3 players Cowboys will regret leaving off 53-man roster
- A grizzled vet comes up short
- Productive UDFA gets cut
- Budding young cornerback gets dealt
By Jerry Trotta
2. Isaiah Land, LB
Land was widely projected to make the 53-man roster. Not because he would have an immediate impact on Dan Quinn's defense, but because the the Cowboys didn't want to run the risk of exposing him to the waiver wire.
While teams will prioritize their own released players, it's impossible not to think Land garnered interest amid a strong preseason. According to Pro Football Focus, Land tallied 10 pressures and seven hurries on 45 pass-rush snaps.
That's quality production for an undrafed free agent.
Granted, the Cowboys are loaded at edge rusher, but some fans wondered if they would trade Dorance Armstrong or Dante Fowler Jr. to create a pathway for playing time for Land, who ranked near the top amongst all defenders in preseason in pass rush win rate and pressure rate.
Land is best served on the edge as opposed to off-ball. Did that seal his roster fate given the Cowboys are loaded at DE? Perhaps, but he's an intriguing development project who can slide into the pass rush rotation once the team moves on from its current veterans.
We seriously hope Land makes it back to the practice squad. Losing him would be a crushing blow even if he was destined to ride the bench.