The Dallas Cowboys have their initial 53-man roster in place. While the roster will most likely change from now until opening night, fans now have a good idea of what this team's plan is going into the new season.
Some of the cuts were expected for guys who were at the bottom of the roster or did not perform well in the preseason.
However, some players who were let go were a bit of a surprise. Some who were let go had even been a part of the team for the last several seasons. But which players will the Cowboys regret cutting?
3 players the Cowboys will regret letting go of during roster cuts
1. Trevor Keegan - G/C
With all of the offensive line moves over the past few days, Trevor Keegan was the veteran odd man out.
While the Broderick Jones trade adds depth at tackle, Dallas lost solid depth at guard by letting Keegan go, as the Minnesota Vikings scooped him up on waivers.
With Keegan gone, Dallas loses veteran depth at guard. While signing Nick Leverett to the practice squad helps cancel that out, Keegan is a true guard while Leverett is a center.
Keegan got lots of playing time with the second stringers in the preseason and looked like someone Dallas could call on to come in and play in a pinch.
Some even compared him to Brock Hoffman, who stepped up in 2024 with numerous injuries on the line. Keegan looked like he had that capability if something were to happen to Tyler Smith or Tyler Booker.
Had Dallas kept him on the initial roster, they would have had reliable depth at both guard spots. It also would have given Tyler Bass some flexibility to play center if they needed him to. Letting Keegan go might be a decision the team will regret if they see significant injuries along the interior during the season.
2. Julius Wood - S
Julius Wood was another player claimed off waivers after the Cowboys let him go. Out of all the defensive backs who played in the preseason, Wood arguably performed the best. With him going to Miami, Dallas loses depth at safety and someone who arguably should have been kept on the roster.
Wood had been with the Cowboys twice. He came in 2024 as an undrafted free agent and again in 2025. This preseason, he showed significant growth. He had 16 tackles in the three games and brought physicality to the secondary.
With Christian Parker trying to reshape this defense's identity, Wood looked like the kind of safety this team needs for solid depth.
Some have argued it is time for the team to move on from Markquese Bell, who really has become nothing more than a good special-teams player. In the end, the team took Bell over Wood. Letting Wood go might not look like a huge loss right now, but he did show improvement. The Cowboys might regret keeping the other safeties over him.
3. Phil Mafah - RB
The Cowboys decided to move on from each of their running backs they drafted last year. While parting ways with Jaydon Blue makes sense, not even trying to bring back Phil Mafah to the practice squad was a head-scratching decision.
Behind Malik Davis, the second-best running back this preseason was arguably Mafah.
Mafah left the Seattle game early with an injury but scored a late touchdown against Arizona. His best game came against the Saints with 46 yards on 12 carries, which led the team in rushing. Sure, those numbers are not huge, but Mafah looked like he was taking bigger steps compared to his rookie year.
The team claimed Emari Demercado off waivers from Arizona. While this move makes sense based on Demercado's familiarity with offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, it is hard to believe Demercado is a significant upgrade over Mafah. In three seasons, he has not rushed for 100 yards in a game.
Demercado might be a slight upgrade in some people's eyes, but the Cowboys would have been in good shape with Mafah. If injuries were to happen to Javonte Williams or Davis, Mafah would have been ready to step in as he has before.
Cutting him might be a decision this team will regret later this season.
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