The Dallas Cowboys are back to work with voluntary workouts before OTAs get rolling on June 1. While training camp is two months away, plenty of players will enter this season with question marks. Some can even be considered living on "borrowed time".
One phrase the NFL letters stand for is "Not For Long". If a player is not performing, the team will not invest more time in them. In the case of these Cowboys, their expiration dates may be coming sooner than expected if they do not perform better than they have in previous years.
3 Dallas Cowboys who are running out of time to prove they belong
1. Sam Williams, DE
Sam Williams was thought to be one of the many defensive players the team would let walk in free agency. Instead, he was brought back on a modest one-year deal. The overwhelming message from the Cowboys to Williams is "prove it".
A second-round pick in 2022, Williams has spent the last two years as a rotational piece on the defensive line who saw most of his playing time on special teams. After a torn ACL, he came back in 2025 looking to fill the void left by recently traded Micah Parsons. He did little to prove he still belongs.
In five starts, he had one sack. He contributed on special teams with a blocked punt against the Cardinals that went for a touchdown. However, he became an afterthought on the defensive line after Jadeveon Clowney arrived.
Rashaan Gary and Malachi Lawrence arrived this offseason expecting to start or contribute heavily. Third-round rookie Jaishawn Barham may get some time as an edge rusher as well. With new arrivals on top of those returning, Williams needs to have a career year to remain in Dallas. Needless to say, his clock is ticking.
2. Luke Schoonmaker, TE
The Cowboys drafted Luke Schoonmaker in 2023, hoping to find a complement to Jake Ferguson. The former Michigan Wolverine is entering the final year of his rookie contract and his contributions in the passing game have been slim. He endured a drop-off last season, catching 14 passes for 137 yards with zero touchdowns in 17 games (seven starts).
Brevyn Spann-Ford received more playing time than Schoonmaker, and that continued to increase towards the end of the season, affirming the coaching staff's faith in the former undrafted tight end.
Not only does Schoonmaker have to overcome Spann-Ford, but Dallas brought in another pair of undrafted free agent tight ends in April in Michael Trigg and D.J. Rogers. Both have received some hype during the offseason so far.
For Schoonmaker, the end of the line might be at the end of the 2026 campaign. While he may never threaten Ferguson for receptions, the Cowboys need their top backups to be more productive when injuries happen. If Schoonmaker wants to remain in Dallas, this will be a big year for him.
3. Jonathan Mingo, WR
Jonathan Mingo might have bought himself more time in Dallas after renegotiating his contract. That does not compensate for the fact he has done little to nothing since the Cowboys traded for him in 2024.
Mingo was looked at as a hot pick coming out of Ole Miss, but the hype has long since cooled off. In five seasons, he's scored a grand total of 0 touchdowns. Last year he had just one catch for 25 yards.
While he had to overcome a knee injury suffered in preseason, it is a mystery why he's still on the team coming off that kind of production, even as the WR5.
After the draft, Dallas signed veteran receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Tyler Johnson. Both have had far more production in their careers than Mingo. With the team continuing to add depth at receiver in the draft and in free agency, the writing seems to be on the wall for him.
He'll almost certainly be gone in 2027 if the Cowboys don't cut him before then.
Add us as a preferred source on Google