FRISCO, Texas — Brian Schottenheimer said Ameer Speed made the Dallas Cowboys roster on special teams first and coverage second.
Dallas signed Speed on June 17 out of the UFL. He is on the initial 53 as one of 5 cornerbacks.
“Ameer Speed, just what you saw from him coming in from the UFL in that camp. Dominant performer on special teams,” Schottenheimer said. “Really love his size and athleticism to play the corner position. You can’t have enough guys that are his size and speed.”
Ameer Speed Joined The Houston Gamblers Midway Through The UFL Season
Speed signed with the Houston Gamblers in Week 6 of the 2026 UFL season and played 5 games. He recorded 20 tackles, 14 of them solo, and 2 passes defensed, and led the Gamblers in tackles in 3 of those games. He made one start in Week 8 and played 61 snaps.
The Houston Texans released Speed on Jan. 26 before he signed with the Gamblers.
What Brian Schottenheimer Saw In Coverage
Schottenheimer said Speed picked up the fundamentals quickly once the staff started watching him in coverage rather than only on special teams.
“It started with his ascension on special teams. But then when you saw him playing some of the things we do from a coverage standpoint, whether it’s being soloed up one-on-one backside of some of our cloud coverages or whether it’s watching him in press with his length and things like that, we just see a guy that we really like how quickly he picked up the fundamentals that we believe and teach,” Schottenheimer explained. “And he’s a high-cut guy, but he’s got really explosive lower twitch. And we like that.”
Dallas Cowboys Are Ameer Speed’s Sixth NFL Team
The New England Patriots took Speed 214th overall in 2023 out of Georgia. He has played 17 NFL games with the Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, and Texans, with 11 combined tackles. He also spent time with the Cleveland Browns.
Speed is 6-3 and 215 pounds and turns 27 in October.
Dallas kept DaRon Bland, Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel Jr., Caelen Carson, and Speed at the position. Rookie Devin Moore went on injured reserve with a designation to return.
Dallas opens the regular season Sept. 13 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Giants. Kickoff is 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.
