The Dallas Cowboys have been fairly active throughout the NFL offseason, and things won't be slowing down anytime soon. The 2025 NFL draft is officially one week away, opening the door for the Cowboys to flesh out their roster with several promising prospects, including whoever they walk away with at the No. 12 selection.
As exciting as a fresh crop of prospects can be, there isn't room on the roster for everyone. The Cowboys will likely need to say goodbye to a few more veterans to create space for incoming rookies, which means there's a decent chance that a pair of veterans could be sent packing before April is even over.
1. Jonathan Mingo, WR
Looking to improve their wideout depth, the Cowboys acquired former 2023 second-rounder Jonathan Mingo from the Carolina Panthers before last season's trade deadline. The deal cost America's Team a 2025 fourth-round pick, meaning there was a lot of pressure for Mingo to succeed right out of the gate.
After a slow start with the Panthers, a change in scenery didn't help Mingo as much as some hoped. The former Ole Miss playmaker only caught 5-of-16 targets (31.3%) for 46 receiving yards without a touchdown in his eight games (1 start) with the Cowboys. It was an extremely disappointing performance after he just tallied 43 catches and 418 yards in 15 games as a rookie in the previous year.
Now that the draft is almost here, the Cowboys will have a new opportunity to replace Mingo. The Brandon, MS native clearly isn't cut out for a significant role on the team, and it'd be in the team's best interest to add a few rookie WRs to the mix based on Mingo's proven lack of reliability.
Assuming they're ready to move on, the Cowboys can create over $1.5 million in cap savings by trading or cutting Mingo before June 1, according to OverTheCap. Considering how little he helped the team last season, it might be wise for Jones & Co. to cut their losses and move on in favor of a more consistent playmaker.
2. Donovan Wilson, S
It's hard to imagine the Cowboys' secondary without Donovan Wilson patrolling the unit. The former 2019 sixth-round pick has played 83 games (60 starts) across the last six seasons, racking up 242 solo tackles, 14 broken-up passes, 13 sacks, eight forced fumbles, and six interceptions.
Unfortunately, Wilson's time in Dallas could be reaching the end. The former Texas A&M stud was inconsistent throughout the 2024 season, missing 15.2% of tackles, as his play noticeably declined, finishing the year with a 62.2 Pro Football Focus defense grade — only 96th among 171 safeties.
Wilson just turned 30 years old in February, so there's a chance he might not improve anytime soon. A continued regression will make it hard for the Cowboys to swallow next season's $8.65 million cap hit, made worse by the veteran safety's $500,000 weekly roster bonus. It wouldn't exactly be out of left field if Dallas axed him before May.
The Cowboys can't ignore how a cut or trade within the next few weeks would lead to over $5.3 million in additional cap space. That's a significant number that Dallas can't ignore before the draft, as the team will have a fresh group of rookie contributors to sign to NFL deals.
Wilson created a boatload of memories during his Cowboys tenure, but all good things eventually end. Between his age and declining performances, America's Team must move on from the long-time safety before his play further regresses.