It would appear that Jerry Jones understands the importance of upgrading the Dallas Cowboys' defense before the NFL trade deadline on November 4. The general sentiment is that Dallas' offense is way too prolific to waste because they have to score on almost every single possession.
According to longtime NFL voice Trey Wingo, the Cowboys have inquired with the free-falling Las Vegas Raiders about a potential trade for star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. With a 2-5 record and fresh off getting blasted 31-0 in Week 6, the Raiders need to embrace tanking and rebuilding.
Trading their best player would expedite that process, but that begs the question of which player Jerry Jones should be willing to sacrifice - on top of draft picks - to acquire Crosby. Trevon Diggs feels like an obvious trade chip for the cornerback-depleted Raiders.
Cowboys' Jerry Jones should be willing to part with Trevon Diggs in potential Maxx Crosby trade
It feels like the Cowboys and Diggs are headed for a split in the offseason. Diggs butted heads with the front office in the offseason for rehabbing away from the team. Dallas activated the $500,000 de-escalator in his contract that required him to participate in 84 percent of the offseason program.
Beyond that, Diggs has been publicly critical of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus' scheme, and Jones has been oddly mute about Diggs missing the Cowboys' Week 6 game due to a concussion he suffered in an accident at home.
Trading Diggs' best friend, Micah Parsons, surely didn't help mend fences. Cowboys fans get the feeling that Diggs no longer wants to be in Dallas, and the feeling might be mutual within the front office.
Is it a coincidence that the defense had its best performance of the season without Diggs this past Sunday? The group played an inspired and disciplined brand of football for the first time all year. Several factors can be attributed to that, like Eberflus' schematic changes, but perhaps they benefitted from not being around Diggs' negative energy.
Diggs hasn't had a great season by his standards, but there is still a great player in there. He only turned 27 at the start of the season. Not only would the Raiders give Diggs a needed change of scenery, but the Las Vegas market is a perfect landing spot to promote his brand.
Don't get it twisted: premium draft capital is going to be the centerpiece of any trade involving Crosby and the Cowboys. However, if the Raiders want a player in return, Jones should absolutely be willing to part with Diggs.
Heck, he might welcome that.