Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones just pumped the brakes on all the trade rumors surrounding the team. Not only won't he pursue the likes of Trey Hendrickson or Maxx Crosby, but he may not go after any player at all, according to the comments he made earlier this week.
Despite the lack of a potential trade by Tuesday's deadline, the Cowboys' struggling defense could still get a big boost. According to team reporter Tommy Yarrish, 25-year-old defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey is inching closer to making his season debut.
"The Cowboys have opened the 21-day return to practice window for DT Perrion Winfrey," Yarrish wrote. That's great news for Winfrey, but not so much for Mazi Smith.
Perrion Winfrey's Return Should be the End for Mazi Smith
The Cowboys had high hopes for former first-round pick Mazi Smith. Fast forward to today, and it's become painfully evident that they need to move on from him. He's been a healthy scratch multiple times this season, and he hasn't made much of an impact when he's been on the field.
He hasn't even played enough snaps (89) to be eligible for a Pro Football Focus ranking among defensive linemen, but his PFF grade of 46.4 tells the whole picture. Smith continues to look slow, slightly overweight, and overwhelmed on the field.
Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has had him rotate with Jay Toia and Solomon Thomas, but with little success. To add insult to injury, veterans Osa Odighizuwa and even Kenny Clark have also struggled mightily in recent weeks.
Winfrey has yet to play a snap during the 2025 campaign after hurting his back before the season opener. He's been on injured reserve (IR) since, but after his strong play in the preseason, he might be an underrated reinforcement for the final stretch of the campaign.
The Cowboys will also get two prime reinforcements in linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and rookie cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., both of whom are also trending in the right direction after missing the first half of the campaign.
Unfortunately, it might still be too little and too late to straighten the course of the ship. The Cowboys are giving up the second-most yards per game (404.6) and the highest third-down conversion rate (52.4%). They also allow the fourth-most rushing yards per game (146) and the second-most passing yards (258.6) and points per game (31.3).
And whenever a former first-round pick can't even get on the field despite his team struggling so mightily, the writing is already on the wall. Smith will be lucky to get a single snap once Winfriey is healthy, and Cowboys fans shouldn't be surprised if he's gone from the Lone Star State in 2026.