Sitting at 3-4 on the year, the Cowboys have several areas to improve on for the latter stages of the season. Indications from earlier this month pointed to a quiet approach to the upcoming trade deadline, but the team is at least looking into potential additions.
During his latest appearance on 105.3 The Fan, owner Jerry Jones acknowledged the Cowboys are “looking for meat on the bone that can improve our team” (h/t ESPN’s Todd Archer). That represents a contrast to Jones’ previous remarks on the subject, which indicated a confidence in Dallas’ current roster and coaching staff. The 2024 season has not gone according to plan so far, as Jones also conceded.
“I think we’re having a rougher go than I anticipated,” he added , via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “It is rougher, and I did not anticipate the challenges that we’re having with this team… It’s really a plus that we’ve won three games.”
Of course, injuries on defense have become a problem which Dallas could stand to address in the near future. Edge-rushers Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Marshawn Kneeland could all return at some point during the year, but their absences are set to continue through Week 9. At the cornerback spot, news of DaRon Bland‘s return has been weighed down by the calf tear Trevon Diggs is now dealing with. The Cowboys rank 31st in scoring defense, so shoring up the unit in any capacity on the trade market would no doubt be welcomed.
On the other side of the ball, depth at the running back spot and/or along the offensive line could help give balance to the league’s No. 3 passing attack. Failing that, a move aimed at adding another wideout option to complement CeeDee Lamb could be in store; four receivers have already been dealt but several pass-catchers are still on the market or have been floated as potential targets. Improving in any regard could help a turnaround during the second half of the season, one in which a fourth straight 12-5 record will be nearly impossible to achieve.
Of course, how the Cowboys fare building up to the postseason (and in the playoffs, should they qualify) will be central in determining the fate of head coach Mike McCarthy. Dallas’ home wild-card loss to the Packers was cited by Jones as the reason an extension was not offered, leaving McCarthy in place as a lame duck. A rental trade acquisition will not tangibly alter the team’s core, but it could boost the chances of a playoff push and as such McCarthy’s job security.
The Cowboys remain near the top of the league in terms of cap space, so a deal affecting the remainder of the 2024 season would be feasible. Adding a player with term beyond this campaign could complicate the contract situations for the likes of Parsons, Lawrence and Zack Martin heading into the offseason, but a stop-gap move could be on the horizon depending on how talks with interested teams progress ahead of the Nov. 5 deadline.
