The Dallas Cowboys were in it until the very end on Maxx Crosby, but ultimately the Baltimore Ravens were able to snag him from the Las Vegas Raiders.
The difference for the Ravens was their willingness to give up two first-round picks in the trade. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that Dallas was offering the No. 12 pick and a second-round selection, and the Cowboys even attempted to "sweeten the deal" by including a veteran player, but Las Vegas did not bite.
Now, Fowler says the Cowboys will pivot to other edge rusher options, a list that includes Trey Hendrickson, Odafe Oweh, Boye Mafe and Jaelan Phillips.
"Dallas must now pivot to free agency to land its pass rusher," Fowler reported. "It has monitored Trey Hendrickson dating back to the trade deadline. He's now a free agent. Jaelan Phillips, Odafe Oweh and Boye Mafe will be firmly on Dallas' radar in the coming days."
As Fowler notes, the Cowboys inquired about Hendrickson before last year's trade deadline but felt the second-round pick asking price was too steep.
Now, the Cowboys don't have to give up draft capital to acquire Hendrickson, but he is still going to garner a hefty contract that will likely meet or exceed $25 million per.
Hendrickson doesn't come without some risk, though, as he's set to turn 32 in December and is coming off an injury-plagued year.
That said, if Hendrickson can stay healthy and return to his Pro Bowl form, he has the potential to be a massive difference-maker for Dallas, as evidenced by his leading the NFL in sacks from 2023-2024 with 35 in that span.
Signing Phillips would kill two birds with one stone.
Not only would Dallas be upgrading its defense, the team would also be taking a key pending free agent away from its division rival, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Phillips is an even risker bet than Hendrickson, though. Because of the position he plays and promise he has shown during his career, Phillips will command good money, but he has a troublesome injury history that includes a torn ACL and Achilles over five seasons in the league.
After a putrid start to his 2025 campaign, Oweh was shipped out by the Baltimore Ravens to the Los Angeles Chargers, where he turned things around quickly.
Oweh posted 7.5 sacks in 12 contests and added three more in the playoffs for good measure. The 7.5 sacks were the second-most of his career after he posted a career-high 10 in 2024.
The Chargers are going to work hard to keep him, even after re-signing Khalil Mack, and they have $92 million in cap space to get that done. Given the success Oweh had in Los Angeles, we'd be surprised if he doesn't end up back there.
Mafe is the least attractive of the four edge rushers Fowler mentions. After falling out of favor in Seattle the past two seasons, Mafe posted just two sacks in 2025.
Before that, he had 15 (including a career-high nine in 2023) the two years prior, so it's possible a change of scenery and increased role could lead to a rebound.
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