The Dallas Cowboys just came up short in their pursuit of star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, who was surprisingly traded to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for two first-round picks. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Cowboys weren’t willing to part ways with the two first-rounders in a deal for Crosby despite having a pair in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Instead, the Cowboys were reportedly putting a package together involving the 12th overall pick, a future second-round pick, and a veteran player. As we saw, that didn’t move the needle for the Raiders, who went with the best offer.
Now with Crosby off to Baltimore, it leaves the Cowboys in an interesting spot just hours before the legal tampering period on Monday to address their pass rush. Fowler mentions that multiple veteran pass rushers could be on Dallas’ radar, including Jaelen Phillips.
Cowboys Should Consider Stealing Jaelan Phillips from Eagles in Free Agency
Phillips, who spent the second half of the 2025 season with the Eagles, is set to become a free agent and has had a chance to be in the same room with new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
Parker didn’t coach Phillips as he worked with the Eagles’ defensive backs, but he knows what Phillips can do and how he would fit his scheme in Dallas. At the same time, Philadelphia is reportedly trying to sign Phillips to a new deal before free agency, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.
Thus far, we haven’t heard anything else about a deal being close between the Eagles and Phillips, which could allow the Cowboys to put their bid in for Phillips’ services.
According to Spotrac, Phillips’ market value is a three-year, $52 million deal ($17.3 million AAV), which is not cheap. And that’s something Dallas and other teams will have to wrestle with for a player who has had some injuries and only amassed 28 career sacks over five years.
However, if Dallas has reportedly “monitored” Trey Hendrickson since the trade deadline, per Fowler, and Hendrickson’s market value is a two-year, $50.8 million deal ($25.4 million AAV), they should be all for adding a younger player in Phillips.
Phillips would immediately become Dallas’ best edge rusher, and he would force opposing teams to second-guess their strategy on who to double-team on the defensive line. Also, it would be a big loss to Philadelphia, which desperately needed pass-rushing help during the first half of last season, hence why the Eagles traded a third-round pick for Phillips.
It would force the Eagles to try to find a plan B or C to find an adequate replacement for Phillips, and there aren’t many on the open market. Therefore, Dallas should be keeping tabs on what the Eagles are doing with Phillips and if any other team jumps into the mix.
Last season, the Cowboys were ranked 26th in sacks with 35 and allowed the most passing yards in the league (251.5 per game). If they were to add Phillips, their sack totals should improve, along with their pass coverage, as quarterbacks won’t have all day to sit back in the pocket.
If that comes with the added bonus of foiling the Eagles, adding Phillips would be that much sweeter and could make him a prime free agent target for the Cowboys when the market opens this week.