Overview
- The Cowboys quietly reworked the deals of Kenny Clark, DaRon Bland and Jake Ferguson, creating about $19 million in 2026 cap space and raising Dallas’s total room to roughly $33 million.
- The new flexibility immediately prompted renewed public speculation that Dallas could pursue Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby, whose 2026 base salary is roughly $30 million.
- Several national analysts and mock-trade writers floated bold packages for Crosby, but Cowboys beat reporters, notably ESPN’s Todd Archer, pushed back on the idea the restructures were made to execute an immediate trade.
- Cap experts note that Crosby’s full contract carries a much larger cap hit and heavy dead-cap exposure, meaning Dallas would need additional restructures or concessions and Raiders would have to accept steep compensation for any deal.
- The moves preserve an option for the Cowboys later in the season rather than guarantee action now, and any trade would depend on Crosby’s health, Raiders’ willingness to sell, and how both teams perform toward the trade deadline.