Mickens (33) and DeAngelo Smith (31) were waived by the Cowboys on Saturday.

IRVING, Texas - On Saturday the Cowboys whittled their roster to 52, one short of the NFL limit, by waiving 22 players and sending another to the season-ending injured reserve.

Third-year receiver Isaiah Stanback was among the most noteworthy of the cuts. The Cowboys' fourth-round pick in 2007 had his transition from college quarterback to NFL wide receiver slowed by a series of injuries during his time with the club.

While the round of cuts does not necessarily define the Week One roster since the Cowboys are likely to claim a 53rd player, either off waivers from another club or a veteran free agent, the core of the team is now in place. The Cowboys reached the magic number by waiving six veterans and 16 rookies, including three of their 12 draft picks, fifth-rounder DeAngelo Smith and seventh-rounders Mike Mickens and Manuel Johnson.

Sixth-round pick Stephen Hodge (knee) was placed on the injured reserve after he was unable to return from arthroscopic surgery in the off-season. Fourth-round linebacker Brandon Williams (torn ACL) was given that designation on Tuesday. Tackle Robert Brewster, the Cowboys' second pick in the draft, is on the reserve Physically Unable to Perform list, and would be eligible for activation after 10 weeks.

Much of the roster was decided heading into training camp and the preseason, but a couple of casualties were players who had a legitimate chance to make the roster. Third-year defensive back Courtney Brown struggled at cornerback in the preseason after being moved from safety at the beginning of the summer. He and Stanback were the only waived veterans who had been active for the Cowboys in the regular season.

Though the Cowboys always try to keep the best players regardless of their positions, number constraints always affect the final cuts in one way or another. The team kept three quarterbacks, four running backs (including fullback Deon Anderson), three tight ends, five wide receivers, 10 offensive linemen, six defensive linemen, nine linebackers, eight defensive backs and four specialists.

A few of the players the Cowboys released could wind up back with the team later, or on the eight-man practice squad. Each of the new free agents will spend 24 hours on the waiver wire during which they can be claimed by another team. After that period the Cowboys can then attempt to sign them back to the practice squad.

None of the veterans who were waived are eligible for the practice squad. Here are all the Cowboys' Saturday transactions:

RELEASED

OL Travis Bright, BYU
DB Courtney Brown, Cal Poly
QB Rudy Carpenter, Arizona State
TE Scott Chandler, Iowa
FB Julius Crosslin, Oklahoma State
DE Marcus Dixon, Hampton
LB Tearrius George, Kansas State
OL Ryan Gibbons, Northeastern
DB Jeremy Haynes, McNeese State
WR Jesse Holley, North Carolina
WR Mike Jefferson, Montana State
WR Manuel Johnson, Oklahoma
RB Keon Lattimore, Maryland (waiver/injured)
CB Mike Mickens, Cincinnati
WR Willie Reid, Florida State
DE Derreck Robinson, Iowa
FB Asaph Schwapp, Notre Dame
NT Jonas Seawright, North Carolina
DB DeAneglo Smith, Cincinnati
WR Isaiah Stanback, Washington
LB Matt Stewart, Vanderbilt
DB DeAngelo Willingham, Tennessee

INJURED RESERVE

LB Stephen Hodge, TCU