Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer wasted no time kicking Dan Quinn draft pick to the curb

The Dallas Cowboys would wait until roster cuts to get CeeDee Lamb's extension done. As if that wasn't already a big distraction, it was reported late Monday that Dallas is meeting with veteran running back Dalvin Cook.

That is a very underwhelming follow-up to Lamb's deal, but let's not allow ourselves to get sidetracked by Jerry Jones' antics.

After all, the Cowboys are busy gashing their roster to 53 players before Tuesday's 3 p.m. CT deadline. Among the most notable cuts as of this writing are receiver Tyron Billy-Johnson and linebacker Willie Harvey, who was widely projected by team reporters to make the team.

Dallas also moved on from a pair of 2023 draft picks, including fourth-round pick Viliami Fehoko, who was a brutal fit in Mike Zimmer's system. Fehoko will go down as a big stain on the Cowboys' drafting resume but they also bit the bullet on a player that Dan Quinn believed was worth trading up for.

Cowboys release 2023 sixth-round pick Eric Scott Jr. during roster cuts

The Cowboys traded up in the sixth round last year to take Scott. The Southern Miss product impressed in training camp last summer but struggled in preseason. When the dust settled on the 2023 season, Scott wasn't active for a single game.

That spoke volumes given Trevon Diggs was lost for the season before Week 3. Not only that, but 2021 third-round pick Nahshon Wright started the year on injured reserve and Jourdan Lewis was eased in after foot surgery and didn't play a full compliment of snaps until Week 6.

It's no secret that Quinn loves lanky cornerbacks. Drafted in Quinn's first year as defensive coordinator, Wright is 6-4 with a 77-inch wingspan. Meanwhile, Scott had the third-longest wingspan among CB prospects in the 2023 class. He was clearly a Quinn pick.

It'd be one thing if Scott played mostly special teams in year one. The fact he wasn't trusted on defense or as a special-teamer did not bode well for his future outlook. Even seventh-round pick Jalen Brooks carved out 77 offensive snaps in a crowded receiver room and 82 snaps on special teams.

Scott posted a 62.8 coverage grade in preseason, per Pro Football Focus. While respectable, the grade was buoyed by an interception that Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett threw right at him. In three games, Scott allowed six catches for 76 yards on nine targets. He had a bad missed tackle in Week 1 that gave the Rams a chunk play and was later flagged for a late hit out of bounds that was made seemingly out of frustration amid his bad start.

It's really no surprise that Scott got cut. He'll in all likelihood reunite with Quinn in Washington this week, but his release serves as an unpleasant reminder that the Cowboys essentially set a sixth-round pick on fire because Quinn believed in Scott as a prospect.

The fact Zimmer was quick to move on from Scott further proves he's trying to distance himself from Quinn's foundation.

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