"I think that old sign is there": Jerry Jones reveals true feelings on roster shakeup as Cowboys eye playoff push after dominant victory vs. Jets

Jerry Jones' Dallas Cowboys are 1-0-1 in their last two games, with a tie against the Green Bay Packers and a dominant win over the New York Jets. While things appear to be far from desperate, there's still a climb to get the team into playoff contention.

At 2-2-1, Dak Prescott's team is fighting, but many agree they need more firepower. Speaking on 105.3 The Fan via an Oct. 7 post by Jon Machota, the Cowboys owner spoke about the potential to make some moves to bolster the team.

“I think that old sign ‘Open for business’ is there. We are continuing looking as we go on into this season. … Yes, we’re in position to improve our team if we get an opportunity to.”

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Jones traded Micah Parsons in the days leading up to the regular season. Without Parsons, the Cowboys rank 21st in sacks, down from third a season ago. Despite the drop, Prescott has managed to somewhat make up the difference, delivering one of the strongest offenses in the NFL.

As it stands, the team's defense leaves the most room for improvement, but the question is which players could make sense.

Exploring potential Jerry Jones moves to boost Cowboys

Jerry Jones at Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets - Source: Imagn

Surprisingly, there are many players still available on the open market with potential upside. Conveniently for Jerry Jones, many of the most notable players reside on the defensive side of the ball.

Stephon Gilmore, a cornerback with experience playing for the Dallas Cowboys before, is still available. Former Denver Broncos star safety Justin Simmons is also available. At the age of 31, he could be an upgrade for Dallas, who could bolster their depth.

Pass rusher Shaquil Barrett earned 4.5 sacks as recently as 2023, proving he could still provide something for Dallas to help fill in for Parsons' absence.

With the trade deadline appearing on the horizon, it is becoming clear which teams could be sellers and which could be buyers. The Cincinnati Bengals, a team that dragged its feet with Trey Hendrickson this offseason, might be open to getting a return if they fail to secure a stable quarterback solution and continue to slide.

Hendrickson, whose deal expires after the season per Spotrac, is seemingly likely to leave the Bengals anyway. If that is going to happen and the Bengals decide they're out of the running in 2025 in the coming weeks, they may as well move on early and receive compensation in the process.

In Dallas, Hendrickson can mask Parsons' absence potentially on a 1:1 level. However, as a player over 30 in the final year of his contract, Jones has a strong case to get him for a deal that would still leave the Cowboys with a net profit for dealing Parsons. After the year, Jerry Jones could move on from Hendrickson if desired.

Edited by Ian Van Roy