The Dallas Cowboys were active in the trade market in 2025 and could be a team to watch again in 2026.
Dallas has been adamant about fixing their roster this offseason, with a heavy focus on the defensive side of the ball. While free agency and the NFL draft are often the most common approaches to team building, trades have become far more frequent.
MORE:Potential George Pickens Sign & Trade Suitors Feature Former NFL MVP, Super Bowl Team
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, that trend might not die down in 2026. Schefter said that general managers around the league view this season’s free agency and draft class as subpar.
“I've had GMs front office executives, scouts who have been looking at this free agent class and saying, not a great class. These teams have done a great job at tying up their own players long-term and making sure that they don't get to free agency,” Schefter said.
“When we talk about the draft, and we'll see how it shakes out over time, people aren't all that excited about the draft either.”
He said that his expectation based on these discussions is that the league will see an increase in trades.
“I don't know that it'll happen, but it certainly seems to be a trend in recent years. Teams have been more apt and open to make big trades. We saw it at the trade deadline each of the last few years, especially this past year. Teams are unafraid about making a big deal,” Schefter said.
“And with this free agent class, in the eyes of some, considered to be a little bit subpar. And with this draft class considered to be, in the eyes of some, a little subpar. It wouldn't surprise me if we saw an uptick in trade activity.”
With teams considering the upcoming free-agent and draft classes to be subpar, there could be an uptick in trade activity this off-season.
With @DanStanczyk:
🎧 https://t.co/FSBvK8wSE8 pic.twitter.com/bb9pX31jHV
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 11, 2026
Cowboys had mixed results with 2025 trades
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens celebrates after a play against the Washington Commanders.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens celebrates after a play against the Washington Commanders. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Dallas hit two home runs with their trades this past season. George Pickens proved to be well worth the investment, as did Quinnen Williams.
MORE: Cowboys DE Shockingly Named Among Most Improved Players During 2025 Season
They also had two that failed with Kaiir Elam being released during the season and Kenneth Murray being a liability at linebacker. They also added another linebacker, Logan Wilson, but he didn’t see the field enough for a fair assessment.
Their biggest trade was sending Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers and while that landed them Kenny Clark and helped bring in Quinnen Williams, the jury remains out until we see what they do with the first round pick they landed in this year’s draft.
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