DALLAS — With a blockbuster move on Monday, the Los Angeles Rams had fans of the other 31 NFL teams wondering what their franchises were doing to get better.
LA general manager Les Snead sent a 2022 second-round pick and 2022 third-round pick to the Denver Broncos for outside linebacker Von Miller. The Rams obviously weren't content to just pound the Houston Texans 38-22 in Week 8, sacking rookie quarterback Davis Mills five times, and felt they needed to beef up their pass rush for their playoff run in a suddenly very competitive NFC.
Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones joined "K&C Masterpiece" on 105.3 "The Fan" [KRLD-FM] on Monday and talked about why the Cowboys don't have a liberal approach to using draft picks to acquire premier talent.
"Understand completely that everybody has their way of going about how they go about their business," Jones said. "Certainly not for me criticize or say anything, but at the same time I know what it feels like when you wake up and you’re getting ready for the draft and you don’t have first-round draft picks. Also know — this is just our opinion — also know how important those draft picks are to making your salary cap work. So, all these things go into it."
The Cowboys are 6-1 while the Rams, who have yet to have their bye as Dallas has, are 7-1. They aren't on a collision course in the regular season, but Los Angeles has their eyes on the lone bye week in the NFC playoffs, and just made a big push with their roster to get it.
The Cowboys are hoping their young roster led by Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons, and Trevon Diggs can get the job done without needing to add an All-Pro on the trade block.
Said Jones: "So far, I can’t necessarily say one way is better than the other. We certainly have an opinion about how we’re going to go about our business, but know there’s a lot of ways to skin the cat out there, if you will, and that’s what makes the game so much fun to watch and see which situations pan out the best.”
The Cowboys demonstrated in their 20-16 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football that they have the requisite depth to make a playoff run. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush led Dallas with 24-of-40 for 325 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception while being protected by backup tackles in Ty Nsekhe to his left and Terence Steele to his right.
Jones is also hopeful that the Cowboys' depth on the injured list will help them later in the year as defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and receiver Michael Gallup are still waiting to return after being injured in Week 1.
"Obviously with what we got coming back on the injured list, on the designated to return, the way guys have been stepping up, at the end of the day, we’d need them all," said Jones.
The last time the Cowboys gave up a first-round pick at the trade deadline was in 2018 when they acquired receiver Amari Cooper. The Oakland Raiders possessed Dallas' 2019 first-round pick, but the Cowboys were able to make the playoffs with a 10-6 record and defeat the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium in the wild-card round.
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