Because of some medical red flags, the Dallas Cowboys' pursuit of Maxx Crosby ended before it ever began. Even though the Las Vegas Raiders' trade with the Baltimore Ravens fell through, the Cowboys would be taking a major gamble by giving up one of their first-round picks to land Crosby, which is why they're steering clear.
Now that Trey Hendrickson is off the board, the five-time Pro Bowler is the most talented option, but he isn't the most sensible option. Instead, Jerry Jones should try to pivot and acquire Minnesota Vikings' edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, as his price tag is much more affordable than Crosby since Minnesota isn't asking for a first-rounder.
Since Minnesota only wants a Day 2 pick in return for the 28-year-old, Dallas better be all over that. Between 2023 and 2024, Greenard combined for 24.5 sacks, but was held to just 12 games and three sacks in 2025 due to injury. Even in a down year, he was more productive than any edge Dallas had.
The Dallas Cowboys need to put on the full-court press for Jonathan Greenard
Ever since the Micah Parsons trade, Jerry Jones has been searching for a cheaper edge rusher to replace him with, and now his wish has been granted. For teams like Dallas who are rightfully spooked by Crosby's medicals, the 2020 third-round pick is a cheaper alternative who is frankly underrated.
While Crosby is dealing with some brutal knee issues, the Florida product underwent shoulder surgery that ended his season early, but even that's a lot less risky since he doesn't require one first-round pick to acquire, let alone multiple. And Jerry, all the risk-taker, would be smart to play it safe.
Moreover, Greenard has ties to this new Cowboys' defensive staff. He has never been coached by Christian Parker, but Marcus Dixon, his defensive line coach in Minnesota, currently holds the same title in Dallas, which could ease his transition.
Under Matt Eberflus, or even Mike Zimmer, fans wouldn't even dream of ownership making a swing like this, but they're committed to turning this unit around under Parker's tutelage. And that starts with the pass rush, as Donovan Ezeiruaku and Rashan Gary are holding this unit together with duct tape.
The only problem in Dallas' pursuit of Greenard is that the Vikings are asking for a Day 2 pick, and they don't have one. They traded their second-rounder to the New York Jets at the deadline for Quinnen Williams, and dealt their third-rounder to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the George Pickens deal.
The Cowboys are going to have to partake in a bidding war to land Greenard now, though, and trading a first-rounder would be an overpay. So if Jerry Jones really wants to improve this DL and bring in Greenard, he will have to get creative to do so, even though he's far cheaper than Crosby.