Cowboys Trade Calls for Maxx Crosby, Trey Hendrickson Reportedly Rejected amid Rumors

The Dallas Cowboys had an elite pass-rusher in Micah Parsons before they traded him away, and now they could use one heading into the stretch run of the season.

However, their reported efforts to acquire one before the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline have been turned away to this point.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported Sunday (28-second mark) that Dallas called the Las Vegas Raiders for Maxx Crosby and the Cincinnati Bengals for Trey Hendrickson just to be rejected by both teams. 

"They are calling around for help on defense," Glazer added.

That Dallas is interested in defensive help shouldn't be a surprise.

It is 3-3-1 and within striking distance of the 5-2 Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East despite being last in the league in yards allowed per game and 30th in the league in points allowed per game. It is a testament to Dak Prescott and the offense that the Cowboys are still competing in games with one of the worst defenses in the league.

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Still, there is a clear ceiling in place as long as the defense is struggling so much.

Of course, having someone like Parsons would surely help the defense play at a higher level. That makes the trade to the Green Bay Packers all the more frustrating for fans, but it is a sunk cost at this point for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys.

Crosby would be a significant addition for any team, but he is signed through the 2029 season and a leader for the Raiders. They may be 2-5 this season, but he is someone who can help them compete for years into the future.

Hendrickson figures to be more readily available, at least on paper. He is signed through just this season and went through quite the contract saga this offseason with a holdout and plenty of back-and-forth with the team.

The end result was a new contract and a raise, but he still doesn't seem like a long-term player for the Bengals. Perhaps Cincinnati would jump at the chance to move him for the right price instead of risking going through another contract situation next offseason, but it is still in contention with the chance to improve to 4-4 on the season with a home win over the New York Jets on Sunday.

Trading Hendrickson would make the Bengals defense, which is about the same as Dallas' statistically at 31st in the league in points and yards allowed per game, that much worse as they look to compete for a playoff spot in the AFC.

As a result, the Cowboys may need to trade for a defensive end who isn't quite as formidable as Crosby or Hendrickson if they are going to add someone before the deadline.