5 Cowboys players who could be cut before training camp

2. Ronald Jones, RB

When Ezekiel Elliott was released, the Cowboys elected to bring in Ronald Jones so they would at least have one veteran presence on the bench. A low-risk signing, Jones fell off the radar in 2022 due to the depth on the Kansas City Chiefs roster.

Jones found himself behind Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Jerick McKinnon. That limited him to just 17 rushing attempts for 70 yards and a touchdown. The low numbers have been enough for Jones to be discounted in Dallas but he's not far removed from his 978-yard performance in 2020 for the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Making his path to the roster a little easier was the lack of another back early in the NFL Draft. Dallas did bring in Deuce Vaughn but he's expected to be more of a change-of-pace back behind Tony Pollard. As for Jones, he's trying to prove he can be the primary backup.

Right now, his biggest competition is Malik Davis who did well with his limited opportunities as a rookie in 2022. But another name could force Jones out, which is fullback Hunter Luepke.

A product of North Dakota State, Luepke was given a healthy signing bonus by Dallas and they apparently believe in him as a short-yardage back capable of developing into more.

Should he prove he can handle the load, they might be willing to let him and Vaughn work in a committee should Pollard ever have to miss a game. And if they feel comfortable enough with him, Jones could be gone before ever playing for Big D.