Following the NFL Draft the Cowboys could have some difficult roster decisions to make.
The NFL combine is underway, and the Dallas Cowboys have already met with plenty of prospects ahead of the NFL draft in April. Dallas has ten draft picks and many holes to address. When you consider how adept the Cowboys are at using the undrafted free agent market to their advantage, Dallas has a lot of ammunition to retool their roster. As they say, out with the old, in with the new. So much of that has been evident after the Cowboys named Brian Schottenheimer as their new head coach and hired a promising staff.
However, a few players could be in danger of getting pushed off the roster later in the offseason, depending on who Dallas picks their draft picks and immediately after. Here are three players who could find themselves on the bubble immediately after the draft.
Damone Clark
Damone Clark started his career with a lot of promise. After being drafted by the Cowboys in the fifth round back in 2022, it was a long shot for him to play as a rookie following spinal fusion surgery. Still, Clark managed to start five games in 2022 and made an impression with his speed from sideline to sideline. After starting in 2023 and being productive, things have taken a downward turn since. Due to inconsistencies, Clark has fallen out of favor with the coaching staff and saw a sharp decline in his playing time last season, where he posted career lows.
Some of his declines could be attributed to a new defensive coordinator last year, Mike Zimmer. Yet, it won’t get any easier as there is yet another change at coordinator, this time with former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus. Another defensive coordinator means another coach who isn’t invested in Clark at this point. Assuming DeMarvion Overshown is healthy and Marist Liufau takes a step forward in his second season, Clark remains buried on the depth chart. You can be assured that Dallas will draft a linebacker, or two, to supplement the position. Clark will need a big offseason to keep the coaching staff on his side or he could be out the door.
Jalen Brooks
Jalen Brooks made enough of an impression over the last two seasons of training camp to maintain his place on the roster. Routinely, he made highlight plays at open practices in Oxnard to give himself a spot on the roster, parlaying that consistency into the preseason. Last season, Brooks made so much of an impact during the preseason that he didn’t dress for the finale. Yet, he faded when the lights shined the brightest during the regular season. His uneven play led to a few turnovers. The Cowboys’ trade for Jonathan Mingo makes his situation uncomfortable and pushes for more competition.
Expect Dallas to draft a wide receiver to complement CeeDee Lamb, and the question is who can push as a third and fourth wide receiver. KaVontae Turpin improves incrementally every year as a receiver, so it’ll be on Brooks to hold off on newcomers and returning players like Jalen Cropper. Dallas is in the market for another wide receiver, making the bottom of the depth chart as unpredictable as can be, especially for Brooks.
Deuce Vaughn
When you think of the greatest stories of the NFL draft, there are few in the conversation that top Cowboys’ Director of College Scouting Chris Vaughn calling his son, Deuce, on draft day to inform him that he will be joining his father on the Cowboys. Unfortunately, aside from a few preseason highlights here and there, Deuce Vaughn hasn’t found a role. Heading into his third season, Vaughn has only 168 yards from scrimmage on just 3.4 yards per touch. Due to his small stature, finding a role for him has been challenging. He could be an ideal third-down running back because of his versatility out of the backfield, yet he also has to excel in pass protection to succeed fully in that role. Last season, he was well behind Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott on the depth chart, often not being activated for game day.
The Cowboys stood pat and didn’t pursue many undrafted free agent running backs last season that could have challenged his place on the roster. This season could be a different story. This year’s class of running backs have playmakers throughout the draft, and Dallas could draft multiple running backs. There are outstanding running backs to consider later in the draft, and even undrafted free agents, that could heavily impact Vaughn’s place on the team.
