The 2026 NFL trade deadline is just a couple of weeks away and the Dallas Cowboys are expected to be players once again.

Last year, they made a big move to bring in Quinnen Williams, hoping he could solve their defensive problems. While his arrival helped, the Cowboys were still a mess for much of the season and finished 7-9-1.

Now in 2026, they find themselves in a familiar spot as the November 10 deadline approaches. The question is whether they should be buyers again, or if they need to consider selling to rebuild in 2027 and beyond. The next couple of weeks will answer that question, and these are three trades that could be on the table depending on how they perform.

Add Josh Sweat for a second-round pick

Josh Sweat is a name that has been linked to the Cowboys throughout the season, and it makes a lot of sense. He had success playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, winning a Super Bowl with them in 2024. Christian Parker was on their staff that season and is running a similar scheme, which makes Sweat a perfect fit.

Reports indicate that the Arizona Cardinals could be interested in moving Sweat, but they want an early pick on Day 2. That likely means Dallas would have to be willing to surrender their second-round pick in 2027 to make that happen.

That’s a tough ask considering they sent their 2026 second-round pick to the New York Jets as part of the Quinnen Williams trade and their 2028 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers as part of the Joey Porter Jr. trade. In the end it comes down to whether they believe Sweat is the missing piece. If they determine he is, that could be worth the price.

Send George Pickens to Kansas City Chiefs for a second-round pick

This might not seem ideal, but it’s something that at least needs to be considered if the Cowboys lose any more games before the trade deadline. If they drop a game to either the Cardinals or Indianapolis Colts, it’s time to admit their chances of winning a title are gone. That means they need to be willing to move on from players who aren’t in the long-term plans.

As talented as George Pickens is, he’s a player who falls into that category. This season, CeeDee Lamb has reminded everyone that he’s the superior WR1 and the Cowboys can’t afford to pay both more than $30 million. At least not now that they have to figure out a way to pay Joey Porter Jr., who is by far their best cornerback.

It would be tough to lose Pickens, but a team such as the Kansas City Chiefs might be desperate enough to send the Cowboys a second round pick, and maybe another late-round selection as well. Again, this is all dependent on how the next two weeks play out, but if the Cowboys need to punt on the season, Pickens is their most promising trade piece and could help them recoup some of their lost draft capital.

Add Maxx Crosby for a first-round pick

Maxx Crosby to the Cowboys is a rumor that continues to resurface, and with the deadline approaching, it's once again gaining steam.

This one would be the ultimate "all-in" move and the Cowboys should only consider it if they win their next game convincingly. Trading a first-round pick for Crosby would be a great move to give them a true leader for their struggling pass rush. The problem is that they can't expect a great player to come in and save their coaching staff from itself.

They tried that with Williams last season and Porter this year. So far, those two have been doing good work, but it hasn't made a huge difference and never will if there continues to be communication issues leading to receivers running wide open on every third-down attempt.

Trading a premium pick for Crosby works if he's the final piece of the puzzle, but would be a disaster if the defense still stinks and they have no young influx of talent on the horizon. That said, if Parker seems to find his footing over the next couple of games, this could be the ace in the hole to put them over the top in the NFC East.