Jaydon Blue's release was as surprising as it wasn't.
On one hand, Blue seemed to have established himself as the third running back. Coming off a strong outing in Week 2, he didn't play in the Dallas Cowboys' third preseason game, signifying that he made the 53-man roster and was being protected.
Despite that, Cowboys fans didn't quite buy that Blue earned the trust of the coaching staff after one good preseason game. After all, the evaluation process goes far beyond preseason snaps and training camp highlights, and concerns about Blue's attention to detail are well-documented.
That may explain why Blue went unclaimed on waivers. However, the Philadelphia Eagles signed him to their practice squad once the waiver dust settled. Leave it to Philly to pounce on a former Cowboy, right?
Blue is one of three RBs on the Eagles' practice squad, making his path to the active roster a steep uphill climb. Based on how his summer in Dallas went, it's hard to imagine him getting promoted anytime soon.
But he’s not the only recent Cowboy on the move. Which other players who spent training camp in Dallas are now wearing a different uniform?
Every Cowboys player who was claimed or signed during roster cuts
OLB Sam Williams - Cleveland Browns
Since we touched on Blue, let's jump right to Williams, whom the Cleveland Browns signed to their active roster after he went unclaimed on waivers.
A second-round pick in 2022, Williams looked the part of an exciting rotational pass rusher early in his career, tallying 45 pressures and 8.5 sacks over his first two seasons.
However, a torn ACL wiped out his 2024 season, and he struggled to produce last year, posting an 8.7 pass-rush win rate and 24 pressures on a career-high 270 pass-rush snaps, per PFF.
Despite that, the Cowboys re-signed him in March and gave him $2 million guaranteed. Though Williams is a traditional outside linebacker, his lack of versatility made him a questionable fit, at best, under Christian Parker.
Williams had moments in training camp and the preseason, but not enough consistency, and he's still troubled by overeagerness, leading to blown assignments. Hopefully, he figures it out on a Browns team that needs all the pass rushers it can get after trading Myles Garrett.
S Julius Wood - Miami Dolphins
Unlike Williams, Wood absolutely played well enough to make Dallas' 53-man roster. What stings most is that the Cowboys kept six safeties, opting to keep special teams mainstays Markquese Bell and Alijah Clark over a guy who dominated all summer defensively.
As expected, Wood did not survive waivers, getting claimed by the Miami Dolphins. Since players who get claimed join the active roster, Wood has a strong chance to carve out a role in a talent-depleted Dolphins secondary.
Only Jaishawn Barham and Malachi Lawrence had a higher defensive grade than Wood's 75.8 mark this preseason. However, they played 40 and 22 total snaps, respectively, compared to Wood's 104. His level of play did not dip despite the big workload, finishing with an 81.4 PFF run-defense grade.
Wood plays with a tenacity that this Dallas defense has missed. Bell and Clark had better be superstars on special teams, or cutting Wood is going to look pretty silly.
OL Trevor Keegan - Minnesota Vikings
The Cowboys surprised some when they kept Ajani Cornelius over Trevor Keegan and Nick Leverett. While they were able to sign Leverett to the practice squad, Keegan was claimed by the Minnesota Vikings.
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, Dallas had "trade discussions" involving Keegan before waiving him. They successfully traded Nate Thomas to Houston but were unable to find a partner and/or a suitable return for Keegan.
The 26-year-old looked comfortable at left guard and center this preseason. Granted, he played 126 snaps at the former, compared to 32 at center, but he allowed only a single pressure. No quarterback hits or sacks. He would've been back on Dallas' practice squad had he gone unclaimed.
CB Trikweze Bridges - Cincinnati Bengals
This time last year, the Cowboys claimed Trikweze Bridges on waivers because their cornerback room was in dire straits. He went on to appear in 16 games and started two of them. He was on the active roster for the entire season.
A year later, Dallas felt comfortable enough to cut him loose. Like Blue and Williams, he didn't stay unemployed for long after going unclaimed, as the Cincinnati Bengals signed him to the practice squad.
The Cowboys opted to keep Ameer Speed and Caelen Carson as their last two cornerbacks. Carson was perhaps the biggest surprise inclusion on the initial 53, but Bridges would have taken that title had he made the cut.
DB Zion Childress - Carolina Panthers
On that note about Bridges being viewed as a must-add last August, remember the outrage among Cowboys fans when Childress got waived last year?
An Oxnard standout as an undrafted rookie, Childress rejoined via the practice squad, but the fanfare returned when the Texans signed him to their active roster off Dallas' P-squad after appearing in two of the Cowboys' first three games.
Childress was with America's Team a month later and appeared in just one of the final 10 games of the 2025 season. He stuck with Dallas this offseason but had a fairly obscure summer in the reloaded safety room, playing just 33 defensive snaps in the preseason.
The second-year DB never really had a chance of making the 53-man roster, but he landed on his feet with the Carolina Panthers' practice squad after getting waived.
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