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By Megan Armstrong
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The Dallas Cowboys are gaining steam as a rumored trade destination for Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby, but Crosby might be too expensive. The Raiders might not make him available for trade at all.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported on Wednesday morning that the Raiders "have not moved off from their asking price of two first-round picks and a player. Several teams are interested, but decision makers are getting mixed signals from the Raiders in regards to their genuine interest in dealing their star."
The Cowboys do possess two first-round picks in April's 2026 NFL Draft. They received the Green Bay Packers' 2026 first-rounder when trading All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Packers last summer. But the Cowboys spent their 2027 first-round pick as part of the deal to acquire then-New York Jets All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the Nov. 4 trade deadline last season.
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Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently said he could see his team "being more aggressive in free agency," and, compared to trading for Crosby, free agency would be a cheaper path toward an impact player for a depleted defense.
ESPN's Mike Tannenbaum predicts Dallas will sign All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
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"He would help to buttress their pass rush, which fell over the cliff after the Micah Parsons trade," Tannenbaum wrote. "Hendrickson was injured for much of last season, but when healthy, he is still one of the best pass rushers in the league."
On Tuesday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that the Cincinnati Bengals opted against franchise tagging Hendrickson, allowing the 31-year-old to become an unrestricted free agent. Hendrickson confirmed the news by posting a goodbye message to Cincinnati.
As Tannenbaum alluded to, Hendrickson was limited to seven games last season. His injury status remained mostly ambiguous until he underwent season-ending core muscle surgery in December. In 2024, however, Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks. ESPN's Matt Bowen has Hendrickson as the No. 1 overall best player available in free agency.
By comparison, the Cowboys' entire defense recorded 35 sacks in 2025. Dallas ranked last in scoring defense (30.1), last in passing yards allowed per game (251.5), and third-worst in total yards allowed per game (377). The Williams trade helped the Cowboys' run defense, which ranked 23rd in yards per game. Still not good, but better than dead last. Trading for Hendrickson should help improve a woeful passing defense that played a major part in Dallas' 7-9-1 finish last year.
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