A lot has happened in the last few days, leaving the Cowboys with a very current version of a 53-man roster. From cuts to injury designations to even a trade, which of Dallas’ various moves were the most surprising? And are any of them only a temporary stunner?
OL Asim Richards traded
The Cowboys were able to get a little something for a player they were supposedly going to cut. And when we say “a little something,” it’s about as small as it gets. Dallas sent Richards and a 2028 seventh-round pick to New Orleans in exchange
for the Saints’ sixth-round pick that year. So yeah, it’ll be three years before we reap the benefit of the move; the phrase “better than nothing” being stretched to its absolute limit.
In a media session just after Tuesday’s cut deadline, Brian Schottenheimer said Richards was traded because he wasn’t going to make the roster. The 2023 fifth-rounder was passed by Nathan Thomas as the team’s backup left tackle, making him vulnerable. But given Dallas’ current state at the position, it’s surprising that they wouldn’t hang on to Richards for at least a couple more weeks.
Starting LT Tyler Guyton has made great strides towards returning from a training camp knee injury, including returning to limited practice on Monday. But while he maintains that he’ll play next Thursday night in Philadelphia, the team hasn’t confirmed that. Asking Guyton to travel and play after about a month’s absence, and especially in such a crucial game, may be too much.
If Guyton is inactive for Week 1, Thomas is the starting left tackle. Richards would have been his backup based on experience and where guys have been deployed during practices and preseason games this summer. Other reserve tackles like the released Hakeem Adeniji and rookie Ajani Cornelius had been focused on the right side, backing up Terence Steele.
Now, if Guyton’s out and something happens to Thomas, the Cowboys would have to choose between sliding LG Tyler Smith over to tackle or inserting the rookie Cornelius. If they move Smith, you’d probably have T.J. Bass or Brock Hoffman stepping in at guard. It’s hardly ideal to have so many moving parts, but that’s the risk Dallas could be running without Richards. Hopefully, the fact that they were willing to do it is a sign that they’re confident in Guyton’s return.
DB Israel Mukuamu released
This one was a head-scratcher, but perhaps only for a short time. After a reportedly strong spring and summer in practices, the fifth-year veteran was part of the final cuts. But Mukuamu is not subject to waivers, so this could just be a short-term move as they’ll soon move Caelen Carson to injured reserve.
Dallas has a few cut veterans expected to get reemployed soon. Special teamer C.J. Goodwin is one of them, as usual, as is OT Hakeem Adeniji. The Cowboys are expected to place Carson and RB Phil Mafah on IR shortly, making them eligible to return after at least four games, then re-sign two of the guys they just released. Many are assuming that Goodwin and Adeniji will be the two.
What if there’s a third guy headed to IR? You never know when an “injury” can suddenly rear its head during cut week. In that case, Mukuamu would make a lot of sense to be brought back. You already need a fifth cornerback after losing Carson, because Goodwin doesn’t really qualify anymore. Mukuamu also gives you a fifth body at safety and is a special teamer, so good value all around.
If that happens, the move becomes far less surprising. But if this is truly the end of Mukuamu’s run in Dallas, it’s a surprise that he didn’t make it over Andrew Booth. Not only has he been a seemingly better player in his limited opportunities, but he fills spots on multiple depth charts. Still, Booth seems to be ascending in the eyes of the coaches, and is a more traditional player at cornerback. Hopefully, we see the same thing if he plays any significant reps in 2025.
Six defensive ends
It was great to see James Houston, one of the top performers of August, get his deserved spot on the roster. But the surprise is that Dallas didn’t drop or trade anyone else to do it, and is now carrying six defensive ends. That’s an unusually long depth chart, especially considering that five of them are mainly pass rushers. But it may tell us something about the future of one of the other DEs.
One possibility is that the Cowboys are actively trying to trade Sam Williams, who has just one year left on his rookie contract. He won’t have great value after a missed season with a torn ACL, but Williams was once a second-round pick. If another team has a surplus at RB, OL, or DT and could use a pass rusher, perhaps a deal gets made in the coming days.
Another, and far scarier, possibility is that this has to do with the potential absence of Micah Parsons. Whether it be due to a holdout or health, or an even crazier scenario where he’s traded, Parsons still isn’t a sure thing for Week 1. We’d still expect Dante Fowler and Donovan Ezeiruaku to get heavy work in that case, but Houston and Williams suddenly become much more important.
