Cowboys Trade-Deadline Decision: A Message To Brian Schottenheimer?

The Dallas Cowboys were a team everyone in the football world was watching as the NFL's trade deadline arrived.

With George Pickens as a big focus, and whether or not Dallas would trade him, the day came and went, with Pickens staying put, but also the franchise not adding another player of substance to the roster.

Only free agent running back Kendre Miller was signed, and that was because of the injury to Tyler Goodson; otherwise, it's "as you were'' for Dallas.

But in having a rather quiet trade deadline day, did the Cowboys just send a message to coach Brian Schottenheimer?

Maybe, and let's look at why.

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With the Cowboys at 4-5 with the San Francisco 49ers to come, the lack of movement from Dallas might hint at a little message to Schotty.

Here is what you have. Now go make it work.

We have seen the defense make positive strides in nearly every game, only for bad lapses to cost them, but against the Indianapolis Colts, you could argue it was the best performance from the defense all season.

Again, it was a 2-5 Colts team who were in fire sale mode, but still.

Now with the deadline passed, the players Schottenheimer has is all he has to work with, and at 4-5, and the NFC East somehow still very much within reach, he's got to make it work.

Offensively, Dallas hasn't been the high-octane unit we expected, and that is on Schottenheimer and the coaching staff.

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We have stated numerous times around here that if Schottenheimer can't win the division this season, with all the injuries to the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, it would probably mean he's out in 2027.

Well, now he knows the tools he'll have at his disposal.

Jerry Jones and the front office didn't get more firepower. What you have is what you have, Brian. Now go make it work.

And that will be the task over the next eight games: to get this Cowboys team to a point where it can challenge for a playoff spot. Right now, they look like the farthest thing from a playoff team.

So, it is on Schottenheimer to make this thing work with the players he already has - maybe even in an "or-else'' messaging sort of way - as Cowboys ownership might have subtly hinted exactly that after a quiet deadline day.