5 cut players we would like to see back on the Cowboys practice squad
By Randy Gurzi
3. Mika Tafua, EDGE
Another position where numbers were great happened to be at defensive end. Here, Dallas went very deep, keeping six players on their initial 53-man roster. Right now, it’s DeMarcus Lawrence, Dante Fowler, Jr., Sam Williams, Dorance Armstrong, Tarell Basham, and Chauncey Golston (although Golston can play inside as well).
It’s going to be hard to find snaps for those six players, let alone an undrafted free agent from Utah. For that reason, Mika Tafua was waived on Tuesday despite having what Michael Gehlken called an “impressive summer.”
Cowboys have waived DE Mika Tafua, person familiar with decision said. Undrafted rookie from Utah had an impressive summer, including a sack vs. Chargers, and would be strong fit for practice squad if he clears waivers Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/tZLs9t1k1w
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 30, 2022
Gehlken added that he would be a “strong fit” for the practice squad should he clear waivers. Dallas would be wise to bring him back as he proved to have a knack for making plays.
Not only did he record the sack against Los Angeles, but he also batted a pass down at the line of scrimmage and had a pressure on Drew Lock against Seattle. If that wasn’t enough, he even played on special teams and did a decent job there.
Dallas has a lot of depth on the EDGE but as we saw with the wide receivers corps this offseason, that depth can disappear in a hurry. That could happen here as well with players such as Fowler and Basham having contracts that expire following this campaign and Armstong’s only goes through 2023.