ARLINGTON, Texas — Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Friday night that the roster he is about to cut is meaningfully better than the one he had a year ago, and that is what makes the next two days hard.
“I’m thrilled with this roster. If you put our roster from last year tonight compared to our roster tonight, this year, it’s significantly different,” Schottenheimer said. “And not only that, but I do think the guys that are here that were great players maybe last year now have a stronger voice, and the leadership from the locker room. I want this team to be led by the locker room. I’m the head coach and that’s part of the deal. But I hear Kenny Clark all the time now. I hear Quinnen Williams. I hear Dee Winters. I hear Jake Ferguson.”
The Cowboys must reach 53 players by 5 p.m. CT Sunday. Waiver claims clear at noon CT Monday.
What Changed On The Dallas Cowboys Roster
Dallas remade the front seven this offseason. The Cowboys traded a 2027 fourth-round pick to Green Bay in March for Rashan Gary, a 2019 first-round pick with 46.5 career sacks who made the Pro Bowl in 2024. Von Miller agreed to a one-year contract this month. Christian Parker took over as defensive coordinator in January.
The offense added Sam Howell on a one-year deal in March and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in April. Klayton Adams called the plays Friday in his first game running the offense.
How Brian Schottenheimer Handles The Cuts
Schottenheimer joined the Dallas staff as offensive coordinator in 2023 and took over as head coach last year. Before that he coached quarterbacks, coordinated offenses, and worked in quality control, and he said the weekend has never been easy in any of those jobs.
“You get to know these guys and you know them on a deeper level. My opinion is, when you make these moves, you be honest with these guys,” Schottenheimer said. “You leave them with the positive things that you love about them, and which you think they have that makes them special as a player and a person. And you also give them a little bit of feedback in terms of, hey, whatever team you land next, maybe think about this or that. Maybe it’s a role on special teams. Maybe it’s a little bit better coverage skills or whatever it is. That’s our philosophy here with the Cowboys.”
Who Played Friday And Who Did Not
Dallas held out most of its projected starting lineup against the New Orleans Saints on Friday. Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Miller, Gary, and Donovan Ezeiruaku all sat, along with the two defensive tackles Schottenheimer named. The Cowboys lost 27-24 and finished the preseason 2-1.
The players who did dress were largely the ones whose roster spots are not settled. Camden Brown, an undrafted rookie receiver, started. So did Drew Shelton, a fourth-round rookie tackle. Jordan Hudson, another undrafted rookie, led all receivers with 97 yards.
Teams may carry 16 players on the practice squad once the 53-man roster is set.
Dallas opens at the New York Giants
