The Dallas Cowboys are one of the few teams that will begin OTAs (organized team activities) on Monday, with the rest of the league starting next week. OTAs allow coaches and players to get together and prepare for the upcoming season.
For the Cowboys, this is important because they have a new coaching staff taking over, led by new head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Schottenheimer spent the last two seasons as Dallas' offensive coordinator under Mike McCarthy.
However, with McCarthy out the door and Schottenheimer being the new guy in charge, he gets to run the team as he sees fit. This also means he has new coordinators, which could be good or bad news for certain players.
For example, if you are Cowboys cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., this is a good opportunity for a fresh start. The 24-year-old defensive back was acquired by Dallas from the Minnesota Vikings in a trade last summer. The former Vikings’ second-round pick only appeared in seven games last year with the Cowboys.
However, he started in two games, which did not go well. In his first start against the New York Giants in Week 3, Booth allowed three completions on three targets for 46 yards. He gave up 15.3 receiving yards per reception allowed and had a 118.7 pass rating allowed when targeted.
The Cowboys defeated the Giants 20-15. The next time Booth was pushed into the starting lineup was in Week 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles. The young defender struggled big time, as the Eagles' QBs picked on him.
Booth allowed five completions on seven targets for 111 yards and two receiving TDs. He gave up 22.2 receiving yards per reception and had a 153.3 pass rating allowed when targeted.
Overall, Booth finished the season with 15 combined tackles and a pass deflection. He also had an 80.0 completion percentage allowed on targets and a 158.3 pass rating.
Based on his performance in limited snaps last season, plus the Cowboys acquiring Kaiir Elam from the Buffalo Bills and drafting Shavon Revel, Booth could be on his way out the door if he doesn’t improve.
Now, Booth’s only saving grace is that Dallas has a new defensive coordinator (Matt Eberflus), who might find a way to utilize him. However, it wouldn’t cost the Cowboys anything to cut the former second-round pick as he has a cap hit of $1.1 million this season and will become an unrestricted free agent in 2026.