Training camp time is quickly approaching in the NFL.
Here’s a breakdown of five Cowboys players you didn’t know (or remember) were Cowboys:
In the past, the Cowboys have found success with the spring football-to-NFL pipeline. Speed is looking to join a group of standouts that includes Brandon Aubrey and KaVontae Turpin.
The Cowboys signed Speed in June, along with wide receiver Denzel Mims and offensive lineman Chris Glaser. Speed was selected by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft. He spent a brief stint with the Houston Texans last season, then played for the UFL’s Houston Gamblers in the spring. He posted 11 total tackles and two pass breakups with the Gamblers.
He appeared in nine games for the Titans in 2024, posting two total tackles.
Abanikanda has bounced around with a few NFL teams after he was selected by the New York Jets as a fifth-rounder in 2023. He appeared in six games for the Jets as a rookie, posting 22 carries for 70 rushing yards and seven catches for 43 receiving yards. After he was waived by the Jets in 2024, Abanikanda was claimed by the San Francisco 49ers. He spent a brief stint in San Francisco before joining the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad early in the 2025 season.
Leverett went undrafted in the 2020 NFL draft and began his career as an undrafted free agent with Tampa Bay, where he spent the first four seasons of his career. He also spent time over the last two seasons with New England and Arizona.
He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022 and second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2023 when he played collegiately at Michigan.