FRISCO, Texas -- When it comes to the NFL draft and the Dallas Cowboys, it is always wise to heed Jerry Jones' own words: "Just because I said it, doesn't make it so."

Speaking on Wednesday after the Cowboys announced their first-of-its-kind crypto partnership with Blockchain.com, the owner/general manager said he would not be opposed to moving up in the upcoming draft. The Cowboys have picks Nos. 24, 56 and No. 88 in the first three rounds.

"I would trade up since we're down as low as we are, in those first two, three rounds, if we had a chance to and someone we really coveted was sitting at the bottom," Jones said. "If [a Travis] Frederick was sitting down there at the bottom and we were able to trade up there and get them."

Jones was not asked if he could see the Cowboys trading down, but he almost invariably would have said yes.

Why limit your opportunities when it comes to the draft, right?

But their free-agency strategy might offer up a reason to actually (gulp) keep those picks. More on that later.

Jones has made 72 draft-day trades in his time as owner and general manager.

A year ago, the Cowboys traded down two spots in the first round with the Philadelphia Eagles, picking up an extra third-round pick. They ended up getting linebacker Micah Parsons, who won defensive rookie of the year, at No. 10 overall and defensive end Chauncey Golston in the third round.

The last time the Cowboys moved up in the draft came in 2020 thanks to another intra-division trade with the Eagles. They parted with fifth-round picks in 2020 and 2021 to move into the fourth round to take center Tyler Biadasz, who started every game last year.

The last time they made a move up in the top three rounds of the draft was in 2014 when they gave up second- and third-round selections to the Washington Commanders (hey, another NFC East trade) to take DeMarcus Lawrence at No. 34 overall.

The Frederick trade Jones referenced came in 2013 when the Cowboys moved back from No. 18 to No. 31 overall after picking up an extra third-rounder from the San Francisco 49ers. The Cowboys actually got lucky on the Frederick trade because he was the last offensive lineman they would have used a first-round selection on that year, knowing they had to fill a hole on their roster early.

A year earlier in 2012, the Cowboys surprised everybody by moving up from No. 14 to No. 6 to take Morris Claiborne, who was their highest-rated cornerback since Deion Sanders, according to Jones. They gave up their first- and second-round picks to the St. Louis Rams to get Claiborne.

The Cowboys have attempted to trade back into the first round in recent years for players. They famously tried to get back into the first round to take Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch in 2016 but were outbid by the Denver Broncos. Jones was crestfallen over the first two days of the draft, then the Cowboys lucked their way into Dak Prescott with a fourth-round compensatory pick.

The trade (or non-trade) results have been great (not getting Lynch, getting Parsons), good (Lawrence) and bad (Claiborne didn't meet expectations), but with nine picks in the upcoming draft will the Cowboys truly be active?

They might decide to keep those picks because of the salary cap. The Cowboys are a top-heavy team when it comes to the cap. The top 10 cap figures account for more than $123 million of the 2022 cap. Going forward, Prescott's cap figure will rise and future restructures will not create a ton of space. So will guard Zack Martin's unless he signs an extension. Even if they move on from Ezekiel Elliott after they are done with the guaranteed money portion of his contract, the running back will still count plenty against the cap. Same goes for offensive tackle Tyron Smith.

Then there's the deals they would want to pay receiver CeeDee Lamb and corner Trevon Diggs after the 2022 season and Parsons after the 2023 season that would make them among the highest paid at their positions. (Players aren't eligible for extensions until after their third season).

Those four fifth-round picks the Cowboys have this year come in handy when those minimum salaries are balancing the salary-cap books.

So, yeah, the Cowboys might want to trade up in a couple of weeks.

Then again, they might not.