FRISCO, Texas – Said this and said this until I've been blue in the face, but it's only me pointing this out: just what a difference this year's Dallas Cowboys roster remodel is making compared to where the team was at this time in 2025, now roughly two and a half weeks out from the season opener.
Remember last year's lineup analysis written from training camp this summer, pointing out seven to eight starters during the first month of last season who are no longer on this team. Just take the 2025 opener at Philadelphia, a narrow 24-20 loss to the eventual NFC East champion.
Why, seven of the 11 defensive starters that night are no longer with the Cowboys. Another, defensive end Sam Williams, currently is in a battle to even make this team. And another starter on offense, Jalen Tolbert, is no longer on this roster. Nor are 11 other guys on that initial 53-man roster. That's a 34 percent change, and who knows, could be more come Sunday when the Cowboys must trim the current 90-man roster to 53.
But here comes my backup from a much higher authority, like second-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, when asked Monday during his press conference how he would compare the confidence in this team versus where the Cowboys were at this time last year, saying, "I'm very pleased with how the Oxnard portion of training camp went," and well he should have been.
But then came this, the crux of the matter:
"The biggest thing for me, if you take our roster from last year and laid it down next to our roster from this year, there is no question the depth and talent is higher, and some of that is us developing some young players … but also the addition of a number of pieces. And that is a credit to Jerry and Stephen (Jones) and Will McClay and his staff, and our coaches have a hand in that.
"This is a good football team – just got to make the right decisions when we get to cut-down day, which we will."
And when those cuts take place, even if some are re-signed to the practice squad, another half-dozen players appearing on last season's roster at some point might not be on this initial 53-man roster. Neither will be 11 assistant coaches from just last year.
Let me add the additions, and I'm counting Kenny Clark, who did not arrive until the week of the season opener. And allow me to count DeMarvion Overshown and Shavon Revel, two guys who were not activated onto the 53 until Nov. 11. Also, add Quinnen Williams, a Nov. 7 trade-deadline addition.
Then these guys: Rashan Gary, Von Miller, Jalen Thompson, Cobie Durant, P.J. Locke, Dee Winters, Jonathan Bullard, Otito Ogbonnia, Derion Kendrick, Curtis Robinson and Sam Howell. Then, how about the 2026 draft choices figuring to make season-opening contributions, like Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence and Jaishawn Barham.
Think about that. Of the mentioned above, a dozen of those guys likely will be starters or active contributors right off the bat.
So allow me to say it again, these are not your 2025 Cowboys. Heck, for sure not the 2024 gang – 11 season-opening starters gone, 15 more from that roster gone, head coach gone, and 20 coaching assistants gone, only four still here: Schotty, Lunda Wells, Steve Shimko, Ryan Feder.
Time does not stand still in this N-F-L. At least not here.
- Faceoff: Joe Milton vs. Sam Howell, one last time, 7 p.m. Friday, AT&T Stadium, for the right to become the Cowboys' backup quarterback. And who knows, come Sunday, could be for the right to be included on the 53-man roster, unless undecided. Then for sure means keeping both. Production is one thing, and certainly Milton's preseason performance against the Cardinals likely has him ahead by a nose. This has been the best he's looked since coming to the Cowboys in 2025 from New England for a seventh-round draft choice, nearly a giveaway. But then there is trust: Howell with 18 NFL starts, Milton with none, just five game appearances and only 112 snaps, half of those during the final game of the 2024 season with New England. Which guy do you trust to take the field at the drop of a hat, not necessarily to win the game but not lose it? Each likely will receive a half on Friday, and as Schottenheimer reassure, both will play. If one of them gets more than two quarters, we might have our answer.
- Say It's So, Joe: This one preseason pass, and depending on what takes place Friday night against the Saints, might gain Milton the needed trust. First-and-10 at the Cowboys' 47-yard line, 3:51 left in the first quarter, three-receiver set. Jonathan Mingo, wide left, runs a little stop-and-go, Milton hits his back foot, and the pocket begins to collapse to his left, the rookie tackle Drew Shelton struggling. Milton patiently waits. Mingo is separating, but the quarterback has a tight end wide open underneath. And instead of taking off running at the sign of trouble, Joe hangs in the pocket, head up. "I knew we had a double-move, so needed to allow him to develop the route, and I just let it go on top," Milton said. "Basically, trying to hold the safety (with his eyes) inside." Just in time, left guard Trevor Keegan lends a helping hand to Shelton, though Milton says, "I wasn't worried about (the pressure). I told the whole huddle if they hold it down, it's going to be a touchdown." And a 53-yard touchdown strike Mingo it was, even his resurgence quite noticeable.
- JB At LB: After coming back healthy and playing 22 snaps against the Cards, finishing with five tackles, one for a loss, with the second-team defense, the Cowboys once again in practice began mixing in Jaishawn Barham with the first-team defense at linebacker this week. At times, Barham has been replacing DeMarvion Overshown at inside linebacker, lining up alongside Dee Winters; at other times, he's been with Demo, Winters exiting as the Cowboys defense started off Wednesday night's practice, sending off ideas about what this coaching staff is considering heading toward the Sept. 13 season opener, finding ways to get the rookie on the field, especially for run support and blitzing. And after the Tuesday night practice, Barham spoke to the media for the first time in ages, not a man of many words, but meaningful ones. Like when asked about his physicality, saying, "That's something that I think I show, but of course there are many things I can do we are going to see as the season goes." Asked if he'll be ready to go for the season opener, Barham said, "I'm ready right now." Oh, and no smiles. But know when running into Cowboys former defensive coordinator and head coach Dave Campo at Wednesday night's practice the first guy he wanted to talk about, was, you guessed it, JB.
- Something Special: Will continue to emphasize this, but the Cowboys special teams must improve over last year, and sometimes to do so, you have to make concessions on the 53-man roster to include a couple of special teams aces who might not be making the team on sorely their positional standings. Two candidates coming to mind are safety Markquese Bell and linebacker Marist Liufau. Last year those two guys finished with 11 and 10 special teams tackles, respectively, and one of the few guys will more last year, C.J. Goodwin (18) has retired. Nice safety this Bell, same at linebacker with Liufau, but they just might be musts on special teams.
- Funny You Should Ask: So was asked out here on Wednesday if Barham's intensity, meaning in his play and eyes, a man of few words, reminds me of anyone else in Cowboys history. Well, talk about timing because that guy was at practice on Tuesday, one Jay Ratliff, the no-nonsense nose tackle who spent seven-plus years with the Cowboys (2005-13) as a seventh-round draft choice, earning four Pro Bowl seasons. In fact, the seemingly well-conditioned Ratliff, after Tuesday's practice during his first appearance here at The Star in many moons, hooked up with nose tackle Tommy Dunn, hands on chest, demonstrating to the rookie how to get an offensive lineman's hands off.
- This & That: Do not judge Caleb Downs' importance to this defense by number of interceptions, having grabbed one in Tuesday's practice in the back of the end zone, since during his three years in college, the All-America, first-round draft choice produced just two interceptions in each of those years – judge him by his coverage, run support and ability to blitz, too … See where former Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn (2023-24), released by the Cowboys in 2025 and spending that season on the Denver practice squad, has been picked up by the Texans this week … Not as fortunate for Cowboys former linebacker Damone Clark (2022-25), released last year after 11 games, who has been placed on IR with an "undisclosed" injury Lions head coach Dan Campbell said he's been dealing with for several weeks, meaning Clark is out for the season … Same fate this year for former defensive back Israel Mukuamu (2021-24), the Steelers placing him on season-ending IR … In the last couple of practices and including going 3-for-3 in the two preseason games, one from 51 yards out, Brandon Aubrey has converted 15 of 15 field goals heading into Friday night, the final of six Tuesday night indoors being one from 54 yards out with ease . . . First three guys back catching punts during the special teams drills were KaVontae Turpin, Downs and Mingo . . . Good to see undrafted rookie tight end Michael Trigg (toe) working back into practice Wednesday night.
And for today's final word, we will turn to Brian Schottenheimer, knowing that the final cuts are looming on Sunday, and there will be one more preseason game for guys in battles for a spot on the 53 can make their case in the final preseason game against the Saints, who these guys faced last week in that rather robust scrimmage in Oxnard. And when it's this close to the final cuts, really, how many spots might still be up for grabs.
"I would say, this year, some of these battles are really contested, while last year might have been a little easier process," Schottenheimer began, "not easier in terms of the emotion but I think because we were more deeper, more talented, so these decisions I think are going to be hard.
"It's part of it, so is it 12, is it 18, is it 15, so we need to have a great practice tonight, and excited about the workout, then get through a game and put together a helluva roster, I have no question about that."
Surely supporting the roster difference a year makes.
