Jerry Jones: 'High improbability' Cowboys make trade before deadline

The Cowboys are high on the list of teams that seem primed to make a trade ahead of Tuesday's deadline, but according to owner Jerry Jones, there's "high improbability" that Dallas makes a deal. 

When asked about the possibility of trading Aldon Smith, Jones told 105.3 The Fan that the defensive end is staying put.

"I think it’s been a positive how he’s evolved," Jones said. "He’s a different player than he was, but that doesn’t make it a negative … I like his focus. I like his attitude. I like his attitude about the future. I’m not interested in doing anything about Aldon."

Despite being out of the league for four years, Smith has been arguably the best defender in Dallas this season, racking up five sacks and nine QB hits, including registering a sack in the Cowboys' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The fact that Dallas is not looking to trade before the 4 p.m. EST deadline may indicate that the team understands that it is better off preparing for next season than trying to salvage this one. After all, there is no reason to trade draft picks or valuable young players to try to win the abysmal NFC East and then likely be thrashed by a much better opponent in the playoffs.

While Jones has insisted the Cowboys want to be competitive this season, the fact is their awful defense and no Dak Prescott have made them one of the worst teams in the NFL. It would not be wise to start overpaying to acquire guys just so you can go from terrible to pretty bad.