Von Miller’s arrival in Dallas didn’t just give the Cowboys another proven pass rusher. It also helped squeeze Sam Williams off the roster.
The Cowboys landed Miller late in the offseason, adding a future Hall of Famer who sits ninth on the all-time sacks list with 138.5. Even at this stage of his career, the former Super Bowl MVP still has juice off the edge, and last season he posted nine sacks with the Washington Commanders. For a Dallas team still sorting through life after Micah Parsons, that kind of production was hard to ignore.
But there’s only so much room on a 53-man roster, and Miller’s signing pushed the edge-rush picture into crowded territory. Williams, who had been re-signed in March on a $2 million deal, ended up as one of the Cowboys’ final cuts on deadline day. His contract was guaranteed, but the 2022 second-round pick became the odd man out once Dallas added a player with Miller’s résumé.
Williams had shown real promise early, putting up 8.5 sacks across his first two seasons. Then came the torn ACL that wiped out his third year, and last season he never quite looked like the same player, finishing with just one sack.
In the end, Miller, Rashan Gary, Malachi Lawrence, Donovan Ezeiruaku, James Houston, and Tyrus Wheat made the cut as Dallas’ edge group. Williams wasn’t the only surprise casualty, either. The Cowboys also moved on from running back Jayden Blue in one of the more unexpected decisions of cut-down day.
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Cowboys Receiver Battle Just Claimed A Familiar Name
The Cowboys receiver competition thinned a little more as final roster cuts came down, and Denzel Mims was among the names squeezed out to get Dallas to the 53-man limit. Mims had only been with the team since mid-July, giving him a brief late-summer look before the decision arrived ahead of the regular season.
It was another reminder of how crowded the room has become and how little margin there is for a veteran trying to carve out a role. Mims arrived with some NFL history after three seasons with the Jets, but he has not appeared in a regular-season game since 2022, leaving his next opportunity very much up in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Sam Howell Just Made The Cowboys Final Cuts A Lot Tougher
Sam Howell gave the Cowboys something useful to think about in the preseason finale, and not just because of the numbers. He completed 12 of 18 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns, helping fuel a fourth-quarter comeback in a game Dallas still lost. In a roster battle that was already crowded, a performance like that can matter, especially for a player trying to turn a strong night into a stronger case for the 53-man roster.
The ripple effect reaches beyond Howell, because every good showing and every healthy return changes the math for the players on the bubble. Camden Brown, Alijah Clark, Sam Williams and Derion Kendrick are all part of that conversation, with recent performances and injuries shaping how tight the cut decisions could be. For Dallas, the final evaluation period suddenly looks a lot trickier than it did before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Just Got A Telling Chance To Fix A Thin LB Room
The Cowboys came out of preseason with a clearer picture of where the roster is sturdy and where it still looks exposed, and linebacker remains one of the spots worth watching. Jaishawn Barham has shown enough promise to make the conversation more interesting, but Dallas still has a thin group there and could use a proven piece to stabilize things behind him.
Tyrel Dodson suddenly fits that need after being released by the Dolphins and becoming available as a free agent. He brings veteran experience and a strong 2025 season to the table, which is exactly the kind of profile Dallas can lean on if it wants more certainty in a room that still feels short on it. [Read more 🡒]