The Cowboys’ undrafted rookies are already making noise in camp, and a few of them have put themselves in the conversation for spots when the roster gets cut down on August 30th.
That’s not exactly rare in Dallas. The Cowboys have leaned on undrafted talent for years, and this summer’s group is no different.
Brandon Aubrey, KaVontae Turpin, Terence Steele, Brevyn Spann-Ford, Markquese Bell, and Alijah Clark all came back from last year’s team, with Aubrey, Turpin, Steele, and Spann-Ford looking like safe bets to stick. Bell and Clark, meanwhile, are in the mix for the back end of the safety group.
This year’s UDFA class included 11 players: RB Dominic Richardson, WRs Camden Brown and Jordan Hudson, TEs Michael Trigg and D.J. Rodgers, OTs Sidney Fugar and Shiyazh Pete, DTs Tommy Dunn, Kelvin Gilliam, and D.J.
Withers, and LB Langston Patterson. That’s a tough path in a camp with deep position groups, and Richardson has already been waived.
But a few of the others are hanging around with real purpose.
Camden Brown is the name rising fastest at receiver.
When the signings were announced, the attention naturally went to SMU’s Jordan Hudson. Brown, though, has become the more talked-about rookie in the wideout battle. He transferred from Auburn to George Southern for his senior season, and after spending most of his college run buried on the Tigers’ bench, his one strong year with the Eagles was enough to get him on the NFL’s radar.
Dallas has a history of finding useful receivers outside the draft. Miles Austin and Cole Beasley are the headliners, Ryan Flournoy looks like he’s headed that way, and players like Cedrick Wilson and Noah Brown carved out real roles too.
Brown is starting to look like that kind of find. He’s drawn more buzz this summer than seventh-round pick Anthony Smith and other depth options such as Jonathan Mingo, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Traeshon Holden.
There’s a lot of camp left, but right now Brown has the kind of momentum that keeps a player on the roster bubble.
At tight end, D.J. Rodgers and Michael Trigg have both benefited from opportunity.
Princeton Fant went down with a season-ending injury early in camp, and the Cowboys didn’t rush to bring in a veteran replacement. They added Zack Kuntz, but he’s still a very limited NFL sample, with just two career games since being drafted in the seventh round in 2023. That has left Dallas with a chance to let its younger tight ends sort out the depth chart, and Rodgers and Trigg are front and center in that race.
Trigg entered camp with plenty of believers already. Even before Fant’s injury, some saw him as the fourth tight end and others thought he could even push Luke Schoonmaker.
The athleticism and receiving ability are clearly there. Brian Schottenheimer said in a recent media session that Trigg can do special things as a receiving TE, but he also pointed to Rodgers and his more complete profile, especially as a run blocker.
That makes this look like a very even competition between the two UDFAs.
There’s also a real chance Dallas doesn’t carry a fourth tight end at all. Hunter Luepke’s emergency value at fullback gives the team another option, and in earlier seasons Princeton Fant would usually have been the practice squad call-up for game day. If the Cowboys stay put with Schoonmaker, the ceiling for Rodgers, Trigg, or any other tight end might be a practice squad job.
Still, that doesn’t mean the fight is meaningless. With roster spots this tight, the Cowboys have to think about keeping assets they don’t want exposed to waivers.
Trigg came into the draft as a known name and only slipped out because of character concerns. If he, or Rodgers, flashes in preseason games, Dallas may decide the safer move is to keep him around.
That can be enough to get a player onto the 53, even if his real action comes later.
In Other News...
Cowboys Depth Chart Battles Just Took A Turn After Rams Practice
The Cowboys got a useful look at themselves in a joint practice with the Rams, and the encouraging part was on defense. Against one of the better offenses on the schedule, Dallas held its own and came away with a handful of players making real cases for bigger roles as the preseason draws closer. Dee Winters, Brevyn Spann-Ford, Justin Barron and Marist Liufau all turned in noticeable days, the kind that can start to shift a crowded depth chart in August.
Winters in particular is pushing into the conversation at linebacker, while Barron and Liufau are trying to turn practice momentum into something more lasting. Spann-Ford also helped himself as the team continues sorting through options, and the Rams work served as a reminder that these roster battles are live now, not later. For a Cowboys group still trying to define its second unit and find dependable answers, the next few practices should tell us whether this was a one-day flash or the start of a real climb. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Depth Chart Just Raised The Stakes In Key Camp Battles
Training camp has a way of turning every rep into a referendum, and the Cowboys first unofficial depth chart only sharpened that feeling. The release gives an early look at how Dallas is sorting out its roster, with the backup quarterback spot drawing particular attention and several other groups, including running back and tight end, already taking shape as the staff starts to separate first-line options from the pack.
The bigger takeaway, though, is how much is still in motion. The chart also reflects the defensive shift to a 3-4 look, which adds another layer to the competition at multiple spots and makes every practice snap matter a little more. For players on the fringe, the next few weeks will determine whether their standing on this first chart turns into something more permanent or just the opening note in a much longer battle. [Read more 🡒]
Shavon Revel Jr. Just Gave Cowboys Coaches A Tough Secondary Decision
Joint practices have a way of sharpening roster conversations, and Shavon Revel Jr. used the Cowboys work against the Rams to make one of his own. The second-year cornerback came away with a strong showing in front of Dallas coaches, adding more intrigue to a secondary that is still sorting out roles before the preseason opener.
The Rams kept looking his way, and Revel kept answering. He showed up with pass breakups and a forced fumble in a practice that stood out as his best day of camp, the kind of performance that can nudge a coachs thinking when cornerback depth is still up for grabs. [Read more 🡒]