{"id":622754,"date":"2026-05-04T11:06:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T11:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/622754\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T11:06:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T11:06:15","slug":"dallas-cowboys-roster-4-vets-on-the-chopping-block-following-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/622754\/","title":{"rendered":"Dallas Cowboys roster: 4 vets on the chopping block following draft\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

The dust has settled on a terrific draft by the Dallas Cowboys, and we are now finishing up the next phase of the offseason which is the rookie minicamp. There, we got our first looks at the draft class on the field, and it was revealed what numbers the rookies will wear<\/a>, as well as the numbers for the incoming veterans. Before we know it, training camp will be right around the corner. With the incoming rookies sure to shake things up, that also means changes throughout the roster. Here\u2019s who could be on the chopping block following the draft.<\/p>\n

After a productive career at Clemson, Phil Mafah fell to the seventh round, where he was drafted by the Cowboys. Dallas entered last season with several questions at running back. For a moment, there was a thought that Mafah could contribute, albeit in a small way. Unfortunately, he spent the large majority of the season on injured reserve and only managed to get a handful of carries in the season finale. Javonte Williams is cemented as the lead dog at running back, and Jaydon Blue, also of the 2025 draft class, has shown flashes of his potential, along with Malik Davis, sure to stay in the mix.<\/p>\n

Plus, you also have to consider Hunter Leupke as a versatile option who can handle short-yardage duties and help in other areas. Dallas also has Israel Abanikanda on the roster, who has tremendous athletic potential and could turn heads playing with the backups. Seemingly, it comes down to Mafah beating not only Abanikanda for a spot but also the other numbers at other positions if he hopes to hang on to a roster spot. It\u2019s very likely that Mafah is cut and the Cowboys look for a way to sneak him back on to the practice squad.<\/p>\n

Having given up a fourth-round pick to acquire Mingo a few years back, the Cowboys haven\u2019t gotten much return on the relatively steep investment. Once Dallas added George Pickens, Mingo\u2019s path to a more substantial role on the team became less and less likely.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys have created a logjam at wide receiver. CeeDee Lamb, Pickens, and Ryan Flournoy should be locked in as the top three receiver options. Meanwhile, KaVontae Turpin is secured on the team because of return duties. That leaves realistically one, maybe two, spots left on the team at wide receiver.<\/p>\n

Dallas added Parris Campbell, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and drafted Anthony Smith in the seventh round. It\u2019s become apparent that at the bottom of the roster, the Cowboys are searching for speed. If it comes to only five receivers, Mingo could be on the outside looking in.<\/p>\n

Fant is a unique utility player that\u2019s more of an H-Back than a true tight end. The Cowboys have been unabashed about wanting a player of that type who versatile mismatch as a pass catcher but not in the traditional in-line blocker. Dallas thought they had something with John Stephens, a former undrafted wide receiver who converted to tight end. Stephens had skill and was a mismatch problem, but he couldn\u2019t stay healthy and was cut last season.<\/p>\n

Following the draft, Dallas went back to the well with Michael Trigg. Trigg has a lot of potential after the catch thanks to his athleticism and will take advantage of smaller defenders. With his size and skill, Trigg will surely make a few highlights to leave an impression on the coaching staff. Trigg\u2019s signing with the team on a hefty guarantee for a UDFA contract poses a threat to Fant.<\/p>\n

When you examine the cornerback situation for the Cowboys, time may be running out for Caelen Carson. Over his first two seasons in Dallas, injuries have taken their toll with Carson playing in only 14 games. As a rookie, he allowed a completion percentage of 75.8% in coverage and a passer rating of 120.8. The Cowboys having added significant reinforcements to the position, leaving Carson in an unenviable spot.<\/p>\n

Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick were recently added and have starter experience, and Caleb Downs will also figure into the coverage in certain packages. The Cowboys have high hopes for the health of DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel in their second year.<\/p>\n

Dallas also added Devin Moore in the fourth round. Plus, Reddy Steward won\u2019t go quietly either. Per ESPN, the Cowboys have 11 cornerbacks on the roster right now. Where does Carson fit? Entering his third season, he needs to have a great impression to stick around, and the chances aren\u2019t looking good right now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The dust has settled on a terrific draft by the Dallas Cowboys, and we are now finishing up…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":622755,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[21151,349,99],"class_list":["post-622754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-dallas-cowboys-roster","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=622754"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622754\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/622755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=622754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=622754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=622754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}