We're two weeks into NFL free agency and the Dallas Cowboys continue to sit on their hands. Veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks remains as the franchise's only outside signing, leaving the fanbase to wonder if Jerry Jones is already content with the hand he's been dealt.
But even if Jones is a believer in the current roster and is waiting for the NFL Draft to add more help, not everyone's job is safe. Several Cowboys are on thin ice after underperforming last season while others could find themselves in a battle to keep their roster spot against other players at their position once training camp opens.
With that in mind, here are five Cowboys who are still fighting for their jobs.
1. QB Cooper Rush
It's hard to remember a time when Cooper Rush wasn't the Cowboys' backup quarterback. The 30-year-old gunslinger has been on Dallas' roster ever since he joined the franchise as an undrafted free agent in 2017 outside of a brief stint with the New York Giants in 2020.
Although Dak Prescott has handled most of the QB duties during his time in Big D, Rush has also seen a bit of action, starting in six of his 26 appearances. The ex-Central Michigan product led the Cowboys to a 5-1 record in his showings, completing 60.6% of passes for 1,619 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions.
So, why would Rush's job be in jeopardy if he's one of the better backup QBs in the NFL? Two words: Trey Lance.
The Cowboys acquired Lance from the 49ers last August, sending a fourth-round pick back to San Francisco in return. Although the former 2021 third-overall pick spent the year as Dallas' third-string option, the Cowboys clearly see something in him otherwise they wouldn't have exercised his $4.25 million roster bonus to keep him around for 2024.
That's a lot of money to pay to a third-stringer, so I wouldn't be surprised if Mike McCarthy's staff is hoping that Lance challenges Rush for the QB2 role this summer. If the 23-year-old does show signs that his potential is still there, Rush might stick around much longer.
2. RB Deuce Vaughn
After an impressive 2023 training camp, the Cowboys added diminutive running back Deuce Vaughn to the initial 53-man roster. But while he showed promise during the exhibition schedule, the former Kansas State rusher couldn't put things together once the regular season came around.
Vaughn played in each of the Cowboys' first five games but couldn't generate any sort of production, turning 20 carries into just 40 rushing yards while hauling in five targets for another 19 yards. That was all McCarthy needed to see to lose faith in the 5-foot-6 RB as Vaughn was held out in 10 of Dallas' final 12 games before ending the year on the injured reserve with an ankle injury.
But even after Tony Pollard left the Lone Star State via free agency, Vaughn's job is hardly safe. Rico Dowdle is currently the RB1 on the depth chart after playing well behind Pollard last year. Considering how the Cowboys re-signed Dowdle in the offseason, it's clear that they plan to have him on the 53-man roster again.
It also isn't guaranteed that Vaughn will even be the RB2 come the fall. The Cowboys could potentially add another tailback through next month's draft and might even consider bringing in veteran bodies for training camp tryouts.
Unless Vaughn makes a ton of improvements this summer, his future in Dallas is up in the air.
3./4. TEs Luke Schoonmaker/Peyton Hendershot
After Dalton Schultz left to join the Houston Texans last offseason, the Cowboys needed their tight end room to step up. Jake Ferguson had no issue doing that as he experienced a career year, hauling in 71 balls for 761 receiving yards, five touchdowns, and 40 first downs en route to his first-ever Pro Bowl nod.
But while Ferguson soared, fellow TEs Luke Schoonmaker and Peyton Hendershot failed to make much of an impact.
After a strong draft year with the Michigan Wolverines, the Cowboys selected Schoonmaker 58th overall last in the draft. The Hamden, CT native was often invisible despite playing all 17 games, recording just eight receptions for 65 yards and a pair of TDs. His 53.3% catch percentage was abysmal while his three drops further illustrated how he didn't live up to the Day 2 hype.
Meanwhile, Hendershot wasn't any better in his second NFL season. The ex-Indiana Hoosier only appeared in half the games while putting up a putrid 4-38-0 stat line. In other words, Hendershot and Schoonmaker combined weren't even half a quarter as productive as Ferguson.
Nevertheless, the duo will likely duke it out for TE2 duties and it's hard to say which deserves the honor more. Hendershot may have been the better blocker of the duo, though, leaving time to tell if that makes the difference between him and Schoonmaker this offseason.
5. DT Mazi Smith
Like Vaughn and Schoonmaker, Mazi Smith was another 2023 draft pick who failed to live up to expectations as a rookie. The 22-year-old defensive tackle was drafted 26th overall to further solidify Dallas' defensive line last season, but he did anything but that more often than not.
Smith hardly saw any playing time in Year 1, playing just 304 defensive downs (28%) and 21 special teams snaps (5%) despite appearing in all 17 games while starting three times. He only recorded nine solo tackles with one sack while missing a whopping 13.3% of his tackling attempts. He was expected to stop the run but couldn't even do that, finishing with a 31.8 run defense grade — the seventh-worst grade among 137 eligible interior defenders, per Pro Football Focus.
At the end of the day, PFF graded Smith as the No. 113 interior defender out of 130.
It's going to be interesting to see if Smith can turn things around as a sophomore. Reports indicate that the Cowboys asked him to lose around 30 pounds, which could be one reason why he was thrown off his game. At the same time, there's always the possibility that his shortcomings stem from him not being as good as Dallas' scouts envisioned.
While the Cowboys had one of the best secondaries in the NFL, they were only average against the run. Hopefully, Smith bounces back and helps improve the frontline. If not, his future in Dallas is murky at best.
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