FRISCO, Texas – All was quiet for the Cowboys as 3:00 p.m. CT came and went on Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, as expected.
Earlier in the morning on Tuesday, Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan that he was not expecting Dallas to make a significant move at the deadline like they have in past years, such as acquiring DT Quinnen Williams last year and WR Amari Cooper in 2018.
Instead, the Cowboys stuck with their current roster and selection of draft picks for the 2027 NFL Draft, of which there are only four. Dallas currently holds the lower of their own or the Packers' first-round pick as part of the Williams trade, their own 2nd round pick, the Steelers' fourth-round pick from the Broderick Jones trade, and the Patriots' seventh-round pick from the Nate Thomas trade.
Why do the Cowboys only have those four picks? The trades they've made far ahead of this season's trade deadline dating back to the George Pickens trade in May 2025. Part of the trade package for Pickens was Dallas' 2027 fifth-round pick.
The Cowboys' 2027 third-round pick was sent to the Steelers for Jones, as was their sixth-round pick. The 2026 fourth-round pick was traded to the Packers for OLB Rashan Gary. And last but not least, their seventh-round pick was part of the draft day trade with the Eagles to move back three spots in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft and select Malachi Lawrence 23rd overall.
Before the draft, the Cowboys also acquired a third-round pick from the 49ers in exchange for DT Osa Odighizuwa in March. They used that selection to draft LB Jaishawn Barham. Dallas also acquired a seventh-round pick from the Titans on the same day in exchange for DT Solomon Thomas. During the draft, the Cowboys moved up one spot in the first round to select DB Caleb Downs at 11th overall in exchange for two fifth-round picks, and sent their third fifth-round pick to the 49ers in exchange for LB Dee Winters.
And most recently, the Cowboys made a significant trade once again with the Steelers to acquire CB Joey Porter Jr. in exchange for a 2028 second-round pick. It was their lone trade during the 2026 regular season, and one that has proven to be impactful when Porter has been on the field. Porter missed Dallas' Week 9 game with an ankle injury that has affected him during some games this season.
While they weren't active at the 2026 trade deadline, Dallas has been active in the trade market as a whole in the last year. Quinnen Williams, Joey Porter Jr. and Caleb Downs have been players that Dallas has acquired because of trades since November of 2026.
With eight games left in the 2026 regular season, Dallas sits at 4-5. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer in confident in the roster he'll have going into the back half of the year.
"I'm very comfortable in our team," Schottenheimer said Monday. "I think the heart of these guys, the way that they've shown that they can perform, we just have to be more consistent in that performance."
Following Dallas' Week 9 win over the Colts, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was for making an addition if one presented itself, but also recognized the team's current roster construction and the fact that they results of the season going forward rest on the players' shoulders.
"Credit Jerry [Jones], credit the front office and those guys," Prescott said. "If you can always add, go do it. Even if you think you have enough, if you can make sure you have enough and get better, go do it. I encourage that. But yeah, they've done a hell of a job with the team they put together. It's on us now. Period."
The Cowboys return to AT&T Stadium on Thursday to face the 49ers, who are 7-1 and currently atop the NFC. San Francisco has recently made two notable trades, acquiring DT DeForest Buckner from the Colts and on Tuesday, trading for veteran WR Keenan Allen, who was also in Indianapolis.
