Jerry Jones on Maxx Crosby trade: 'I don't want to rule anything out'

The Dallas Cowboys were among the teams rumored to be in the mix for Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby before he was initially traded to the Baltimore Ravens.

Could they re-enter the sweepstakes after the agreed upon trade between the Raiders and Ravens fell through? Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones wouldn't fully shut the door on the possibility at a March 12 event promoting an IndyCar series street race that will run by AT&T Stadium.

"We're pretty far down the road relative to what our plans are," Jones said when asked about pursuing Crosby, per the Associated Press. "So while I don't anticipate it, I don't want to rule anything out."

Crosby would fill a big need for a Cowboys pass rush that sorely missed Micah Parsons after he was traded to the Green Bay Packers on eve of the 2025 NFL season. Dallas ranked just 15th in pressure rate last year after ranking fourth in the category with Parsons in 2024, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats.

But as Jones referenced, Dallas has already actively remade its defense during the 2026 NFL offseason after it allowed a league-high 30.1 points per game last season and ranked dead-last in defensive EPA per game.

Notably, Dallas signed veteran safety Jalen Thompson away from the Arizona Cardinals in free agency and acquired edge rusher Rashan Gary - a 2019 first-round pick who has averaged just under eight sacks per season since 2021 - in another trade with the Packers.

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The team also traded away defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa a year after he signed a four-year, $80 million extension. The move came as part of an effort to better balance the team's budget, with fellow defensive tackles Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams also playing on deals worth more than $20 million in average annual value (AAV).

"We needed to spread it around a little bit," Jones said of the salary cap when addressing the Odighizuwa trade. "Let's not take anything away from him individually, but we've got two outstanding football players, we have other backup players, plus we don't want to rule out drafting a player."

Jones expressed excitement about Dallas' potential for defensive improvement in wake of their changes and under first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

"I feel very good about it," Jones said. "We have nowhere but up to go on defense. It's not anyone's fault at all. But we'll almost assuredly be much better. And I'm betting on us improving on offense. That ought to get us with better feeling when we get to December."

Add in that Crosby seemingly pledged his commitment to the Raiders in a March 11 social media post and it seems like parties are content to stand pat despite the star pass rusher's unexpected availability.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maxx Crosby trade rumors: Jerry Jones won't rule out Cowboys deal