Cowboys release Dontari Poe, Daryl Worley; to add Cooper Rush
In a busy day of transactions, the Dallas Cowboys waived two defenders and are expected to add a quarterback
Coming off a blowout loss to a struggling Washington Football Team this past Sunday, the 2-5 Dallas Cowboys vowed to make some personnel changes. And over the past two days, they’ve done just that.
On Tuesday, the Cowboys traded defensive end Everson Griffen to the Detroit Lions for a conditional sixth-round selection in 2021. Griffen had a slow start in Dallas but has played better recently, likely increasing his trade value. The soon-to-be 33-year old pass rusher recorded 20 combined tackles and 2.5 sacks in seven games.
But Dallas wasn’t satisfied with only moving on from Griffen. The Cowboys shopped both defensive tackle Dontari Poe and defensive back Daryl Worley hoping to find a trade partner. Ultimately, there were no takers so Dallas released both Poe and Worley on Wednesday afternoon.
Poe, a two-time Pro Bowler, was brought to Dallas to help stop the run. The Cowboys currently possess the worst rushing defense in the NFL, allowing an average of 178.3 yards on the ground per game to opposing offenses. Poe recorded seven total tackles as a seven-game starter in Dallas, playing 53% of the team’s defensive snaps,
Worley’s similarly poor play saw his snap count fall from a high of 75 defensive snaps (100%) in Week Four versus the Cleveland Browns to playing just a single defensive snap this past Sunday against Washington.
Griffen, Poe, and Worley were all signed by the Cowboys as free agents in the offseason. This trio now joins defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix as veterans just added by Dallas this year and who are all no longer on the roster.
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Finally, the Dallas Cowboys are reportedly expected to sign former quarterback Cooper Rush to the practice squad. The Cowboys waived Rush, the team’s primary backup to starting quarterback Dak Prescott for three seasons, after signing Andy Dalton this offseason.
Rush was claimed off waivers by the New York Giants afterward, joining former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, now the offensive coordinator in the Big Apple. But he was released in late September.