Mike McCarthy Explains Wednesday's Controversial Release of Veteran Defender
Update: According to reports, Rashaan Evans was arrested for maijuana possession, which preceded his release by the Cowboys. Our original story follows below.
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: The #Cowboys are cutting linebacker Rashaan Evans after he was arrested for possession of marijuana, per @TheCowboysNet pic.twitter.com/RHRCiEoWyo
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 27, 2023
A Cowboys official downplayed the timing of LB Rashaan Evans’ arrest Tuesday for marijuana possession and its relation to Evans being waived. Various factors involved. Team needed roster spot for OT Matt Waletzko. Evans a candidate for practice squad if he clears waivers. https://t.co/tcqlf68KcP
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) December 27, 2023
The Dallas Cowboys decided to make some tweaks to their roster ahead of Week 17 that have raised a few eyebrowns. In order to active offensive tackle Matt Waletzko from the injured reserve list on Wednesday, Dallas elected to release veteran linebacker Rashaan Evans from the 53-man roster.
Considering how the team's LB depth is already in a dire spot right now, fans aren't happy this group has been thinned out even further.
Shortly after the news was announced, head coach Mike McCarthy addressed this controversial move.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy when asked about things not working out with veteran LB Rashaan Evans: “We’ll answer that at the end of the week. I think that’s important to be answered then. These are roster moves, and they’re tough moves. It’s a bit of a catch-22. We’re a healthy…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 27, 2023
McCarthy promised to say more on Evans specifically not working out "at the end of the week." He did tackle the release broadly, though, stating that when the staff "start[s] to project" roles for the playoffs, sometimes situations like this take place. The HC added the team thought the depth Waletzko provides would be "beneficial" for this final postseason push.
Suffice it to say, those in Big D still aren't happy with this decision. Waletzko is an inexperienced player with just three NFL appearances to his name since being drafted last year, and he's coming off of a major injury to boot, which means he'll have signifcant rust to shake off before being able to help.
Meanwhile, Evans is a six-year veteran who's started to settle in with the team after suiting up in nine games during the 2023 season. His playing time hasn't been particularly significant, with the vet seeing just 12% of the Cowboys' defensive snaps, but he's carved out a role as a legit special teams contributor (33% of all ST snaps played).
The benefit of having Evans on the roster also means he's available at a moment's notice to help out the linebacking group as well. Removing him from the equation entirely and replacing his roster spot with an offensive player clearly downgrades Dallas' LB depth.
This is a strange roster move to make with the playoffs looming, especially since Evans has already played in four postseason games in his career. Let's hope it doesn't come back to bite McCarthy and co.
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