The NFL has processed and announced all waiver claims associated with Tuesday’s cut deadline. The Dallas Cowboys have added two new players, but also saw one of their own cuts get picked up by another team. Here’s a rundown of the latest roster news.
With the 12th spot in the waiver order, which is based on the 2025 draft order until Week 4 of the regular season, Dallas was awarded claims on two cornerbacks: Trikweze Bridges and Reddy Steward. Bridges was a seventh-round pick last April by the Chargers,
and Steward spent this offseason with Vikings. Perhaps more relevant for him, Steward was an undrafted free agent in 2024 with the Bears, where he worked for Dallas’ new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus as a member of the practice squad.
These two additions require Dallas to open up two of its 53 roster spots. It is expected that RB Phil Mafah and CB Caelen Carson will soon be placed on injured reserve, which would cover those needs. But that also means two fewer spots for some of the veterans who were released yesterday. A few we thought might rejoin the roster within 48 hours, like C.J. Goodwin or Hakeem Adeniji, may be on the practice squad a while longer.
Also, by adding two corners, one has to wonder if this is bad news for Andrew Booth or Zion Childress at the bottom of that depth chart.
One player that the Cowboys won’t be able to get to the practice squad is DE Tyrus Wheat, who was claimed by the Detroit Lions. A solid reserve pass rusher and strong special teams guy, Wheat’s roster spot was lost to newcomer James Houston. Dallas had to go long at DE, keeping six, even to hang on to Houston.
Wheat was the only waived player from the Cowboys’ final cuts to be claimed, meaning fan favorites like WR Traeshon Holden, LB Justin Barron, DB Alijah Clark, and others are now eligible for the team’s practice squad. Holden is reportedly already there, and the final list should be released soon.
We’re still far from done in finalizing the actual Week 1 roster, but this is another big step on the way. We’ll see how the arrivals of Bridges and Steward impact the current 53, and if any more signings or trades are in store in the coming days. With Dallas opening its season next Thursday night, they’ll be less likely to make changes soon as we’ll already be just a week out from kickoff.
