Dallas Cowboys: 3 Dallas veterans who could be surprise summer cuts

Possible Dallas Cowboys Cut No. 2:

Anthony Brown, CB

No player enters the 2021 season with a higher variance to his Dallas Cowboys future than Anthony Brown. The sixth-year player could begin the 2021 season as a starter or he could be caught in his own numbers crunch and get the axe.

Let’s look at the high end of the spectrum first: Anthony Brown has been the Dallas Cowboys starting nickel CB for years now and was expected to resume the role again in 2021. But after the Cowboys re-signed Jourdan Lewis to a three-year, $13.5M deal, it’s far from guaranteed. Unless Dan Quinn wants to move Lewis to safety (like he did Damontae Kazee in Atlanta) Lewis is an inside-only CB. Dallas wouldn’t have signed him to the contract they did just to play CB4 in dime situations.

That bodes poorly for Brown since he’ll count $5.75 million against the cap here in 2021. Brown could get a reprieve if the rookie Kelvin Joseph struggles outside. The Cowboys have been willing to play Brown outside in injury situations, and may be using Brown for insurance against Joseph. So there’s really two places Brown could start for Dallas in 2021.

But if Joseph lives up to his billing and Lewis seizes that nickel role inside, Dallas would probably see Brown as too expensive to serve as CB4. They may opt to develop younger cheaper talent at CB and want to use Brown’s roster spot and reps on someone like Nahshon Wright (or Reggie Robinson and Israel Mukuamu who are SAF/CB hybrids).

It’s possible as well Anthony Brown’s future comes down to his ability to stay healthy. Like LVE, Brown has struggled to stay on the field the past two seasons. He’s only played in 19 out of 32 games and hasn’t been all that good even when he’s been available (although he’s been better than Lewis).

If other CBs thrive in training camp and/or if Brown struggles to stay on the field, he could be a veteran cut this summer.