Dallas Cowboys Finalize 53-Man Roster and Cut Jaydon Blue and Sam Williams

Jerry Jones and Brian Schottenheimer Evaluate the Dallas Cowboys Roster

The Dallas Cowboys submitted their initial 53-man roster ahead of the league deadline, delivering a series of intriguing personnel choices across several positions. Training camp and the preseason came to an end as the Dallas Cowboys had until 5 p.m. Sunday to cut their roster down and name an initial 53-man roster. Team owner Jerry Jones noted at the start of training camp that the Dallas Cowboys were open to making a “substantive” move if one was available. Since that time, their only notable move was signing veteran edge rusher Von Miller. But they’ve also been very fortunate in the health department.

Does that mean they are set, their final 53 being what they already have in the building? Not necessarily. These could be some critical days here as we look at our roster, look at all the other rosters, Jones said Friday night after Dallas’ final preseason game. Right now, everybody around the league, the other 31 teams are seeing if they can improve it. We’ll be looking at that very, very aggressively. We’ve got time to improve for opening day.

As the roster cuts become available on Sunday, it’s important to remember the Cowboys will have an excellent chance of getting most of the players they want back on their practice squad. Over the last five years, only four players the Cowboys have cut have been claimed by another team the following day: OLB Isaiah Land (Colts) in 2023, CB Eric Scott (Chiefs) and S Julius Wood (Titans) in 2024 and OLB Tyrus Wheat (Lions) last year.

I think as a coaching staff, these next 24 hours-plus, we do focus on our own roster, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said, and our guys, the guys that we know, the guys that we love, the guys that we care about, the guys that I’ve gotten to know their families, that I’ve gotten to know what motivates them, why they play this game.

Mark Cuban Could Buy Stake in Dallas Cowboys from Jerry Jones in Historic Move

Quarterback Competition and Roster Math

Dak Prescott, Joe Milton III, and Sam Howell Shape Quarterback Decisions

The battle for the backup quarterback role behind starter Dak Prescott came down to the wire, prompting Dallas to keep three signal-callers on the initial roster. Both Joe Milton III and Sam Howell performed well enough during camp and the preseason to force the decision. Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said multiple times recently that the Cowboys’ roster is better on paper than it was a year ago. That also created some difficult decisions, as we saw during Sunday’s cut-down day. The Cowboys set their initial roster with some interesting decisions. It’s important to note that NFL rosters will still likely change. All teams must submit waiver claims before noon Central time Monday. If a team is awarded a claimed player, then that player must be added to the team’s 53-man roster.

Minnesota Vikings Keep Four Quarterbacks on Initial 53-Man Roster

Let’s break down the Cowboys’ initial 53-man roster: Quarterback (3) Dak Prescott, Joe Milton III, Sam Howell. We figured the race between Milton and Howell would go down to the wire. The two played so well, in fact, that the Cowboys decided to keep both on the initial roster. It’ll be interesting to see which player gets the nod as the team’s backup quarterback on game day.

Running Back Cuts and Wide Receiver Depth

Javonte Williams, Malik Davis, and Camden Brown Make the Cut

Running back (3) Javonte Williams, Malik Davis, Hunter Luepke. Notable cuts: Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah, Israel Abanikanda. Waiving Blue might’ve been the biggest surprise of the day. The reasoning probably goes back to special teams. Blue didn’t develop there like the Cowboys hoped. By going light at running back, the Cowboys could go heavy on players who could help out on special teams.

Wide receiver (6) CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy, KaVontae Turpin, Jonathan Mingo, Camden Brown. Several questions remained about spots on the Dallas roster, especially in the wide receiver room with UDFA Camden Brown emerging as a roster candidate. Who will be the Cowboys’ backup quarterback behind Dak Prescott? How did the late addition of Von Miller impact the cuts along the defensive line? We got answers to those questions Sunday when the Cowboys put together their initial 53-man roster. It’s important to note it is only the initial 53-man roster, as teams also have an opportunity to make waiver claims by Monday at 12 p.m.

Bengals Project 53-Man Roster Following Preseason Finale

Defensive Adjustments and Veteran Departures

Dallas Cowboys Prepare for the Regular Season Opening Game Against NYG

With waiver claims processed by midday Monday, the personnel guys and the scouts, they’re diving into potential other roster moves. And that’s part of the business. We’ve got some time, but we have to make sure we get the decisions right, which we will, about our roster first. Then, of course, we handle it the right way with the guys that we love and care about.

The Cowboys open their regular season schedule with games positioned in the league calendar, alongside the 9/14 12:20 AM UTC NBC matchup featuring DAL and NYG.