For many players, job stability is a movable target in the off-season. The 2024 NFL Draft will be one of many people’s major turning points. Today, we’ll examine five Dallas Cowboys whose spot on the roster is already precarious and could become much more so based on the incoming class of rookies.
Naturally, each person on the roster ought to be somewhat concerned about their work. You never know what an accident or other situation can bring on. In 2016, Tony Romo was just that. Nevertheless, heading into the draft, training camp, and all other phases leading up to the championship, stars like Micah Parsons and Tyler Smith have a logically large range of confidence compared to players like Josh Ball and Nahshon Wright.
Now let’s talk about our five guys, who ought to be really anxious already. These players are already on the roster bubble, even though we don’t generally talk about it until camp. Dallas may become little more than extra bodies once we get to Oxnard if they acquire any more noteworthy players to their spots.
OL Josh Ball
OT Matt Waletzko
Despite being fourth- and third-year prospects on the offensive line, respectively, neither Ball nor Waletzko has a clear claim to a role this year. Younger talent, some even undrafted, have more hype behind them going into this offseason.
Dallas took a chance on Ball when he fell to the fourth round in 2021 due to character concerns. While he hasn’t had any personal problems in the NFL, he also hasn’t developed into anything close to a starting offensive tackle or even a swing option. In fact, Ball was playing more guard last year before a preseason hip injury cut his third year short. The Cowboys can save about $1 million in cap space if they release him, and it will take a stunning leap for Ball to prove he’s worth more than that.
Waletzko is also behind the curve, battling shoulder issues ever since college. We’ve seen Dallas’ willingness to keep working with a guy they believe in who’s had bad luck with health; look no further than RB Rico Dowdle. But if Waletzko doesn’t bring something to the table in his third camp, it’s easy to see him getting cut.
Not only do the Cowboys have second-year prospect Asim Richards in the mix for tackle duties, but they also re-signed Chuma Edoga as a veteran option. At guard, T.J. Bass has been discussed as a potential starter next year or at least a primary backup. Throw in C Brock Hoffman and your three returning starters and that’s already seven offensive linemen with better shots, at least seemingly in the present, than Ball or Waletzko. Their chances only get slimmer when Dallas presumably adds at least one or two more linemen in the draft.
DE Chauncey Golston
While only entering his third season, Golston is already 26 years old and was picked by the previous defensive coordinator. Like Ball, he has a relatively bloated cap number in the final year of his rookie deal. Dallas can get back over $1.2 million if he’s not on the roster. This puts Golston in a tough spot over the next few months.
A couple of things are working in the former third-round pick’s favor. For one, veterans Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler followed Dan Quinn to Washington. That thinned out the DE depth chart a bit, leaving just Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Sam Williams as clear members of next year’s rotation. Also, Mike Zimmer’s arrival as coordinator could allow Golston to get back to more of his natural work at DE and less moving inside. He’s not a standout pass rusher, but he could help with run defense as a backup to Lawrence.
One guy who could threaten Golston is second-year prospect Villiami Fehoko, who has a similar build and playing style. If the Cowboys do add more DEs in the draft, they’ll probably be pass rushers to replace Armstrong and Fowler. As it stands, Dallas will likely allow Golston and Fehoko to battle for a roster spot in Oxnard. If it’s at all close between them, Fehoko’s edge as a younger prospect will likely carry him through.
CB Nahshon Wright
DB Israel Mukuamu
We find two more guys in the secondary who need something to happen quickly to save their careers. While they joined the roster with different expectations in 2021, both are now up against the clock, higher cap hits, and younger prospects in the final years of their rookie deals.
Like Golston, Wright was a third-round pick for Dallas three years ago. He’s been a virtual non-factor so far, barely playing on defense and not even dressing for some games. Both Wright and Kelvin Joseph got easily leapfrogged by DaRon Bland on the CB depth chart in 2022, and we saw how quickly Joseph was jettisoned last year. It was surprising that Wright even made the team last season, and it would be pretty shocking now.
Mukuamu was only a sixth-rounder in 2021, so not nearly as disappointing as Wright or Joseph. Hopes were high for the versatile DB after he played well in Dallas’ playoff loss to the 49ers in 2022, but those flashes didn’t carry over to last season. Now Mukuamu finds himself battling for the fourth spot at cornerback, at best, while getting passed by undrafted prospects Markquese Bell and Juanyeh Thomas at safety.
Dallas is already three-deep at corner with Trevon Diggs, Bland, and Jourdan Lewis. If they draft anyone of consequence, that rookie should command a fourth roster spot. There’s also Eric Scott, a sixth-round pick last year who received a lot of praise in camp. If Scott takes another step, it should push him past two fourth-year prospects who could each the Cowboys over $1 million in cap space if released.
Remember, even if we’re talking about the end of August, cap space still has value at that point for two reasons. One, it can allow you to add some help during the year depending on injuries. Also, and the Cowboys are big on this, unused cap space rolls over to the following season. So if Dallas can shed some seemingly dead weight for cheaper options, or at least guys who aren’t worth their cap cost, that can give them a little more cushion in 2025.
Assuming all of these guys make it to training camp, they’ll certainly get chances to compete, The Cowboys’ minimalist approach to the offseason has at least afforded them more opportunity to save their jobs than if there’d been a spending spree. But given what we’ve seen over the last few years, none of the five players we’ve named are entitled to anything going forward.
