When you're fighting to finally make it back to Super Bowl contention and have the former conference champion in your division, you can't mess around. There's no room to keep a player on the roster just because he's a fan favorite or has a good relationship with the coaches.
Every single roster spot is going to be crucial for the Dallas Cowboys in 2023, and every player needs to either be a capable NFL contributor, or have the potential to become one very soon.
Even sharing a division with the Eagles, the Cowboys are one of the favorites to win the NFC this season.
If we want to reach the pinnacle, it's going to take a full 53-man effort. That's why fans can expect to be saying goodbye to these veterans before training camp is over.
4 Cowboys Veterans Who Will Be Training Camp Cuts
Jourdan Lewis
Cornerback Jourdan Louis has had a long career with the Cowboys, seeing plenty of playing time off the bench and as a spot starter, but there's just too much working against him this offseason.
The Lisfranc injury that cost him the bulk of the 2022 season, and threatens to limit him again this year. Reports are that he's "hopeful" to avoid the PUP list, which is not a great sign.
Additionally, the cornerback room is suddenly looking very crowded after Dallas added Stephon Gilmore and saw that DaRon Bland can be a serviceable option.
Lewis was only mediocre in coverage last year, allowing a 73.1% completion percentage when targeted, and Pro Football Focus hasn’t given him an overall grade north of 62.0 since 2019.
Cutting Lewis would free up over $4 million in cap space, and that could be the final straw.
Sean McKeon
McKeon is hoping to enter his fourth season with the Cowboys, and he's coming off of his most heavily involved season in Dallas. The 2022 season saw him set career-high in both offensive snaps and special teams snaps played.
Getting run at fullback and tight end, McKeon's versatility has kept him hanging around on the roster. The writing is on the wall though, and his time is up.
Dalton Schultz leaving may look like an opportunity for McKeon, but the 'Boys clearly weren't happy with the remaining options and added two rookies in Luke Schoonmaker (Round 2) and Princeton Fant (UDFA).
McKeon also seems to be the least trusted among the Cowboys' returning tight ends, as Jake Ferguson (40%) and Peyton Hendershot (26%) played higher offensive snap rates than McKeon (14%) despite the fact that McKeon was the only non-rookie in the trio.
Even with your top starter gone, you're just not going to carry six players at the tight end spot. And McKeon's FB versatility won't save him either.
Dallas also added North Dakota State fullback Hunter Luepke, and it looks like McKeon is the odd man (or perhaps one of the odd men) out in the tight end room.
Jabril Cox
Jabril Cox was an exciting third-round pick in 2021, nicely fitting the newly expanding mold of rangy linebackers who thrive in coverage but are sound in the run game.
Training camp in 2023 could be his final audition with the team, however, because he's just not showed nearly enough development or value to be worth hanging on to.
Cox played in more games and saw more defensive playing time as a sophomore than he did as a rookie, but not by much. He was on the field for just 36 defensive snaps across nine games. That's not even enough playing time to put any weight into his stats or to grade his play, but it's a sign the coaches didn't even think he was good enough to be given a chance to evaluate in game action.
He did play a sizeable role on special teams, but that's basically what you do with young linebackers. They're perfect as special teams role players while you work on trying to develop them into viable defensive options as well.
Not making that jump, Cox is now expendable and can easily be replaced by another young linebacker on special teams who possesses more upside. Maybe even a fellow third-round pick. Looking at you, DeMarvion Overshown.
If you want to bet on the Cowboys to win the NFC, DraftKings Sportsbook is the place to do it. Most sportsbook's new user bonuses don't pay out until your bet settles, but DraftKings' pays out instantly. So if you register through the exclusive Sport DFW link below, make your deposit and bet at least $5 on the Cowboys to win the NFC (or any other wager) you will instantly receive $150 in bonus credits. Sign up now to start building your bankroll before the NFL season gets here!
Neville Gallimore
Starting nine games as a third-round pick in 2020 instantly won Neville Gallimore a ton of fans in Dallas. That kind of immediate impact is easy to get excited about, and it looked like he was on a trajectory for a great NFL career.
He totally fizzled though.
He was limited to just 5 games in 2021, and even when he was on the field he struggled. That continued in 2022. Across those 21 games he only had 5 TFLs and 3 QB hits, compared to 4 TFLs and 4 QB Hits in just 14 games as a rookie.
He also saw his PFF grade plummet to 49.6 (2021) then 36.6 (2022).
It's a little surprising Gallimore wasn't already let go as a cap casualty earlier in the offseason, but don't expect him to still be in Dallas by the time September rolls around.