America’s Team Has A Third-World Defense But Jerry Jones Still Mulling Trade Possibilities

Jerry Jones was in his element Sunday before his Dallas Cowboys suffered a blowout loss against the Denver Broncos.

Jones socialized with former United States Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and members of the Penner family that own both the Broncos and Walmart before kickoff. And afterward, he stationed himself outside his team’s locker room to meet with a gaggle of reporters.

Cowboys Have Haiti’s Team Defense

It was Jones at the center of attention.

And this attention is how Jones likes it, especially when his team is relevant and, you know, good.

Except the Cowboys are not good right now. They’ve lost more games than they’ve won with a 3-4-1 record, and two of those losses have come in the last three games when the defense has been unmasked as a subpar and troubled unit.

America’s team, you see, has a third-world defense. 

The Cowboys have, like, a Haiti defense.

DENVER, COLORADO – OCTOBER 26: RJ Harvey #12 of the Denver Broncos runs the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter in the game at Empower Field At Mile High on October 26, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)

Jones Still Open To A Trade

Everyone knows it. Everyone sees it. But there was Jones after more evidence was in, suggesting an upgrade is still possible. And he’d be just the man to make that upgrade.

“Well,” Jones told reporters, “this loss is discouraging. But as far as my temperament, if I saw a proposition for us to help this team, no matter what this score was today, then I would look at it on the merits of helping this team. 

“If you’re talking about trading for a player or trading a player, I would completely look at the merits of the team for both next week or the weeks after [and the longer term]. No, today would not affect a decision on trading for a player.”

The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 4. So, attention-loving Jones is not dismissing the idea of getting attention by floating the possibility of adding a star to a unit that needs multiple upgrades.

DENVER, COLORADO – OCTOBER 26: J.K. Dobbins #27 of the Denver Broncos stiff arms DaRon Bland #26 of the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter in the game at Empower Field At Mile High on October 26, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)

Cowboys D Not One Player Away

But Jones, who generally has his heart in the right place, is also a brilliant NFL owner and he has eyes. So, he saw the Broncos shred his defense with 179 rushing yards on a 6.4-yard per carry average. If he didn’t see it, maybe he might recall the feeling because this has happened multiple times this season.

This was the fifth time the Cowboys allowed more than 144 rushing yards this season — a statistic that has entrenched them as the NFL’s fourth-worst run defense.

(That’s not so bad, Cowboys fans, at least the run defense isn’t as bad as the pass defense, which is second-worst in the NFL).

It has been so bad that, when pressed, Jones had to admit the Cowboys are not one star player away on defense. 

“I don’t know what’s realistic,” the Cowboys owner and general manager said. “Could one better player — if we didn’t pay too big a price to have a better player on defense – possibly help?

“I’m not trying to be cute, but that’s why you’d go get him because you think that you could go help your defense. Are we one player away on defense? I think we’re not. I think we’re more than that away, but what we’re closer to than it looks, in my mind, is executing better on defense.”

DENVER, COLORADO – OCTOBER 26: Hunter Luepke #40 of the Dallas Cowboys tackle Dondrea Tillman #92 of the Denver Broncos as Tilman returns an interception during the fourth quarter in the game at Empower Field At Mile High on October 26, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)

Jones Floated Adding Talent Post Parsons

And this is the moment where memory serves us, but not Jones.

When he made the Micah Parsons trade in August, Jones boasted about the grand return the exchange brought. It brought eventual salary cap relief. And it brought a first-round pick in 2026 to twin with the Cowboys’ own first-rounder, plus a first-rounder in 2027.

Jones insisted that he could use those extra picks to help the team immediately.

“… Nothing says we can’t use those picks right now to go get somebody right now,” Jones said after that trade. “Don’t rule that out.”

Well, Jones is sticking to his narrative and not ruling anything out. But the realization that making one trade wouldn’t fix this defense is staring him in the face now.

And this: No team is likely to trade a pass-rusher or cornerback worthy of a first-round pick now. Those guys are too valuable to deal at this stage. And the Cowboys wouldn’t give up a high pick for a rental type player whose contract expires at season’s end — players such as Bradley Chubb or Trey Hendrickson.

(Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Jones Seeks Better Execution

So the long-ago sales job to make that Parsons trade seem more immediately palatable isn’t exactly playing out as Jones promised.

That left Jones seeking a different narrative on Sunday. He offered the old improvement-from-within story.

“I don’t see a lack of effort,” Jones said in defense of his defense. “I see guys that could be surer, more firm in their execution.”