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5 Cowboys on Thin Ice Despite Surviving Roster Cuts

The Dallas Cowboys' initial 53-man roster has been finalized. Having said that, these five players must still step up despite surviving Tuesday's roster cuts.

By Devon Platana

Five Cowboys players remain on thin ice following Tuesday's roster deadline.
Five Cowboys players remain on thin ice following Tuesday's roster deadline. / Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports
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2. Luke Schoonmaker, TE

One of the Cowboys' more surprising moves on Tuesday was that of trading tight end Peyton Hendershot to the Kansas City Chiefs. The former Indiana Hoosier — who joined the franchise as an undrafted free agent in 2022 — was released after only tallying four catches for 38 receiving yards without a touchdown.

After missing most of last year with an ankle injury, some Dallas fans thought Hendershot would be given another chance to prove himself. Clearly, that isn't the case.

With Hendershot now out of town, Luke Schoonmaker is set to be the Cowboys' TE2 behind Jake Ferguson. But just because the former 2023 second-rounder survived the axe doesn't mean that his future is secure.

After all, it isn't as if Schoonmaker had the most productive 2023 campaign.

Despite suiting up in all 17 contests, the ex-Michigan pass-catcher only finished with eight receptions on 15 targets for 65 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Not only did his 53.3% catch rate leave much to be desired, but he also finished the year with an uninspiring 49.8 offense grade on Pro Football Focus — the 12th-worst grade among 72 eligible TEs.

While I'm not suggesting that the Cowboys will move on from Schoonmaker tomorrow, it's clear that he has to be better if he wants to be an offensive mainstay.

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