Another NFL trade deadline passed, and the Dallas Cowboys once again did nothing. More than any other year, the Cowboys probably should have done everything they could have to add to their pass rush. They were linked to Josh Sweat for months, yet they refused to make the move. Maybe they didn’t want to give up more draft capital. Or maybe they feel like their team is good enough and they just need to execute better. Whatever the case, Dallas and four other teams will ultimately regret not making any deadline moves, especially if it ends up holding them back during the second half of the season.

Dallas Cowboys

Ahh, the Dallas Cowboys once again fooled everybody into thinking this was, yet again, “their year." A team that feels every year is the year to end a three-decade championship drought shouldn’t be stagnant at the most important point of the season. Dallas has a losing record and even more embarrassing losses, and instead of actually improving this defense, they chose insanity. This defense isn’t good and standing pat isn’t going to make them any better. 

Yes, they depleted quite a bit of their 2027 draft capital to add to this roster already. But at this point, they should have been creative in trying, at the very least, to add a pass rusher to this defensive line. They will regret not doing anything at the deadline. They have one of the toughest remaining schedules. They have to play the rest of the NFC West after losing to Arizona recently. They also have to play Jacksonville and the New York Giants. This could very well be another disappointing season, all because Jerry Jones regressed to his old ways.

Los Angeles Rams

Davante Adams is projected to miss the rest of the regular season and Puka Nacua has already been injured this year. Why the Los Angeles Rams didn’t make any new additions to this receiver room is puzzling. Matthew Stafford is the reigning league MVP, and as good as he is, he still needs guys to throw to. The Rams are 5-4 and have won three straight. That’s good, but will it actually be good enough? 

They didn’t need to make a big swing, but they should have been willing to do whatever it took to land a player like Brian Thomas Jr. or Jerry Jeudy to get some much-needed depth. Getting Myles Garrett back was obviously a game-changer for them. But it will come at the cost of not improving this offense. 

New York Giants

The New York Giants will ultimately regret not getting running back depth. They were quick to add quarterback depth in the form of J.J. McCarthy when Jaxson Dart went down. Why didn't they see value in adding running back depth with a player like Tony Pollard at the very least? That’s going to ultimately hurt them if they don’t get stability in the running back room as they would hope. Cam Skattebo is solid, but he’s also a wrecking ball. He embraces contact, which makes him a liability for injuries.

The Giants have a firm hold on the NFC East lead as the only team with a winning record. But the second half of their season could go awry with their lack of running back depth. They still have to face the rest of the NFC West, aside from the Arizona Cardinals. That’s a lot of pressure on the quarterback if they don’t have the rushing attack to give him some help.

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are sitting at 5-4 and aren’t really that convincing on either side of the ball. They could have gone after a running back, but they might have been better suited to try to add a player like Josh Sweat or even Kayvon Thibodeaux to bolster the pass rush. Regardless of how they chose to proceed, they probably should have done something. 

The Patriots have an uphill battle to stay in playoff contention, but it's not impossible. That said, they probably will wish they added at least one player. They went to the Super Bowl last year. That should be the standard moving forward while they have opened their championship window. Can they get there with this team? It’s not impossible. But they’ll always wonder if, maybe, making a move to improve the pass rush would have bettered their odds.

Denver Broncos

Bo Nix needs all the help he can get. He’s not good enough to carry this team by himself, and as good as Jonah Coleman has been, is he really who you want to rely on the rest of the way to carry this offense? Not saying he can’t, but Tony Pollard has been one of the best running backs over the last few weeks. The Broncos needed to add to their running back room, at the very least, to give them depth. 

When they realize this offense won’t reach its potential, they’ll also realize that was a mistake. This isn’t a high-scoring offense. This defense is still really good so the Broncos don’t need to outscore teams. But it’s nice to have an offense that can actually score — ask the Minnesota Vikings, whose two-game skid is directly linked to their struggling offense. If the Broncos keep winning, maybe this become a moot point, but it feels like they’ll regret not improving this rushing attack when they had the chance.