Jerry Jones continues to say the Dallas Cowboys will explore every opportunity to improve their roster ahead of the November 10 NFL trade deadline.

While Jones will be open to making moves, the Cowboys are limited in draft capital in 2027, which could hurt their chances of pulling off a big move. That doesn’t mean they can’t still find someone who can help them this year, and beyond. John Owning recently revealed an intriguing option while appearing on 105.3 The Fan.

Owning said he doesn’t think the Cowboys will be “big buyers” at the deadline, but believes there’s one target worth keeping an eye on, saying Alex Highsmith of the Pittsburgh Steelers makes a lot of sense.

”Everyone talks about Maxx Crosby as kind of the golden goose that everyone wants to get. And I think obviously bringing him in would be a huge impact. He'd be a very valuable defender. But I just don't think that's very feasible given the draft picks that the Cowboys have, but I do think someone like I've talked to (Bryan) Broaddus about this a few times is Alex Highsmith from the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Owning said.

“I think he's someone who is young enough, he's impactful enough, and if you brought him in, he's someone who, even if this year is not your year, he can be impactful year two, year three, year four for you. So it's still, it legitimizes trading for him. So I think he's someone who can make an impact, not only in the pass rush department, but also defending the run on the edge. He would immediately walk into the team and be the number one edge defender.”

Highsmith has 18 tackles and 3.5 sacks this season, working in a rotation that includes T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig. Highsmith signed a four-year extension worth $68 million in 2023, keeping him under contract through the 2027 season.

This offseason, the Steelers signed Herbig to an extension as well, which led to us at Cowboys On SI asking if Highsmith could be a potential trade target for Dallas.

Cowboys and Steelers are no strangers to trades

Seeing Dallas and Pittsburgh make a trade wouldn’t be surprising at all given their recent relationship.

The Cowboys have added George Pickens, Broderick Jones, and Joey Porter Jr. in trades with the Steelers over the past two seasons. So far, they’ve been satisfied with the results of those trades and it’s hard to see them regretting a move for someone as talented as Highsmith.

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