Training camp always brings the same uneasy math for the bottom of the roster. The Cowboys have 90 players in the building, but only 53 jobs when the cuts hit. For a lot of the UDFAs and street free agents brought in this offseason, even a practice squad spot has to count as a win.
That’s no small thing, either. The standard practice squad is capped at 16 players, with at least 10 of them required to be rookies or second-year players and as many as six veterans allowed. So when the roster gets trimmed all at once, plenty of players are left scrambling.
The interesting part is what happens after that. If a player doesn’t stick on the practice squad, does that mean he’s just done? Last year’s Cowboys cuts suggest otherwise.
On August 25 and 26, Dallas released 37 players to get down to the final 53. A year later, those names have split into several different paths - and a lot of them are still hanging around the league.
Ten of those 37 are still on the Cowboys roster today: Justin Barron, Alijah Clark, Malik Davis, Princeton Fant, Traeshon Holden, DeMarvion Overshown, Jonathan Mingo, Shavon Revel, Josh Butler and Tyrus Wheat. Fant and Holden are on the Cowboys’ practice squad, while Overshown, Mingo, Revel and Butler were listed with reserve designations last year. Wheat is now with the Cowboys after being with the Lions.
Another 13 are still in the NFL, whether on a roster or a practice squad. That group includes Jalen Cropper, Rivaldo Fairweather, Earnest Brown, Geron Christian, Robert Rochell, Kemon Hall, Buddy Johnson, Saahdiq Charles, Josh Kelly, Nick Broeker, Tommy Akingbesote, Hakeem Adeniji and Payton Turner. Turner was listed as reserve/injured with Dallas last year and is now with the Lions.
Then there are the players who moved into the UFL or CFL. Israel Mukuamu is with the Panthers in the UFL.
Deuce Vaughn is listed as being in the UFL after spending time with the Broncos’ practice squad. Denzel Daxon is in the CFL.
Tyler Neville and Michael Ojemudia are also in the UFL.
A handful have moved out of football entirely. Will Grier retired after being on the Cowboys’ practice squad.
C.J. Goodwin is retired as well.
John Stephens is out after an injury settlement. Jalen Brooks is without a team now, along with Troy Pride, Darius Harris, Mike Smith, La’el Collins and Christian Matthew.
The big takeaway is pretty simple: Dallas is finding players who can still survive in the league, even if the Cowboys don’t have room for them. I didn’t run the numbers for the other 31 teams, but 23 of 37 surplus players still being in the NFL today looks like a strong return.
The practice squad numbers stand out even more. The players marked with an asterisk were the Cowboys’ initial 15 practice squad signings last year, and that group has held up well.
Five are still with Dallas, eight later landed with another NFL team in 2025 or 2026, and Will Grier’s retirement means he doesn’t count against the total. That leaves Jalen Brooks as the only one from that original group without a team this year - a 93% success rate for the Cowboys practice squad.
So for the players fighting through camp right now, the message is clear. Making the 53 is the goal, sure. But if you land on the practice squad, last year’s results say you’ve still got a real shot to keep your NFL life going.
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