Maxx Crosby was the target. If the Cowboys could spin out of the Micah Parsons trade by acquiring the elite pass rusher to team with Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, the incredulity that washed over fans seven months ago would subside. No one would bash Jerry Jones then.
Of course, that’s not true. Jones may have abdicated his dart board status to Nico Harrison for a hot minute, but the exile of the Mavericks’ general manager allowed Jones to return to his rightful throne as the sports figure fans in North Texas love to hate most.
Baltimore won the Crosby sweepstakes. But the Cowboys were in it to the end, the latest evidence the franchise has altered its roster-building approach this offseason. Now that the Ravens have backed out of the agreement, there was a short-lived expectation Dallas will jump back into the mix. Here’s why it wasn’t that simple.
Crosby was the fork in the road. Losing him set the club down a different path, one it immediately went down by trading for Rashan Gary. The time for flirting with Crosby passed with Dallas committed to executing Plan B. Officials stress privately the club has no intention of reigniting discussions with Las Vegas anytime soon.
Skeptics reject this line of thinking, arguing Crosby is a better player than Gary and that the Cowboys should be willing to bust the budget presented by this unexpected mulligan. Besides, it’s not like the roster is loaded with pass rushers.
The painful counterpoint is Dallas entered the week with precious little wealth on the defensive side of the ball other than at tackle. Investing the salary and draft capital required to add Crosby, good as he is, doesn’t make sense given how woefully lacking the Cowboys remain at cornerback and linebacker. They must balance the roster, which is part of the reason they traded Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas on Wednesday (more on that in a bit).
Dallas determined it must address pass rusher before any other position, but the plan never was to acquire two pass rushers before checking off the other positions. Once Gary was acquired, safety Jalen Thompson followed. The Cowboys hoped to get Quay Walker or Nakobe Dean at linebacker, but they swung and missed on both. The plan is for the money freed up by moving Odighizuwa and Thomas ($7.25 million) will be funneled to linebacker and/or corner. (The limited quality left on the market four days into free agency indicates another trade or two will be required.)
Again, Crosby would have been a bigger splash than any of these moves. But the moment Baltimore rescinded the trade, his luster was tarnished. Read what you want into the failed physical, whether it was a legitimate concern or a convenient cover for buyer’s remorse. The outcome doesn’t change the fact that putting Crosby’s health front and center alters the equation.
After all, what team in its right mind would give up two first-round picks for a player the Ravens backed off on? Even a first and a second, which was part of the Cowboys package, becomes dubious. Questionable knee and all, Crosby will most likely be fine for this season. But if he’s not, it would be hard to justify the deal. The only way for the Raiders to get full value on Crosby is for him to return and play at the elite level that has defined his career.
Because perception becomes reality. The jolt of excitement and hope that infuses a locker room and a fan base by acquiring Crosby is no longer there. Instead, what a franchise would get is months of debate and holding its breath to see how he looks when he does return in training camp. That’s why the Cowboys have no interest in restarting trade talks.
As for Odighizuwa, the Cowboys had no selections in the second and third rounds of the draft and would have had to wait 92 picks from their second of two picks in the first round (No. 20) until they were on the clock again. Jones and the Bravo Eugenia could have set sail from Dubrovnik for another stop on the Adriatic before No. 112 came up in the fourth round. Moving Odighizuwa to San Francisco netted a third-round pick (No. 92), which will keep the second night interesting. Still, shedding Odighizuwa and Thomas is also a reminder that the Cowboys must stop playing musical defensive coordinator. Consistency in scheme is imperative to give this roster a shot at long-term cohesion.
One final thought: Cowboys officials decline to rule out pursuing Crosby down the road, but quickly add they probably won’t. That stance is based on the belief the path it now travels will work.
If not? Well, there will always be another fork in the road as the Cowboys continue their search for a path that finally takes them back to the Super Bowl.
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David Moore
David Moore
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David Moore writes about the Cowboys for StrongSide. Talk about someone who won't go away, he's well into his fifth decade of covering the local sports scene. Previous stops: the Dallas Morning News, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, ESPN and FOX Sports. For some reason, The Ticket still allows him on the airwaves with Intentional Grounding and the Cowboys pre-game show.