Cowboys among NFL’s top teams in this valuable roster-building strategy reidhanson Building an NFL roster isn’t simply about finding and retaining talent. It’s also about knowing when to let go, knowing when to roll the dice and knowing where to find the most affordable labor force. For a team like the Cowboys, managing all three of these areas is critical to the wellbeing of the salary cap. Though the cap is highly malleable, and the Cowboys aren’t remotely close to maximizing their purchasing power under it, it is in fact a real entity that should be responsibly managed. Owners of what will likely be four contracts each averaging $19+ million in 2025, the cost-conscience Cowboys will be interested in cutting costs at all possible corners to keep payroll low and their wallets fat. One area where the Cowboys front office particularly excels in is populating their roster with players on rookie contracts. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), players entering the NFL are capped on what they can receive in compensation from a team. Players often provide services well above their compensation levels, giving teams extraordinary bang for the buck throughout the length of their rookie deals. In 2024 the Cowboys are the No. 3 team in the NFL in snaps by players under rookie deals. In other words, the Cowboys are getting more snaps from players who have been in the NFL less than four complete seasons than 28 other teams. This puts measurements like “snap weighted age” into perspective since it lands Dallas on the other side of the spectrum. The Cowboys are 22nd in the snap weighted age (SWA) this season, meaning they are one of the older teams in the league based on contributions. What having the third most snaps on rookie contracts means is old players are skewing the numbers a bit on SWA and when those outliers fall off (possibly DeMarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin, Eric Kendricks and Brandin Cooks), the Cowboys will swing strongly to other side of the SWA spectrum. What having the third-most snaps from rookie-deal players doesn’t say is how well those players are performing. Being No. 3 doesn’t mean much when the Cowboys are 5-7 and longshots for a postseason berth. It does, however, show Dallas favors their youth and is giving their developing labor force valuable snaps to build on. It also outlines a plan moving forward. The Jonathan Mingo trade notwithstanding, the Cowboys value draft picks more than most other NFL teams. It allows them to afford their expensive superstars and it keeps the fan hope-o-meter pointing up as frequently as possible. It’s made middle class employees scarce in Dallas and requires a ready or not attitude with many offseason promotions, but it fills out a roster in the most affordable way possible. There are many ways for NFL teams to construct winning rosters in the NFL, but options dwindle once superstars start getting paid like superstars. It’s safe to say the strategy of leaning on rookie contracts is here to stay for quite a while in Dallas. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Cowboys nominate Zack Martin for 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Todd Brock As a nine-time Pro Bowler and a seven-time first-All-Pro guard, there aren’t may individual accolades left for Zack Martin to win. But the Cowboys managed to find another line item to add to the 11-year veteran’s résumé, naming him their 2024 nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. The team surprised Martin with the news this week. What started out as a holiday photo shoot with the Martin family sitting around the Christmas tree turned into Zack, wife Morgan, and their three children opening customized jerseys that revealed his nomination for the league’s most prestigious individual honor. Each of the NFL’s 32 teams nominate one player each season for the award that seeks to recognize commitment to philanthropy and community service as well as excellence on gameday. Among the other nominees this year are Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, Lions quarterback Jared Goff, Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner, and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Martin, 34, has long been active with organizations like the Salvation Army, the National Medal of Honor Museum, and various causes benefiting first responders, local families in need, and hospitalized children. A panel of judges that includes Commissioner Roger Goodell, 2023 winner Cameron Heyward, and former NFL players will select this year’s recipient. The announcement will be made at NFL Honors on Feb. 6. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Quarterback Dak Prescott won the award in 2022. He was the fourth Cowboys player to be so honored, joining tight end Jason Witten (2012), quarterback Troy Aikman (1997), and quarterback Roger Staubach (1978). Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was last year’s Cowboys nominee. Martin and the league’s other 31 nominees for this year will wear honorary helmet decals for the remainder of the 2024 season. The winner is traditionally recognized on the field during a pregame ceremony at the Super Bowl; he’ll receive a $250,000 donation in his name to the charity of his choosing and will wear a special uniform patch for the rest of his playing career. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Cowboys work out All-Pro cornerback, former 2nd-round pick, plus make practice squad additions angeltorres Roster churning is a year-round mission, and the Dallas Cowboys are no strangers to the need in 2024. On Wednesday, they opened the door for a possible union with an All-Pro. Cornerback Xavien Howard, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, worked out for the Cowboys at The Star in Frisco. Clearly, Dallas has an interest in the four-time Pro Bowl player who has yet to play in 2024, but the 31-year old veteran left without coming to an agreement. The Cowboys also signed cornerbacks Dee Delaney and Troy Pride, Jr. to fill the vacancies on their practice squad. Pride was a 2020 fourth-round pick with Carolina with eight career starts. Delaney is a five-year veteran appearing in 52 games mainly with in Tampa Bay. Delaney is a 2018 UDFA who has played for Jacksonville, the Jets, the Dolphins, Washington and the Buffalo Bills before this. Miami drafted Howard in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft where he picked off eight passes in his first two seasons. In year three, he recorded 10 interceptions en route to All-Pro honors. That led to the Dolphins signing him to a five-year $75.25 million deal in 2019 with $39 million in total guarantees. Four years later, Miami would double down and give him a five-year $90 million extension after leading the league in interceptions twice. Howard played eight seasons in Miami before being released prior to the start of the new league year as a June 1 cut.  Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Cowboys fans may have been too quick to bury this coach in 2024 Mike Crum Mike Zimmer had his work cut out for him in his first season back as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator. He lost Dorance Armstrong, the defensive lineman with the second-most sacks over the last two seasons, to the Washington Commanders, as well as Dante Fowler, Jr., who had 10 sacks across his two years in Dallas. Also gone are starting DT Jonathan Hankins, rotational DT Neville Gallimore and starting middle linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, who sustained a career-ending injury. Implementing a new defensive scheme, the team only added Eric Kendricks in free agency before training camp. He got a few defensive line additions late in camp, but getting his new ideas to his new players would take time. Tom compound things, the injuries hit. He lost edge rusher Sam Williams for the season and All-Pro corner DaRon Bland for 11 games due to injury. Bad defensive performances against the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens were the precursor as in-season injuries began to mount. Both Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence went out against the Ravens, and Marshawn Kneeland went down the following week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That left Zimmer without his top-four edge rushers after just five weeks. The coach is trying to get the team better against the run, which is the biggest issue for the Cowboys in the Dak Prescott era, but he has their pass rush eliminated, his biggest weapon. His defensive back luck wasn’t any better. The team hasn’t had Bland, Trevon Diggs, and Jourdan Lewis together for a single game all season. The second cornerback spot has been a rotating door. They lost rookie Caelen Carson to injury, called up Amani Oruwariye and Josh Butler from the practice squad, but lost both to injury as well. Markquese Bell and Juanyeh Thomas, rotational defensive backs, are the latest to suffer major ailments. With all those disadvantages, the Dallas defense has continued to improve. Starting in Week 8, the defense was good in the first half of nearly every game before wearing down in the second half. The San Francisco 49ers scored six points, and the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles scored 14, but each scored off of Dallas turnovers. So did the Houston Texans, who got to 17 at halftime. The Commanders scored only three points, and the New York Giants got to 10, but DeMarvion Overshown scored a touchdown for the defense against the Giants. Between Week 2 and Week 6, Dallas allowed 19 points on average in the first half, but since it’s down to nine. Zimmer has Parsons and Bland back, and it has helped flip from one of the worst turnover ratios, to having five takeaways to one turnover in the last two games. The defense is getting sacks now, too, from 20 in the first 10 games to 10 in the last two. The Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas’ Week 14 opponent, are averaging 35 points per contest over their last four games. Zimmer is going to get tested by his old team, but if his defense can keep a below-average Cowboys offense in the game, then Zimmer might officially put to rest a lot of sentiments from earlier in the season. You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or YouTube on the Across the Cowboys Podcast. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Josh Allen’s rare TD trifecta put him in ultra-exclusive club with Cowboys legend Todd Brock When Bills quarterback Josh Allen took the Week 13 lateral from wide receiver Amari Cooper and carried the ball he had originally thrown into the end zone, he completed two-thirds of a rare NFL trifecta. That one play gave him both a passing and receiving touchdown in Sunday night’s game, but Allen wasn’t finished. He followed it up by rushing for another score in the fourth quarter to ice the game for Buffalo. In so doing, Allen became just the 14th player (and the first quarterback) in league history to notch a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown all in the same game. Christian McCaffrey did it most recently, in 2022. LaDanian Tomlinson did it in 2005. Hall of Famers Walter Payton and Frank Gifford are in the ultra-exclusive club. too. And so is one Cowboy. Dan Reeves was listed as a running back during his eight-year playing career and remains the 17th-leading rusher (in yards) in Cowboys history. But he was also a dangerous pass-catcher; his 1,693 receiving yards are still in the franchise’s all-time top 40. He returned a few punts and kicks in his day, and Reeves even booted an extra point in a game in 1971. But he had also started at quarterback for three collegiate seasons at South Carolina, graduating in 1965 as the school’s leading passer. And that experience made him a unique weapon within the Dallas offense, a weapon that head coach Tom Landry wasn’t afraid to deploy. The halfback option pass was just one of Landry’s favorite creative innovations. But to really pull it off, he needed a legitimate ball carrier who had the smarts to read a defense and a strong throwing arm, too. That exact skill set earned the undrafted Reeves a roster spot in Dallas. Reeves attempted at least two throws in every single NFL season he played. He recorded a career-high seven passes in the 1967 regular season and completed four of them, also a career best. That campaign also saw Reeves log his only touchdown passes, a 74-yarder to Lance Rentzel in a Thanksgiving win over the Cardinals, and a 45-yarder two weeks later, again to Rentzel to put the final dagger in a 38-17 win over the Eagles. But Reeves had also been in the end zone on two previous occasions that Dec. 10 afternoon, first catching a five-yard toss from quarterback Craig Morton in the second quarter, and then adding a one-year touchdown plunge in the third. Reeves’s stat line for the day: 10 rushes for 47 yards and a touchdown, four receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown, 1-for-1 passing for 45 yards and a touchdown. At the time, he was the eighth player in league history to complete the triple-TD feat. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] The Georgia native finished the 1967 season as the league’s 15th-ranked rusher and a top-30 receiver, not even leading the Cowboys in either category. But the multi-purpose Reeves was No. 10 leaguewide in scrimmage yards, beating out the likes of Bobby Mitchell, Charley Taylor, Dallas teammates Bob Hayes, Don Perkins, and Rentzel, and even Gale Sayers. He also ended the regular season with the NFL’s highest passer rating (101.8) for all players who had attempted five or more throws. Reeves would go on to heave just one more touchdown pass in his career, and it was his most memorable of all. Three weeks after his trifecta, Landry and the Cowboys ran the halfback option again, this time in the playoffs against the Green Bay Packers, on a frozen Lambeau Field where the temperature that New Year’s Eve afternoon was 13 degrees below zero. Down 14-10 on the first play of the fourth quarter, Reeves took a pitch from Don Meredith near midfield and lumbered to his left on the iced-over grass. But after a half-dozen steps, he stopped and fired the ball, flat-footed, 35 yards to a wide-open Rentzel, who practically walked into the end zone from 20 yards out. The strike was a massive surprise given the arctic conditions and gave Dallas their first lead of the day, a 17-14 edge that lasted all the way until the game’s final, fateful seconds. If not for Bart Starr’s famous goal-line dive to win the now-iconic “Ice Bowl,” that unlikely 50-yard touchdown pass from the team’s RB2 might still stand today as the single most famous moment in Dallas Cowboys history. Reeves would go on to a successful coaching career, on staff in Dallas for a decade and then running the show as head coach of the Broncos, Giants, and Falcons. Reeves passed away in 2022 at the age of 77. Reeves unquestionably enjoyed a long and storied football career, winning Super Bowl VI as a player and Super Bowl XII as an assistant coach. He’s in the Broncos Ring of Honor and was a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame ‘s Class of 2025. But perhaps none of his days on the gridiron ever quite matched when Reeves found the end zone three different times, in three different ways, and cemented his place- alongside Payton, Gifford, Tomlinson, and now Allen- on one of the most exclusive lists in the sport’s history.

This Cowboys UDFA rookie making case to be featured in long-term plans reidhanson The Dallas Cowboys are masters in finding steals through nontraditional avenues. From Brandin Aubrey and KaVontae Turpin who were found in other professional leagues, to Dak Prescott and DaRon Bland who were found in the latter portions of the draft, to Tony Romo and Miles Austin who were signed as undrafted free agents, the Cowboys have a knack for finding treasure in the rarest of places. When Dallas signed undrafted tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford following the draft last spring, they were hoping they found their next big treasure. Standing almost 6-foot-7, 270-pounds, “big” might be an understatement. The rookie from Minnesota was in demand following the draft. Players his size don’t come around very often and to many scouts, Spann-Ford had a draftable grade. What transpired was a bidding war, with team pit against team in an auction the Cowboys are all too familiar with. As fate would have it, Dallas won, outbidding the competition by guaranteeing $225,000 and throwing in a signing bonus of another $20,000 for good measure. The sizable deal came with sizable expectations. In order to justify the costs, Spann-Ford would need to make the roster out of training camp, and he’d have to contribute in some way on game day. On a unit led by Pro Bowler Jake Ferguson and backed up former second rounder Luke Schoonmaker, getting snaps wasn’t going to be easy for the 24-year-old rookie. 12 games into his professional career Spann-Ford has found a way to be that contributor the Cowboys needed him to be. Not only has he logged 76 snaps on special teams, but he’s helped pick up the slack left by Ferguson’s injury absence on offense too. At 230 snaps and counting, Spann-Ford isn’t just craving out an offensive role in 2024 but he’s making the case for a bigger role in the future. A blocking specialist by nature, Spann-Ford is already the Cowboys’ top-rated blocker at the TE position. Blessed with the size of a left tackle, Spann-Ford has the potential to develop into an elite blocker one day, possibly giving the Cowboys a mismatch player to design plays around. Ferguson, reportedly close to coming back, will likely seize back his role as true TE1 the moment he’s cleared to play. And Schoonmaker, a player who has stepped up in Ferguson’s absence, will likely continue to be a player the Cowboys seek to develop. At face value this isn’t good news for Spann-Ford stockholders, but a deeper look shows Spann-Ford’s value and role remain intact. As a blocker, Spann-Ford’s numbers and screen time are never going to jump out at people. But for the offensive line nuts who love nothing more than watching a well-executed run scheme play out, Spann-Ford is must-see-TV. Not perfect, but starting to flash dominant characteristics, the Cowboys newest UDFA is a player on the rise who still fits plenty of TE2 roles and responsibilities. There will likely be a rotation at the TE position the rest of the way this season and the two backups will both demand opportunities. The Cowboys rarely use three TEs at the same time (1.3 percent) but that doesn’t mean three TEs won’t play each week. Spann-Ford is an exciting player who may be carving out a major role for the near future. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

The rumbles are getting stronger. In reality, everyone knows that fan sentiment is largely irrelevant when it comes to decision making by stable organizations. Still, the growing cries from San Francisco 49ers fans who are tired of disappointment in the big game now have an even more disappointing regular season to use as ammunition. After their second-consecutive 25-point defeat dropped them to 5-7 on the season, Kyle Shanahan’s head is being called for from a minority, but vocal section of the 49ers fanbase. Trust and believe, if the 49ers ever made this move, the team he could register as part owner of would hope on the opportunity in a heartbeat. So for that reason, it wouldn’t be fair not to include Shanahan on the watchlist of potential replacements for when the Dallas Cowboys part ways with Mike McCarthy come January. While Jerry Jones has indicated he isn’t all-in on moving away from McCarthy and a two-game winning streak has returned the Cowboys to the way-zoomed-out view of the playoff picture, there will almost assuredly be a new coach on the sideline in 2025. Here’s a look at our weekly rankings of who should be considered. Honorable Mentions: Liam Coen, OC, Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Last Week: Honorable Mention Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks OC | Last Week: Honorable Mention Ejiro Evero, Carolina Panthers, DC | Last Week: Honorable Mention Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers, DC | Last Week: Honorable Mention Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos, DC | Last Week: Honorable Mention Lincoln Riley, USC, HC | Last Week: Honorable Mention Adam Stenovich, Green Bay Packers OC | Last Week: Honorable Mention University of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart | Last Week: Honorable Mention Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore | Last Week: 11 Sep 26, 2022; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (right) laughs with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports One name that is rarely discussed but probably should be is the former heir apparent Kellen Moore. Moore was Jason Garrett 2.0; brought in to the coaching staff as a wunderkind who the Jones family thought a lot of. He carried over as offensive coordinator from Garrett to McCarthy. Being shown the door in 2023 after a playoff failure as McCarthy vowed taking back over play calling would take the offense to a new level. It did, for a year, before bottoming out in 2024, even before all of the injuries hit. Meanwhile Moore attached himself to Brandon Staley’s sinking ship in L.A. for a year, but has revitalized his reputation thanks to Saquon Barkley’s arrival in Phiadelphia. The Eagles are sitting at 10-2 with an offense that is focusing on running to set up the pass. Minnesota VIkings DC Brian Flores | Last Week: 10 Jan 9, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores watches from the sideline during the second quarter of the game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports Will Flores get another shot at a head coach gig? He was dumped by the Dolphins in their owner’s “I’m rich I can do what I want” attempt to lure Sean Payton and Tom Brady to South Beach. The revelation about trying to have a coach to tank games may have pulled the curtain back on the innerworkings of the league, but it likely didn’t do Flores much favor. What has though, is the job he’s done righting the ship in Minnesota with their defense. Former NFL head coach Mike Vrabel | Last Week: 9 Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel reacts to a Titans penalty against the Seattle Seahawks during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. Vrabel was fired by owner Amy Adams Strunk Monday after having two losing seasons back-to-back. Vrabel is a defensive-minded head coach who was able to achieve strong levels of success in Tennessee with a veteran QB who wasn’t well regarded (Ryan Tannehill) prior to their time together. Known as a disciplinarian, pairing him with Dak Prescott would require finding the next big thing as offensive coordinator. With Brian Daboll on his way out in New York, this feels like a great combination. Former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick | Last Week: 8 Sep 30, 2018; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sideline as they take on the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports For better or worse, the clubhouse leader. Belichick is a huge Prescott fan, Jerry Jones is a huge supporter of retreads and it would be interesting to see if given a competent front office… oh wait. Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith | Last Week: 7 Nov 2, 2023; Frankfurt, Germany; Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith at press conference at the PSD Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Grabbing from a fruitful tree is always a wise idea, and snatching Smith from under Mike McDaniel as part of the Kyle Shanahan limb system seems like a wise call. Dallas rarely uses motion at the snap and isn’t particularly good at it; and that’s literally the forte of Smith. Doesn’t currently have play-calling duties though, which could be seen as a knock. Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik | Last Week: 6 Dec 31, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik on the sideline during the game against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports Slowik is immensely intriguing for several reasons. He just auditioned in front of Jones on Monday night and carved up a 77-yard opening play touchdown to announce his arrival. Slowik’s stock fell over the last month as CJ Stroud has struggled to shine without his top receiving targets. Slowik is from the Shanahan coaching tree that has had ridiculous success at

The Dallas Cowboys have somehow managed to win two games in a row, pushing off the obituary to their 2024 season for a little while longer. Now with a record of 5-7, the Cowboys are still several games out of the final playoff spot, but further distancing themselves from a draft position that gives them a winner’s shot at selecting an impact player next April. Now stuck in the gooey middle of the NFL hierarchy, the Cowboys have five games remaining to fully define who they are. Proceeding without a franchise quarterback can be freeing in a way. Dak Prescott regularly saved the team from themselves and now with him on IR the defense is starting to step up as they put themselves back together. Week 14’s matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals will be another opportunity to prove that. There are expected to be several roster decisions this week. Most notably, there’s a chance that DE DeMarcus Lawrence has his practice window opened. The team will move at least one secondary player, Josh Butler, to IR and potentially Juanyeh Thomas as well. The former is done for the year, the latter for a few weeks. For now, here’s a look at the 53-man roster, the practice squad member’s remaining elevation eligibility, and the Reserved/Injured list entering Week 14. No. 1 WR Jalen Tolbert Jul 27, 2022; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver Jalen Tolbert (18) during training camp at the River Ridge Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports No. 2 CB Jourdan Lewis Sep 25, 2017; Glendale, AZ, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis (27) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports No. 3 WR Brandin Cooks Nov 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks (3) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports No. 5 Punter Bryan Anger Dallas Cowboys punter Bryan Anger (5) prepares for the game against the Giants, at MetLife Stadium. Sunday, September 10, 2023 No. 6 Safety Donovan Wilson Wednesday: — | Thursday: — | Friday: — No. 7 CB Trevon Diggs Apr 26, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs talks to a member of the Mavericks staff during the second quarter of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the LA Clippers during game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports No. 9 WR Kavontae Turpin LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 04: NFL player KaVontae Turpin of the Dallas Cowboys attends the NFL Pro Bowl Weekend Celebrity All-Star Game 2023 benefiting the charity D Up On Cancer at the Cox Pavilion on February 04, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) No. 10 QB Cooper Rush Wednesday: — | Thursday: — | Friday: DNP No. 11 DE Micah Parsons Jun 5, 2024; Frisco, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parson (11) warms up during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports No. 13 LB DeMarvion Overshown Jul 29, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (35) during training camp at the River Ridge Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports No. 15 RB Ezekiel Elliott Jun 4, 2024; Frisco, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) on the field during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports No. 17 Kicker Brandon Aubrey Sep 17, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys place kicker Brandon Aubrey (17) watches his field goal in the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports No. 18 LB Damone Clark : Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports No. 19 QB Trey Lance EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 10: Trey Lance #15 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up prior to a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on September 10, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) No. 23 RB Rico Dowdle ARLINGTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 12: Rico Dowdle #23 of the Dallas Cowboys walks off the field after the game against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) No. 24 Safety Israel Mukuamu Aug 12, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety Israel Mukuamu (24) walks off the field after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports No. 26 CB DaRon Bland Nov 23, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26) eats a turkey leg after the Cowboys victory over the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports Bland was returned to the 53-man roster in Week 9. No. 28 Safety Malik Hooker Jul 29, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety Malik Hooker (28) during training camp at the River Ridge Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports No. 29 CB C.J. Goodwin Jan 16, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive back C.J. Goodwin (29) catches a pass for a first down on a fake punt in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in a NFC Wild Card playoff football game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports No. 30 Safety Juanyeh Thomas Nov 19, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas (30) during pregame warm ups against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports No. 31 CB Josh Butler Aug 1, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety Josh Butler (40) during training camp at Marriott Residence Inn-River Ridge playing fields. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports No. 35 LB Marist Liufau No. 40 FB Hunter Luepke Jul 27, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys