The Washington Commanders kept the roster churn moving over the weekend and into Monday, and one of the latest additions comes with a familiar local connection.
According to Commanders insider Ben Standig, Washington has signed veteran defensive tackle Byron Cowart after bringing in eight players for tryouts on Monday. The move comes as the team continues sorting out the bottom of the roster.
Over the weekend, the Commanders also worked out several players and added three offensive linemen for depth. In another corresponding move, Washington placed fifth-year defensive tackle DJ Davidson on the reserve/retired list.
Cowart is no stranger to the area. He wrapped up his college career at the University of Maryland, after beginning as the No. 1 overall high school player in the country in the 2015 recruiting class and signing with Auburn, where he spent three seasons. A native of Seffner, Florida, Cowart entered the 2019 NFL Draft and went to the New England Patriots in the fifth round.
Since then, his career has taken him across the league. He spent three seasons in New England before being waived ahead of the 2022 season, then landed with the Indianapolis Colts for that year.
In 2023, Cowart signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, was released shortly after, and quickly moved on to the Houston Texans before final cuts. He then signed with the Miami Dolphins practice squad in Sept. 2023 and stayed there for that season.
In 2024, he played for the Chicago Bears, and in 2025 he was with the New York Jets before going on injured reserve and later being released.
Even with that long NFL trail behind him, Cowart has only appeared in 51 career games and made 21 starts. He has 67 tackles, including 10 for loss, along with 3.5 sacks. He did not play last season, but in 2024 with Chicago he appeared in 15 games and started seven.
For Washington, the signing gives the defensive line another body through the rest of training camp. Like Davidson, Cowart is still facing an uphill climb to the 53-man roster, but the calendar gives him a real chance to show something. With two joint practices and three preseason games still ahead, there’s time for him to make an impression - for the Commanders or for somebody else.
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