After a solid preseason and many fans hoping he’d make the Cowboys’ 2025 roster, running back Phil Mafah is going to start the year on injured reserve. The seventh-round rookie has an unspecified shoulder issue that will keep him off the 53 until at least Week 5, when he’d first be eligible to return. Mafah […] After a solid preseason and many fans hoping he’d make the Cowboys’ 2025 roster, running back Phil Mafah is going to start the year on injured reserve. The seventh-round rookie has an unspecified shoulder issue that will keep him off the 53 until at least Week 5, when he’d first be eligible to return. Mafah played through a labrum tear in his left shoulder during his senior year at Clemson, having surgery in late December. He missed the Scouting Combine and his Pro Day as he recovered, which is part of why he fell so far in the 2025 NFL Draft. It is not yet known if the current issue is associated with that injury, or if it’s even the same shoulder. Over the Cowboys’ three preseason games, Mafah has earned a following with his limited touches. He has shown the power that many expected, especially on a carry last Friday when he bulldozed through multiple Falcons for extra yardage. He’s also shown the ability to catch and run with the ball, with good agility for a power back. With Javonte Williams and Jaydon Blue having two spots on the RB depth chart locked up, Mafah was one of several fighting for third. He’d already beaten Miles Sanders in the court of public opinion and presented a major stylistic contrast to another hopeful in Deuce Vaughn. It remains to be seen if Sanders, Vaughn, or Malik Davis claims that last spot. But with the added note that Mafah is expected to return later this season, whoever of them makes the roster now may only be a temp. Mafah could be eligible to return after Week 5, assuming he’s one of the two players Dallas is using that provision on. Of players placed on IR before Week 1, only two are eligible to return during the year. WR Jonathan Mingo is already expected to be one of those guys. However it shakes out, Phil Mafah’s time with the Cowboys isn’t ending within the next 24 hours. As the team whittles down its roster ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, this was another way to trim a spot without losing the player. 50 CommentsSee More:

When Monday began the Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders were the last teams remaining with players in contentious contract holdouts/situations (unless you count the Cam Heyward situation). Before dinner time struck, the Commanders gave Terry McLaurin a long-term extension and the Bengals re-worked Trey Hendrickson’s deal. It is the latter that is of more […] When Monday began the Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders were the last teams remaining with players in contentious contract holdouts/situations (unless you count the Cam Heyward situation). Before dinner time struck, the Commanders gave Terry McLaurin a long-term extension and the Bengals re-worked Trey Hendrickson’s deal. It is the latter that is of more relevance to Dallas. Hendrickson is a pass rusher like Micah Parsons and while he (Trey) led the league in sacks last year, it is pretty objectively agreed-upon that Parsons is going to get a much more sizable deal. Age is one of the biggest factors there. You can see that the Bengals “boosted” Hendrickson’s salary to $30M this season and he is still set to hit free agency in 2026. This was a situation where both sides seemed to meet in the middle which proves that it can be done. Truth be told, the Hendrickson deal was always unlikely to provide a financial framework for Parsons as they are not exactly apples to apples as far as situations. But with the Hendrickson deal taken care of in addition to McLaurin, attention is squarely fixed on the Cowboys. 11 CommentsSee More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

The Dallas Cowboys will play the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, September 4th to start the 2025 NFL season. At this point, the Cowboys are somewhat of an enigma. Are they more of the roster that went 12-5 for three consecutive seasons, or the one that bottomed out in 2024 at 7-10? As we have looked […] The Dallas Cowboys will play the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, September 4th to start the 2025 NFL season. At this point, the Cowboys are somewhat of an enigma. Are they more of the roster that went 12-5 for three consecutive seasons, or the one that bottomed out in 2024 at 7-10? As we have looked at some of the betting odds surrounding the Cowboys heading into the season, it seems the odds makers are not big believers in the Cowboys. A few days ago we looked at the odds surrounding the Cowboys returning to the playoffs. Dallas was +194 in that category, putting them far down the list of teams expected to make the tournament. We noted at the time that the Cowboys playing in the NFC East was an issue because the division has Philadelphia and Washington who are expected to be two of the top teams in the NFC. This complicates the Cowboys path to the post-season, and was part of the reason for the low odds. We followed that up by noting the Cowboys odds were slightly better to win the Super Bowl than their playoffs odds relative to other teams, and that seems to be a recognition that if they do make the playoffs, they would be a slightly better bet than some other teams that make the playoffs with an easier path. Dallas was +4500 to win the Super Bowl, which was pretty middle-of-the-pack for NFL teams. If you look at the Cowboys in terms of win total, the inflection point is eight wins. If you bet the over on 7.5 wins, you get Dallas at a -120 payout. If you bet the over on 8.5 wins, the payout jumps to +140. That’s the area where the Cowboys start to be underdogs in terms of the odds. (Once again, here is a handy explanation of the odds payout.) If the Cowboys are sitting around the eight-win mark, they likely aren’t making the playoffs. Right now, the oddsmakers don’t really believe in the Cowboys. There are bets to be made that don’t involve the whole team. Dak Prescott as MVP comes in at +4000. That’s pretty far down on the list, behind players such as Baker Mayfield and Caleb Williams. Prescott is tied for second with Christian McCaffrey in the Comeback Player of the Year category at +300, behind only Aidan Hutchinson at +270. On the other hand, even with all the problems surrounding his contract, Micah Parsons is the odds-on favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award at +600. There are many other prop bets/player milestones to bet on, but another category is Division Winners. We’ve already spoken about this a little bit in terms of how tough the NFC East is right now. The Cowboys are +550 to win the division. Tomorrow, we’ll dive a little more into that whole scenario. FanDuel Sportsbook is conducting FanDuel Futures Day on Tuesday, August 26 where you can get profit boost tokens around various futures markets throughout the day. The markets will be split up throughout the day, but they will include odds to win the Super Bowl and hypothetical Super Bowl matchups, odds to make or miss the playoffs, win totals, division winners, and player milestones. Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook on Tuesday to take advantage of FanDuel Futures Day. 0 CommentsSee More: Dallas Cowboys Odds

The Dallas Cowboys are going to play a football game in 10 days. With all due respect to the preseason, we are talking about a real football game. The results will be documented in the standings and history books, you get the picture. Dallas will visit the Philadelphia Eagles who are arguably the best team […] The Dallas Cowboys are going to play a football game in 10 days. With all due respect to the preseason, we are talking about a real football game. The results will be documented in the standings and history books, you get the picture. Dallas will visit the Philadelphia Eagles who are arguably the best team in the NFL. The fact that they are going to raise a Super Bowl banner corroborates this idea. It is unknown whether the best player on the Cowboys roster will be a part of the festivities. We are all aware of the fact that the Cowboys are in contract negotiations with Micah Parsons. These negotiations have, like they did with CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott, rippled through the Oxnard portion of training camp and the entire preseason. Prescott was infamously signed on the day that the season began in 2024. Lamb came 13 days prior to that. As noted, the countdown clock reads 10 days at our current moment in time, in case you wanted perspective. The Cowboys won their opener last year so the Lamb and Prescott situations did not seem to be issues (although things got bumpy after that for the team overall). Parsons has not taken part in any on-field work to this point which has cast doubt on his availability in terms of the season. This is something that Adam Schefter discussed during Monday’s edition of Get Up. Schefter also brought up the back tightness that Parsons has reportedly been dealing with. “Even if he were out there a week from Thursday night, which there are certainly no assurances or indications he will be right now, he’s going to be limited at best.” “Micah Parsons could not go in and play a full football game next Thursday night. And, again, the Dallas Cowboys say an MRI on his back came back clean.” “He says there’s still back tightness. A hard thing to argue with. And I have a feeling that these types of issues may hang over this team and this situation this season.” From a technical standpoint, Parsons has been missing time with the back tightness in question. Schefter notes that an MRI came back on this that suggested all was well from a medical standpoint, but Schefter put it well in saying that it is a hard thing to argue with. If Parsons feels his back is tight, and so tight that he can’t play, that would lead to more tightness and tension between him and the organization. Consider that following last week’s preseason finale Trevon Diggs, who was recently activated off of the PUP list himself, was asked if he thinks Parsons is going to play in the season opener. Diggs noted that it all depends on his back. If it isn’t obvious this is where the next inflection point lies within this whole saga. The Cowboys could argue that Parsons’ back is fine from a medical perspective, but Micah could note that it still feels tight and that he is unable to play (as Schefter noted this is hard to prove one way or the other). Without making any direct accusations here, it stands to reason that Parsons’ back tightness could/would be taken care of once a contract extension is taken care of (if that isn’t obvious by now) which is why the next two weeks could get messy. Maybe even messier than everything to this point. We are approaching that fork in the road and if an extension isn’t taken care of, it is going to be interesting to see what each side of the negotiations do next. 38 CommentsSee More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

One thing the 2025 Dallas Cowboys have going for them is excellent offensive line depth. The offensive line play around the league has been in a strong decline in recent years. Finding quality starters and depth pieces is something teams around the league struggle with every year. Luckily for the Cowboys, they have plenty of […] One thing the 2025 Dallas Cowboys have going for them is excellent offensive line depth. The offensive line play around the league has been in a strong decline in recent years. Finding quality starters and depth pieces is something teams around the league struggle with every year. Luckily for the Cowboys, they have plenty of quality depth offensive linemen that could be of value to opposing teams. When projecting the Cowboys cutdowns, it’s safe to assume that Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, and Terence Steele will be the starting line for the Cowboys when Guyton fully recovers from a knee sprain he suffered early in training camp. That leaves Asim Richards, Nathan Thomas, Hakeem Adeniji, Brock Hoffman, TJ Bass, Ajani Cornelius, Geron Christian, and Saadiq Charles (La’el Collins will be released) to fill out the rest of the offensive line depth. It is safe to assume Thomas and Hoffman are safe, but guys like Richards, Bass, and Adeniji could be prime trade candidates to help add depth at defensive tackle where the Cowboys are extremely weak. The good news for the Cowboys is depth offensive linemen are extremely valuable across the league, allowing the Cowboys to get good value on the trade market. Names like DeWayne Carter with the Buffalo Bills and C.J. Okoye with the Baltimore Ravens as potential fits for a possible trade ahead of roster cutdowns. 6 CommentsSee More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

Cowboys pick up a huge win ahead of their season opener against the Eagles – Luke Norris, The Landry Hat Good news coming out of the Diggs camp. Trevon Diggs could be back at Cowboys practice as early as this week After back-to-back Pro Bowl campaigns in 2021 and 2022, the first of which also […] Good news coming out of the Diggs camp. Trevon Diggs could be back at Cowboys practice as early as this week After back-to-back Pro Bowl campaigns in 2021 and 2022, the first of which also resulted in a First-Team All-Pro selection, Diggs has appeared in just 13 games for Dallas over the past two seasons. After tearing the ACL in his left knee in Week 2 of the 2023 season, the Alabama alum played 11 games for the Cowboys a season ago before missing a pair of contests with a groin injury. But in mid-December, it was announced that Diggs would miss the remainder of the season and would undergo surgery on that same left knee, which was never genuinely healthy to begin with. As such, his status for the 2025 campaign has been up in the air for quite some time, and most believed that he would indeed start this season on injured reserve. But as head coach Brian Schottenheimer stated on Saturday, Diggs has been putting in the work, and it’s obviously paid off. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about how hard Trevon’s been working,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s doing an incredible job with Britt [Brown]. These things don’t happen if he’s not putting in the time and the effort to do the stuff that he’s been doing. Really proud of him.” Again, there’s no guarantee Diggs will play against the Eagles. But the fact that he could return to practice at any time now is nothing but good news, especially given the state of the Cowboys’ cornerback situation. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has toyed with a number of different corner combinations throughout the preseason, even moving DaRon Bland into the slot at times, with Kaiir Elam, who’s looked great at times during camp, and Andre Booth getting a lot of reps on the outside. 5 Things we learned from Cowboys preseason victory over Falcons include shocking OL depth – Angel Torres, Cowboys Wire One final set of takeaways from the preseason. James Houston is a strong 53-man candidate Defensive end James Houston didn’t sign with the Cowboys until July 22, two days after the team departed for Oxnard. Signing the former Detroit Lion made few waves nationally, but Cowboys Twitter has been vocal about him making the squad.Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle Houston finished the game with one sack and multiple pressure, showcasing his skills as a pass rusher. The Cowboys have three former second-round picks at the position behind All-Pro Micah Parsons. Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland, and Donovan Ezeiruaku all figure to be in the team’s 2025 plans. They also brought back DE Dante Fowler as another team veteran. Dallas has traditionally kept a spot for a sixth defensive end but the defensive tackle situation could complicate things for Houston. 3 offensive roster bubble players the Cowboys could likely cut – Mario Herrera Jr, Inside The Star In order to make room for other players, these names could be out the door. WR Traeshon Holden Wide receiver was always going to be one of the toughest positions to crack on the Cowboys’ roster. With CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, KaVontae Turpin, Jonathan Mingo, and likely even Jalen Tolbert locked into top roles, the battle came down to depth players trying to prove they could contribute on special teams and as situational targets. Traeshon Holden, signed as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon, gave a strong effort, but poor quarterback play didn’t help him separate himself from the competition. Holden had a few nice moments in training camp practices and caught a couple of short passes during preseason action, but his lack of big plays compared to established players like Jalen Brooks or Ryan Flournoy likely leave him on the outside looking in. Dallas values special teams versatility in its back-end receivers, and Holden didn’t flash enough in that area to warrant keeping him over proven contributors. Cowboys release veteran OT after pouring his heart out to fanbase – Zach Dimmitt, Sports Illustrated History repeats itself with La’el Collins. The Dallas Cowboys are making somewhat of a surprising roster move as 53-man cuts draw closer. Per reports from ESPN’s Todd Archer, the Cowboys are releasing veteran offensive tackle La’el Collins just a little over three weeks after signing him to a deal. “La’el Collins is among the players being released by the Cowboys today, according to a source,” Archer wrote on X. “Collins, who started 71 games for the Cowboys from 2015-21, joined the team in training camp and played in three preseason games. Coaches praised his work with young OL, DL.” After reuniting with Dallas ahead of the preseason, Collins made it clear how excited he was to be back with the Cowboys. He went undrafted in 2015 before signing with Dallas and playing a crucial role on the offensive line alongside franchise legends like Zack Martin, Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick. After 3 preseason games, Cowboys RB rotation is no clearer than before – David Howman, Blogging The Boys The committee approach continues to produce question marks at the position. It seemed like the Cowboys’ plan was to bring in several competitors and just see who rises to the top. A noble plan, for sure, and especially when Brian Schottenheimer is preaching about competition everywhere in his first year as a head coach. However, we’re now through three preseason games and the running back situation is just as murky as it was before the first OTA. Williams seems to be the most secure roster lock out of the bunch. He was the only one to not play a single snap in the

We’ve heard good reports recently on the return timetables for left tackle Tyler Guyton and cornerback Trevon Diggs. Both are expected back soon, perhaps even by Week One. But the uncertainty in that statement does pose some problems for the Cowboys as they make their roster decisions ahead of Tuesday’s deadline to cut down to […] We’ve heard good reports recently on the return timetables for left tackle Tyler Guyton and cornerback Trevon Diggs. Both are expected back soon, perhaps even by Week One. But the uncertainty in that statement does pose some problems for the Cowboys as they make their roster decisions ahead of Tuesday’s deadline to cut down to 53. For two guys who were projected 2025 starters going back to the end of last season, getting Diggs and Guyton back as soon as possible only helps the Cowboys. And if they can play in Week One, all the better. But even if they avoid starting the regular season on IR or PUP, neither player is certain to suit up for the season opener. That would force Dallas to make some of its roster decisions about who can actually make the trip to Philly and play. If the Cowboys were to keep Diggs on PUP or place Guyton on IR to start the year, they’d have to sit out until at least Week 5. Even if they’re not going to help against the Eagles, there are three more critical games in September against the Giants, Bears, and Packers. Even if it’s just for that Week 4 game against Green Bay, you have to give these guys a chance to be part of it. And based on what we’re hearing, both should return sooner than that. So, what could this mean for roster cuts? At offensive tackle, Guyton’s absence means you’re probably starting Nate Thomas on the left side. That’s also big for Asim Richards, who would likely be starting if not for Thomas’ emergence this summer. If Guyton were healthy, Richards might be on the chopping block. But as he and Thomas are the only two right now seemingly qualified to play left tackle, he’s likely safe until Guyton’s return. That could also ripple down the line when it comes to other choices. If Richards has to focus more on tackle for a few weeks, does that help guard T.J. Bass make the team? If Richards were to get pulled into action, Dallas doesn’t want Brock Hoffman as the only interior line backup. That could help Bass and force a tough choice between veteran Hakeem Adeniji and rookie Ajani Cornelius, or make Dallas keep 10 offensive linemen at least until Guyton can be active. As for Trevon Diggs and the cornerbacks, there’s a little less rigidity in terms of who has to be kept to play certain roles. DaRon Bland’s versatility to play either outside or at slot allows for more focus on how other guys perform, as opposed to simply where. If Diggs does dress for Philly, we assume that he and Kaiir Elam would play the outsides and Bland the slot in the nickel package. That would keep things simple. If Diggs can’t go, though, then Dallas has to figure some things out. Who do you trust most between the likes of Israel Mukuamu, Andrew Booth, and Kemon Hall? At this point, it doesn’t seem that Shavon Revel is going to be back before Week 5. We’re still waiting for news on Caelen Carson and Josh Butler as well. But even if one or both of them are in the mix, you’ll still see the Cowboys go long at corner until Diggs can make a gameday roster. Having to keep an extra cornerback or offensive lineman, or both, impacts decisions throughout the roster. It could push Dallas to send QB Will Grier to the practice squad, if that wasn’t already the plan. It may cost you a sixth WR or fourth TE, or force you to keep just four linebackers and risk losing a guy like Damone Clark or Shemar James. Roster building is often about robbing Peter to pay Paul. In the end, having to navigate a week or two without Tyler Guyton or Trevon Diggs is a good problem to have. It beats missing them for a full quarter of the season. But for all the guys fighting for roster spots and anxiously waiting to know their fates, the health of these starters will help some and hurt others. 40 CommentsSee More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

The time is drawing near when the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the league have to get down to the league mandated 53-man roster. Tough decisions are going to have to be made and that means we may be saying goodbye to a few players who in any other year may have earned a […] The time is drawing near when the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the league have to get down to the league mandated 53-man roster. Tough decisions are going to have to be made and that means we may be saying goodbye to a few players who in any other year may have earned a roster spot. Here are a few of the training camp/preseason standouts who may not make the cut. WR Traeshon Holden The undrafted rookie wide receiver out of Oregon quickly became a fan favorite around Cowboys Nation due to his play in both training camp and preseason. But, that may not be enough for him to make it through roster cuts when Dallas gets down to the league mandated 53-man roster. Dallas’ WR depth this year has been really impressive. Because of that, Holden could be caught in a numbers game where he’s the odd man out. His best chance of sticking around may be re-signing to the practice squad. DT Perrion Winfrey As it was prior to preseason, it remains so now. Defensive tackle is with a doubt the weak link for the Dallas Cowboys roster right now. There was one player who stood out among his peers though, Perrion Winfrey. He wasn’t perfect by any means, but he played well enough to earn a roster spot this year. Still, it may not be enough for him to stick around. The Cowboys are going to be scouring the waiver wire and possibly facilitating another trade to upgrade the DT position. That puts Winfrey on the outside looking in. DE James Houston Based on performance alone, James Houston is definitely deserving of a roster spot with the Cowboys in 2025. Since arriving in Dallas as a late free agent signing a little over four weeks ago, he has done nothing but impress in both practice and in preseason as well. He’s continuously making plays every time he’s on the field. Unfortunately for him, the Cowboys are currently stacked at DE and he could be an unfortunate cut because of the numbers game. 0 CommentsSee More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

Arguably the biggest positional question mark for the Cowboys this offseason was at running back. Rico Dowdle proved to be a good back, but he left in free agency, and the team never once brought in any clear-cut, obvious starter to replace him. Rather, they added several guys who all brought promise, along with uncertainty. […] Arguably the biggest positional question mark for the Cowboys this offseason was at running back. Rico Dowdle proved to be a good back, but he left in free agency, and the team never once brought in any clear-cut, obvious starter to replace him. Rather, they added several guys who all brought promise, along with uncertainty. Veterans Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams have both been productive starting running backs before, though not recently, while rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah offer plenty to get excited about if they can hit the ground running. And there’s always Deuce Vaughn, too. It seemed like the Cowboys’ plan was to bring in several competitors and just see who rises to the top. A noble plan, for sure, and especially when Brian Schottenheimer is preaching about competition everywhere in his first year as a head coach. However, we’re now through three preseason games and the running back situation is just as murky as it was before the first OTA. Williams seems to be the most secure roster lock out of the bunch. He was the only one to not play a single snap in the preseason, and he’s routinely taken first team reps in practices. He posted 1,219 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, but that promise was cut short with an ACL tear in his second season. Williams led the Broncos in rushing yards with 774 the next year, but he fell out of favor with new head coach Sean Payton. That led him to Dallas, where he appears to have locked up the starting job. Still, given his statistical instability, it’s hard to feel great about Williams after not seeing him in action with a star on his helmet. There was also a time where Sanders felt like a safe bet to start. The former Penn State star hit 700+ yards in all four seasons with Philadelphia. He didn’t even break 700 yards across two seasons in Carolina, though the Panthers hardly had the offensive line that Philadelphia did. Sanders’ talent felt ripe to earn him a starting job in Dallas. Now, though, that idea doesn’t seem so sure. Sanders only suited up against the Ravens, and he did not look good, tallying 15 yards on seven carries. Half of those yards came on one run, too. He looked more like his Panthers days than his Eagles days, to put it mildly. Blue had been building hype, but an injury kept him out of the first two preseason games. He finally suited up against the Falcons, and flashed plenty with 25 yards on nine carries and a touchdown. However, an ankle injury has now cast doubt on his readiness for the season-opener. With Blue being a rookie, and having already missed two important weeks of live game reps, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him slowly worked into the rotation. Then again, Blue has the highest ceiling of any running back on this roster. Mafah, on the other hand, is in serious danger. The Clemson bruiser has looked very much the part through three preseason games, routinely bowling over defenders, but his athletic limitations compared to the others have also been on display. At this point with Mafah, it’s likely a conversation about putting him on the practice squad. Vaughn is the wild card in all of this. An afterthought for most fans coming into the preseason, Vaughn has looked genuinely good in all three games. He saved his best for last, too, racking up 42 yards on 10 carries against the Falcons. Things look to be clicking for the diminutive dasher, and Schottenheimer has frequently praised him throughout this process. Most are still projecting Vaughn to be a roster cut, especially in a crowded running back room, but what if he isn’t? Schottenheimer did say they’ll keep some players that surprise the roster prognosticators, and he could’ve been thinking of Vaughn when he said that. The fact that we’re even asking that question reflects just how much uncertainty still remains with this position group as cuts approach. There is no clarity from the outside looking in, so hopefully the coaching staff feels differently. 0 CommentsSee More: