Cowboys Shocking Cuts? 10 Vets in Danger from NFL Draft Moves
FRISCO - They are all here for a reason.
But in the always-churning transient life of an NFL player? They could all be gone for a reason, too.
Combine the Dallas Cowboys' coming NFL Draft moves with the squeeze of the salary cap, and there are 10 vets on our list of potential Cowboys cuts that could happen between the wake of the draft and the end of training camp in Oxnard.
Those 10 ...
1 - Jourdan Lewis. It's not an indictment of his play, but rather, as he comes off an injury, a matter of money. A Dallas release of the play-making slot corner offers $4.7 million in cap savings.
Stephon Gilmore trade has arrived via trade. Second-year standout DaRon Bland will be tough to beat in the slot. If Dallas drafts another corner with a premium pick?
The squeeze might be on.
2 - Will Grier. There's no cap concern here; rather, it's about Dallas' obvious plan to upgrade at the position. Grier is now 28 years old, a bit beyond what can be called a "prospect.'' And he's not going to beat out the re-signed Cooper Rush.
The Cowboys are openly digging through this draft for a kid QB to add to the Dak Prescott-led room. If they find one? The need for Grier lessens.
3 - Neville Gallimore. He's entering the final year of his rookie contract, usually a good reason to keep a guy. But there's almost $3 million in savings to be had here if cut.
Osa Odighizuwa and Johnathan Hankins figure as the starting defensive tackles. Gallimore has flashed promise. He might need to do more than that now.
4 - Kelvin Joseph. Similarly - not that we're comparing Gallimore's off-field resume to "BossMan Fat'' - you just don't cut promising players on rookie deals.
Unless, that is, the guy lacks character and lacks confidence.
That's an unfortunate combo. And it's in play here.
5 - Tristan Vizcaino. He's the one kicker signed back onto the roster, and the staff likes him. But COO Stephen Jones has mentioned drafting a kicker (a generally bad idea) and there are whispers here inside The Star that special-teams coordinator "Bones'' Fassel has mapped out a plan.
We'll see if that "plan'' includes Vizcaino.
6 - Ronald Jones. Yes, he's a "two-time Super Bowl champion.'' And he's a McKinney guy. But let's not get married to the idea of "RoJo'' as Tony Pollard's backup just yet. Dallas' contract with him promises nothing (it's a vet's minimum deal) and we're betting the Cowboys draft another running back.
"RoJo'' might be about insurance and little more.
7- Nahshon Wright. This might be more of a trade name than a cut name. He is capable of making plays, but the aforementioned cornerback talent, along with the late-2022 emergence of DB Israel Mukuamu, might mean his chance to do so will come briefly in preseason games.
We can already envision a showcase.
8 - Josh Ball. We were talking with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones the other day and he was rattling off names in the Dallas offensive like Tyron Smith and Terence Steele and Tyler Smith ... and then he added one more.
The "one more'' was Matt Waletzko ... though Jerry butchered how to pronounce his name.
Not mentioned? Josh Ball ... a very easy name to pronounce.
And maybe a very easy prospect to give up on.
9 - Sean McKeon. The Cowboys are careful to usually mention him along with the other kids in the tight ends room, Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot.
We're not that careful, or that convinced.
10 - KaVontae Turpin. Wait ... What?! We're not predicting this; the former USFL MVP has a three-year contract and he's a special-teams dynamo who went to the Pro Bowl. But he did experience a few late-season gaffes even on teams, and as much as the coaches talked about integrating him into the offense, that never happened.
Can the Cowboys afford a roster spot for a receiver who's not a receiver? Oh, probably. But the always-churning search for roster upgrades means even a Pro Bowler can be on the list.
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