IRVING, Texas — As the Cowboys move into October, they do so with a roster filled with talent. Pro Bowlers litter the offense and defense, and their core players mostly are entering their prime and signed well into the future.

The Cowboys also find themselves in excellent salary-cap shape as the NFL heads toward economic uncertainty regarding the collective bargaining agreement.

But all teams build through the draft, and the Cowboys are set up there as well with at least nine picks coming next April.

"It gives you a tremendous amount of flexibility when you have that many picks," executive vice president Stephen Jones said.

The Cowboys are in such an enviable position because of their draft-day maneuverings in April.

They picked up Cleveland's 2009 third-round selection for giving up a fourth-rounder in '08. They got Detroit's fourth-round pick for a third-rounder in '08. They got Miami's sixth-round selection to reunite nose tackle Jason Ferguson with Bill Parcells.

Plus, the Cowboys could receive compensatory picks for losing running back Julius Jones and cornerback Jacques Reeves to Seattle and Houston via free agency.

The only pick the Cowboys could lose is their sixth-rounder to Tennessee, which would complete the Adam Jones trade, provided the cornerback does not get in any off-the-field trouble before the season is over.

In some ways, the job security owner and general manager Jerry Jones enjoys helped the Cowboys make some of those deals.

"General managers and coaches are under pressure to win now," Stephen Jones said. "They're more willing to give up future picks for players now, and you can do some favorable deals."

Jones said there has to be draft-day discipline. If the team does not believe there is a player worth being picked at a particular spot, Jones says the best thing to do is not force a selection unless absolutely necessary.

In April, the Cowboys did not force a move. As a result, if they need to move up in any of the early rounds next April, they have enough "ammunition," as Jerry Jones calls it, to make a move, possibly for a high-end receiver, offensive lineman or whatever need arises.

In the early 1990s, the Cowboys built their Super Bowl core through the draft. They were able to miss on early-round picks, too, because they had so many selections. In 1993, third-rounder Mike Middleton, a safety, didn't make the team, but safety Brock Marion, a seventh-round pick, became a starter.

But in the mid to late '90s, the drafts were not as productive, partially contributing to the franchise's downfall.

"I think we got cute," Stephen Jones said. "Instead of drafting the best player, we thought, 'Wouldn't it be nice to have a backup to Emmitt (Smith), so let's pick Sherman Williams.' "

Now the theory is draft the best player. After acquiring Jones and selecting Mike Jenkins in the first round, the Cowboys did not need another cornerback, but they scooped up Orlando Scandrick because he was their highest-rated player at the time.

"Now, you're still going to make mistakes on some picks," Stephen Jones said. "This isn't an exact science, but I think we've got a system in place that's going to give us a better chance to have some success than 15, 20 years ago."