FRISCO, Texas — Jerry Jones says that he's still waiting to see if another team will ring his doorbell this Halloween -- but that, at the same time, he's not exactly running out to buy any more candy.
On Tuesday, the owner, president and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys said he doesn’t anticipate his team making any acquisitions before the NFL trade deadline hits at 3:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday.
Noting that none of the talks the team was engaged in had yet "heated up to a level that would cause something to happen," Jones explained during his weekly visit on the Shan & RJ Show on Audacy's 105.3-FM The Fan that he's plenty content heading into a critical Week 9 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles with the roster that he’s got now.
“This is a competitive thing, as you know," Jones said. "But still, I’m not seeing anything right at this moment. I see us right now having a pat hand."
This comment comes despite the fact that the 7-1 Eagles have already made a couple of trades to bolster their roster, and as the 5-2 Dallas certainly has areas on the roster that could be improved -- most notably an offensive line that has had trouble staying healthy and is bereft of depth.
Dallas' aversion to making a move is consistent with what Jones said last week when he proclaimed that the team was already in the upper echelon of the NFC. At that time, Jones said a trade would have to come Dallas’ way, and that the team wouldn’t be initiating talks because he felt like they had the roster in place to compete with the likes of Philadelphia.
On Sunday, as the Cowboys get their first crack at their division rivals at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Jones will find out if he's right. The Eagles, who ripped away the NFC East crown a season ago on their way to a Super Bowl loss, have continued to top the division through the season’s first half.
Even as a natural promoter, Jones wasn’t prepared to make any claims that Dallas will dethrone Philadelphia following the Cowboys’ 43-20 thrashing of the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
"I don't want to do anything to poke the bear," Jones said. "I made every mistake talking [about the Week 5 matchup against San Francisco] too early or too late that you can make. Yeah, I learned from that one."
It remains to be seen what Dallas and Jones will learn if they stand pat at the trade deadline.
Regardless, the offensive line has issues: Left tackle Tyron Smith missed Sunday’s win with a neck ailment, and backup lineman Chuma Edoga was carted off the field with an ankle injury.
Jones, however, anticipates one or both being available for Sunday’s rivalry clash.
With trade enhancements or not, the Cowboys will face off against three of their NFC East division rivals over the next four contests -- beginning at Philadelphia on Sunday, Nov. 5 and concluding with a Thanksgiving showdown with Washington at AT&T Stadium on Nov. 23.
On the other side of this stretch, Dallas should have a better idea if this season will be filled with tricks or treats.
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