What are the Dallas Cowboys up to? That's the question everyone is asking after they created upwards of $19 million in salary cap space by restructuring the contracts of Kenny Clark, DaRon Bland, and Jake Ferguson.
The Cowboys now have $33 million in cap room that they can carry over into next year, or use to facilitate a lofty in-season trade.
Jane Slater of NFL Media reported that nothing is coming down the pike for now. This seems like a case of Dallas giving itself maximum flexibility should the right trade opportunity present itself during the season.
So, who might be on the Joneses' radar? The Maxx Crosby speculation won't be put to rest until after the trade deadline. Easy to connect the dots there. With that in mind, let's brainstorm some star players the front office could have its eye on.
Maxx Crosby and other possible Cowboys trade targets with new cap space
1. Maxx Crosby, DE - Las Vegas Raiders
Crosby is going to be connected to the Cowboys until the trade deadline has passed, and he's still repping the Silver and Black.
That's simply the reality after Jerry Jones revealed before training camp that he never lost interest in Crosby after Dallas finished as runners-up to Baltimore in the initial sweepstakes before the Ravens backed out of their trade with Las Vegas.
If you don't want to protect yourself from getting hurt if a trade never materializes and are ready to fully buy into Crosby becoming a Cowboy, you should know that his base salary this year is $30 million.
Unless you're a stern believer in coincidences, it's hard to believe the Cowboys freed up more than $19 million in cap space out of the blue. The fact that they can afford Crosby now and couldn't before is not a coincidence. It can't be.
A trade probably won't happen before the season, and it may require the Raiders to lose a lot of football games, but Crosby Trade Watch is officially back on in DFW.
2. Joey Porter Jr., CB - Pittsburgh Steelers
Anyone else been paying close to attention to what's going on in Pittsburgh? Standout cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and the Steelers remain far apart in contract negotiations.
In the final year of his rookie contract, Porter has not committed to playing without a new deal. And it's hard to blame him, considering the Steelers extended three other members of his draft class: pass rusher Nick Herbig, defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, and tight end Darnell Washington.
Porter deserves to get paid, as he's emerged into a star boundary cornerback.
Among CBs who played at least 300 coverage snaps in 2025, Porter ranked second in passer rating allowed (56.2) and fourth in completion percentage allowed (48.3 percent), per PFF. He also surrendered the eighth-fewest receiving yards and his 11 PBUs were seventh-most.
The Cowboys like their CB room, but it's very theoretical at this point. DaRon Bland isn't a No. 1 corner, and it remains to be seen if Shavon Revel can translate his excellent summer into the regular season. Dallas is banking on both to have rebound seasons.
This saga could end with Porter requesting a trade out of Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old would give Christian Parker a stud to match up against opposing X receivers. What a luxury that would be given the talent that is already on the roster.
3. Josh Sweat, DE - Arizona Cardinals
Josh Sweat was floated as a trade candidate all offseason after the Cardinals fired head coach Jonathan Gannon, who recruited Sweat to Arizona during the 2025 offseason.
The Cardinals have since shot down the idea of trading Sweat, but that stance will change if their season tailspins the way many expect it to. In fact, in a recent column for ESPN, insider Dan Graziano wrote "Don't be surprised if ... edge rusher Josh Sweat gets moved before the trade deadline."
"Arizona is going to continue to get calls," Graziano added. "Though I believe the team doesn't want to trade him, I also know these things change. And if Arizona is out of it in late October and/or Sweat indicates he doesn't want to be there anymore, you'll hear his name ahead of the deadline."
Sweat's contract is very easy to move. He doesn't have any guaranteed money left beyond this season and an acquiring team would only be on the hook for roughly $5 million.
If the Raiders barricade the doors at Allegiant Stadium to keep Crosby from leaving, Sweat would be one heck of a fallback plan.
A Super Bowl champ with the Eagles, Sweat just produces. Over the last two seasons, he's averaged 56.6 pressures, 18.3 QB hits,10.0 sacks, and a 15.3 percent pass-rush win rate, per PFF. All while holding his own against the run.
Odds are Sweat would be comfortable joining Dallas, too. He crossed paths with Christian Parker with the Eagles, and his former Cardinals teammates Jalen Thompson and Emari Demercado are now Cowboys, along with secondary coach Ryan Smith.
A starting OLB duo of Rashan Gary and Josh Sweat, with Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, and Von Miller available off the bench, would be an embarrassment of riches.
4. Christian Gonzalez, CB - New England Patriots
Christian Gonzalez comes in at No. 4, but he doesn't rank far behind Crosby in our dream trade target power rankings.
For whatever reason, the Patriots are playing hardball with Gonzalez, who's cemented himself as one of the premier cornerbacks in the game.
Everyone and their mother expected a swift conclusion once the Seahawks made Devon Witherspoon the highest-paid CB. But nearly three weeks have passed, and New England and Gonzalez still don't seem any closer to finding common ground.
The Patriots historically haven't handed out market-setting contracts, and Gonzalez won't negotiate once the season starts. New England could let him play out the year and explore a trade in the offseason, but if tensions boil over before then, Jerry Jones should be knocking down Robert Kraft's door.
Gonzalez is an elite press-man corner. Last season, he finished with a 64.4 passer rating allowed and conceded only one touchdown, to go with 10 forced incompletions. He's the rare modern cornerback capable of locking down one side of the field.
Since he'd have to get paid, Gonzalez wouldn't cost as much in a trade. The Cowboys would still have to give up a lot -- and find a way to fit him on their salary cap -- but a player of Gonzalez's caliber would be worth the price of admission.
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