The latest news around the Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones says Cowboys working on ‘pretty substantive trades’ – Todd Archer, ESPN.com
The Dallas Cowboys have been active trading for players this offseason. Could they add more during draft weekend?
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said after Tuesday’s predraft news conference that the Cowboys are working on “pretty substantive trades” regarding players, although he offered no specifics other than saying they are taking calls with teams.
The Cowboys have made trades for quarterback Trey Lance, wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, wide receiver Brandin Cooks and cornerback Stephon Gilmore in recent years but have not made a blockbuster deal since the midseason addition of Amari Cooper at the trade deadline in 2018. Earlier this offseason the Cowboys made trades for linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. (Tennessee Titans) and cornerback Kaiir Elam (Buffalo Bills).
The Cowboys have more than $37 million in salary cap space, according to NFLPA figures, although a chunk of that will go to draft picks, practice squad additions, injury settlements and incentives.
Jones has long had a history of making draft-day trades. Since Jones took over the Cowboys in 1989, the team has made 72 trades. Their last trade involving a first-round pick came in 2021 when they moved down to No. 12 overall in a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles and still came away with Micah Parsons.
The Cowboys and Parsons are working on a long-term extension that would make him potentially they highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. Speaking at the annual league meeting last month, Jones said he and Parsons met for “five or six hours” and came to an agreement on the length of a deal, guaranteed money and overall money, but the finer details of the contract needed to be worked out between executive vice president Stephen Jones and Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta.
Jerry Jones, Cowboys expect impact player at No. 12. If they hold onto the pick, that is – David Moore, The Dallas Morning News
The Cowboys could look to trade back in the draft to pick up more draft capital.
Picking in the top third of the draft, instead of the bottom third as the team has done the past three years, helps.
Dallas was sitting at No. 10, poised to take a corner, in the ’21 draft, when the two players it targeted went off the board right ahead of them. The Cowboys moved back and took Parsons.
One year earlier, Lamb unexpectedly fell to Dallas at No. 17.
“At the end of the day, those things work themselves out,‘’ Stephen Jones said. “We never went into that draft, Micah’s draft, thinking we were going to take Micah and a pass rusher/linebacker.
“The year CeeDee went, we were thinking pass rusher all the way and we wound up with a receiver.‘’
The key to staying put or moving back a few spots, as the Cowboys did to grab Parsons, depends on what players are available when the club is on the clock in the first round. Jerry Jones said the club had no intention of letting a great player slip through their hands at No. 12 to move back a few spots so they can add another draft pick to their haul.
The Cowboys will be on the clock soon. There’s much to still discuss before that moment arrives.
“I know one thing,‘’ Schottenheimer said. “Whoever we add on Thursday night, it will be through tremendous amounts of hard work from the top down.
“It will be someone who will make the Cowboys fans proud.‘’
Free agent CB Stephon Gilmore visited Cowboys on Tuesday – Matt Lenix, Blogging the Boys
It sounds like Stephon Gilmore’s visit to the facility was not football related, but depending on how the draft shakes out, maybe he ends up back in Dallas.
The Dallas Cowboys are in a prime position to add an impact player with the 12th overall pick in Thursday’s NFL draft. Wide receiver and running back have been at the forefront, but cornerback has been another position that’s been linked to Dallas in the first round.
However, on Tuesday, an interesting development was reported by several people close to the team. Free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore was at The Star in Frisco.
As the Cowboys front office conducts its pre-draft press conference, veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore just walked through the lobby on his way out of the building.
— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) April 22, 2025
Gilmore was with the Cowboys in 2023, and despite being long in the tooth, he had a very solid year as he logged a career-high 69 tackles and snagged two interceptions. Currently, the status of Trevon Diggs for the upcoming season is in question. Plus, veteran Jourdan Lewis is in Jacksonville, and 2024 rookie Caelen Carson didn’t get off to a good start with injuries and adjusting to the pro level.
Gilmore is heading into his 14th season in the league. That means the financial compensation to get him won’t be huge, which is right up the Cowboys alley. If this situation were to materialize into a second stint for Gilmore in Dallas, it would push the cornerback position further down the priority list and allow the Cowboys to focus on some other key areas.
Update: 2:35pm ET
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Jane Slater both threw cold water on the idea of Gilmore at the moment.
This is true. A source informed didn’t know why he was here BUT doesn’t mean that rules it out in the future I suppose. He was great for Diggs and locker room and and someone that seemingly matches what the staff is looking for. Just wasn’t a planned visit or an imminent signing… https://t.co/yF1crMnVYf
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) April 22, 2025
Possible Pick: Matthew Golden is one of the draft’s biggest risers – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
Matthew Golden could rise all the way to 12th overall to the Cowboys.
Where He’s Projected:
Golden’s stock has surged significantly since the combine in Indianapolis, and he’s been projected to go as early as #12 overall to the Cowboys, or later on at some point in the first round.
How He Helps the Cowboys:
The Cowboys and Golden have been tied together a lot in recent weeks, and it’s easy to see why. Dallas needs a second wide receiver alongside CeeDee Lamb, and Golden is a guy that still needs some development but will have plenty of time and opportunities to learn as he goes along with already elite traits and athleticism.
He doesn’t need to shoulder the burden of carrying the offense from day one and instead can work on refining his route running abilities. The good news is Golden is one of the best receivers in the class at the top of his routes, giving Dallas plenty to work with if they’re able to pick him up.
Golden also possess the stuff that is hard to teach: Elite body control, strong hands, and the ability to glide past defenders in the open field. He was a late riser in the draft process but has the potential to be one of the best overall players when looking back on the class in a few years.
Final Thoughts:
Production is always a data point that’s important in the draft evaluation process, and Golden hasn’t exactly put up the biggest numbers over the course of his two seasons at Houston, and final year at Texas.
That said, Texas’ offensive gameplan shifted to Golden in the last three months of the 2024 season. In the eight games the Longhorns played, five of which were against ranked opponents, he racked up 655 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
That still doesn’t necessarily blow you away per se, but the fact of the matter is Golden has all the tools needed to continue to add to his production at the NFL level, regardless of where he lands.
