With all the NFL Draft coverage going around, I thought it would be a good time to dive into players that if the Cowboys draft well could see the exit sign when the 2025 season comes to an end if they don’t perform well.
Some guys I will leave off this list will be in the same boat as these guys, but I am adding players based on what this current roster looks like, and they have a golden opportunity to make a case for playing time this season.
If they can’t figure out now, they won’t be on the Cowboys roster once next offseason hits.
Malik Davis
How about we start with a guy that most probably forgot about. Back in January, Dallas signed Davis to a reserve/future contract.
Davis spent the entire 2024 regular season on the Cowboys’ practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster at the end of training camp in late August.
The Cowboys RB room now consists of Miles Sanders, Javonte Williams, Deuce Vaughn, and Malik Davis.
I haven't been this excited about a Cowboys running back group since they had Rico Dowdle, Ezekiel Elliott, Royce Freeman, and Dalvin Cook.
— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) March 14, 2025
He wasn’t elevated to the active roster for a single game, but he’ll stick around in Dallas and participate in offseason training programs to compete for a roster spot for the 2025 campaign.
Davis has a golden chance to do something in camp and make the roster this season. I mean, it is funny that we talked about him LAST offseason having this same look as to how bad the running back room is.
Javontae Williams and Miles Sanders are the two starting running backs on the depth chart.
Dallas will draft a guy, but if they don’t land one of the top three backs starting next week in the NFL Draft, Davis has a good of a chance as anyone as making his case for RB3 or he will spend him last year on the outside looking in.
Ryan Flournoy
We have to call it like it is, if the Dallas Cowboys draft a wide receiver, Ryan Flournoy might need to have a breakout camp to maybe even survive this offseason!
Flournoy played just 13.32% of the offensive snaps in 2024. With Brandin Cooks gone, yes, he moves up a spot, but players like Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks, Jonathan Mingo, and KaVontae Turpin all moved up on the depth chart as well.
I like all the names mentioned above ahead of Flournoy. You may not agree with me, and I hate trading for Jonathan Brooks, but right now he is better than Flournoy.
The Cowboys current WR options after CeeDee Lamb.
– Jalen Tolbert
– Jonathan Mingo
– KaVontae Turpin
– Ryan Flournoy
– Jalen Brooks
– Parris Campbell pic.twitter.com/EW0Ohn4jti— Michael Fabiano (@Michael_Fabiano) March 21, 2025
I think whomever they draft will jump him in the depth chart, so it might be a make or break it summer for Flournoy, he may be seeing the exit sign after the 2025 season if he doesn’t ball out.
Buddy Johnson
The Dallas Cowboys line backing core is taking a hit this season with Overshown out for the entire year.
Liufau, Clark, Buddy Johnson, Kenneth Murray Jr. who they traded for this offseason, and then Jack Sanborn, who I actually think was their second-best offseason signing behind Dante Fowler.
On October 24, 2023, Johnson was signed to the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract on January 15, 2024.
As of now, he is just a roster body. I don’t think he is going to even make it out of this offseason.
I know they are thin at linebacker, but Johnson seems like the odd one out when it comes to who makes the final 53 at LB.
The #Cowboys have completed the process of hiring Matt Eberflus as the defensive coordinator, serving under head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Eberflus was most recently head coach of the Bears. He also was #Cowboys linebackers coach and passing game coordinator on Jason Garrett’s…
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) January 28, 2025
I could be completely wrong about every single one of these. After looking at the depth chart and the contracts of all the guys, these are the three that jump off the screen once you pull it up.
We will see how the draft goes, and then we can revisit this at the end of next week.