view allowed the offense to come out hot against the Rams in week eight, score a touchdown on the opening drive and carry sustained success all day in all parts of the field on its way to a career day for CeeDee Lamb and a season-high 304 yards for Dak Prescott.

And again, it’s not like we saw anything on the field concept-wise that was too different or just a complete shock towards the offensive system that had been in place. It was more about seeing what has worked and exploring those aspects of the offense.

‘Let’s Get It Over Quick!’ Dallas Cowboys Shut Down Rams Stars, Focus on Eagles - Jonathan Alfano, Cowboys Country

The win on Sunday was great, but the team knows what’s in front of them this weekend.

With their top two pass-catchers neutralized, the Rams were no match for the Cowboys in a 43-20 Dallas win. ... a win driven in part, in a weird way, by the defense having next week’s foe, the hated Philadelphia Eagles, also on its mind.

“I talked to D-Law (DeMarcus Lawrence), I talked to Micah (Parsons) right before the game, and we said, “Let’s come out here, let’s get this game over quick, because we know what we got ahead of us next week,’’ said Dallas safety Jayron Kearse. We came out and did that. Got it done early and (we) were able to sit down and relax a little bit at the end.’’

There were a number of factors in this shut-down effort. Yes, the injury that quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered in the middle of the game certainly didn’t help L.A.’s cause, but the Rams were thoroughly outmatched no matter who was under center.

Dallas’ secondary had a dominant performance, and the stats reflect that. The star of the show was cornerback DaRon Bland, who had two passes defended and his third pick-six of the season. Fellow cornerback Stephon Gilmore also defended a pass, as did linebacker Micah Parsons and defensive lineman Neville Gallimore.

Jerry Jones’s Comments on Cowboys vs. Eagles Left Dak Prescott in Disbelief - Jeff Smith, Sports Illustrated

Sometimes, things Jerry Jones says can even catch players by surprise.

“Let’s soak this one up. I don’t want to do anything to poke the bear,” Jones said of the Cowboys matchup with the Eagles, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota.

It was an approach that had not only fans and analysts caught a bit off guard, but even Prescott admitted he was surprised to hear Jones say that. As Machota detailed, Prescott’s “eyebrows raised” when hearing of the comment.

“I don’t believe what you just said,” Prescott told reporters.

And then Prescott opted to take on the role of outspoken and confident leader in a way that drove home the level of confidence the Cowboys have heading into the matchup.

“Pour honey on me. I always say that. If you see me and a bear in a fight, pour honey on me,” Prescott said, per Machota.

Jones and Prescott essentially swapped roles ahead of the pivotal matchup between the 7–1 Eagles and 5–2 Cowboys which could have major implications on the NFC East title race. Prescott’s confidence is high and he’s bounced back in impressive fashion.

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