With a missed target, Dallas could eye a Bengals superstar edge rusher. Could a blockbuster deal reshape their defense and Super Bowl hopes?
Many believe the Dallas Cowboys had their eyes set on a trade for superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby, but the Baltimore Ravens swooped in (pun intended), and made a move for the former Las Vegas Raider.
As a result, America's Team pulled off its Monday trade for Green Bay's Rashan Gary.
So, Dallas is done looking for EDGE guys? Not so fast, a source tells our Mike Fisher, who tweets, "Even after Rashan Gary trade, they are not necessarily done adding EDGE rushers, depending on the price.''
We assume that means somebody who makes less than Gary's scheduled $18 million per year.
But ... could they look to a different AFC club for their even-bigger move of the offseason?
In a recent article by Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport, he puts together one more free agency prediction before the legal tampering period begins and all hell breaks loose. For Dallas, he thinks they will make a huge move and sign Cincinnati Bengals superstar edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
And he thinks they will give him a three year, $97.5 million deal.
"The math here would admittedly be tricky. But by adding a third year to what is essentially a two-year deal, Jones could do once again what he has so often in the past—play a shell game and move the big hit farther down the road," Davenport writes. "After tying for the fifth-fewest sacks in the league last year, the Cowboys have to improve the pass rush. And Jerruh loves him a splash deal."
With the NFL’s legal tampering period opening this week, teams around the league are allowed to contact and enter negotiations with agents of pending unrestricted free agents.
And Hendrickson has been vocal about wanting out of Cincinnati for a while now.
The veteran defensive end earned four consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2021 through 2024 and has recorded more than 80 career sacks. At his peak, he even led the league with 17.5 sacks in 2024, cementing himself as one of the NFL’s most dangerous edge threats.
While Hendrickson dealt with injuries during the 2025 season that limited him to just seven games, that does not take away from the fact that the Bengals star is one of the scariest players to see if you're an opposing quarterback.
The Cowboys have also been preparing financially for a potential splash in free agency. The team recently restructured several major contracts, including deals for quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, creating tens of millions in cap space ahead of the offseason.
We're very skeptical about the Cowboys spending $33 mil APY on a 31-year-old, especially now.
But is it possible to add Gary plus Hendrickson?
Let's go with "unlikely.''
Those moves, though, would sure align with comments from owner Jerry Jones, who has suggested Dallas could take a more aggressive approach in free agency as the franchise looks to end its decades-long Super Bowl drought.