3 recently added Cowboys who are already cut candidates
In less than a month the dawn of a new NFL season will be here. Training camps open in late July and the Dallas Cowboys will be making their way to Oxnard yet again. It has been a quiet offseason, much to the dislike of most of the fanbase. Dallas only signed two exterior free agents before the draft and added a few more after the draft but from other leagues.
The rookie class brings new hope to a team looking to not go one and done in the playoffs again. All rookies who were drafted are guaranteed at least a roster spot or practice squad spot. However, some new veteran arrivals are not guaranteed to make the team after training camp. The NFL has always been a numbers game and 53 is that number teams have to get down to in September. These three Cowboys are all new to the team in 2024, but might not be in Dallas for long.
1. RB Royce Freeman
The Cowboys appeared to solve their lack of a veteran running back before the draft when they signed Royce Freeman in early April. While the team did re-sign Rico Dowdle, the main back Tony Pollard is now in Tennessee. Some were hoping Jerry would plunge a bit and go after a proven guy like Derrick Henry or Dalvin Cook. Instead they waited and settled for Freeman.
Freeman has played for four teams since entering the league in 2018. Denver drafted him hoping to be their new starter but let him walk after three seasons. He spent 2021 with the Panthers and Texans before hitting the open market again after a full year in Houston in 2022. Last year with the Rams he rushed for 319 yards and two touchdowns, his best season since 2019.
Freeman would not be a cut candidate had the Cowboy not brought back Ezekiel Elliott. Jerry clearly felt uneasy about the running back situation post draft and wanted to bring back a familiar face. While Elliott is not guaranteed to be the starting running back, it is hard to imagine he is not the favorite. Dowdle will be a major piece of the run game and so could Deuce Vaughn. It is clear the Cowboys are going with a running back by committee approach this year, which may not work out.
The bottom line is Freeman now is not guaranteed a roster spot. Dallas only signed him to a one-year deal and can cut bait whenever they want. This team has done plenty of moves like this in the past with signing a veteran in the offseason then releasing him shortly into camp. Names like Haha Clinton-Dix and George Iloka are just two players the team cut bait with before even playing a down in the preseason. Based on that recent history, Freeman might not be here for long.