The winter trade rumor mill was strong around the Dallas Cowboys, of course, especially when they made an attempt to get Maxx Crosby into their fold back in late February and early March, but came up just short. They were outbid by the Ravens, who then flunked Crosby in his physical because of a faulty knee and sent him back to Las Vegas, rescinding the trade. The Cowboys had moved on to Rashan Gary at that point, and apparently put the Crosby chase behind them.
Or so we thought, until this week, when team owner and GM Jerry Jones was asked about the decision to stop the Cowboys’ pursuit of Crosby. Jones created a stir with his answer.
“We didn’t,” Jones said. “We did not walk away. That’s about all there is to say. We understood his injury well. We thought he could help us then. We were surprised by the way that was resolved. To interject anything about what we’re thinking or doing, because he went back to the Raiders, would be a mistake. He’s a Raider.”
Cowboys Still Need Defensive Help
Indeed, Jones can only say so much about a player on another team’s roster without drawing the ire of the NFL office, which has tampering rules. But he did continue to tease the Maxx Crosby possibility when he told reporters that the Cowboys were still going after a big-name defensive player and had talked trades all week.
Dallas has revamped its pass rush from last season, and though the group could shine under new coordinator Christian Parker, it does lack the kind of splashy sack-master the Cowboys traded away last summer when they lost Micah Parsons. Crosby could be the star that defense needs.
Maxx Crosby Hears Cowboys Trade Rumors
Out in Las Vegas, you can bet that Crosby–a Dallas-area native–has heard the Cowboys chatter. While most athletes feign ignorance when it comes to seeing their names in the media, Crosby made a surprising admission: He has very much heard and read the Cowboys gossip.
“It doesn’t change anything for me, to be honest,” he told USA Today. “People act like they don’t … if you’re an athlete in this position, you see everything. Regardless, if you want to or not. You can try to live in a cage, but then your teammate is coming up to you, ‘How do you deal with it?’
“I’m getting rehab, the first thing this morning, and all my teammates are looking at it and I’m trying to ignore it. But ultimately, you just have to learn to roll with the punches. I’ve gone through a lot in my personal life, a lot in my football life. So, (stuff) like that is nothing. If the child version of me was looking at Stephen A. Smith talking about, ‘Is this dude the guy to come win you a Super Bowl?’ like I think that’s cool. Whether it’s made up or not. They wouldn’t be talking about you if you weren’t doing something right.”
Maxx Crosby, Jordyn Brooks Among Rumored Targets
No doubt, the Cowboys are still looking to bolster the defense, and Crosby is the most obvious name. Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks also hit the rumor mill on Friday, despite having signed a $51 million contract extension last week. If there is any fire to the smoke around the latest Cowboys trade rumors, it does appear Dallas is thinking big.
Brooks was an All-Pro last season who led the league in tackles. Crosby has been a Pro Bowler five times, has twice been a second-team All-Pro and has twice led the NFL in tackles for a loss.
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