If you’ve looked at the Dallas Cowboys depth chart recently, you know the main cut candidates: Donovan Wilson, Damone Clark, Miles Sanders, etc. However, two notable names, Terence Steele and Sam Williams, might soon be added to that list.
You often don’t expect a talented young player, and in Steele’s case, a highly paid one, to be in danger of losing their spot this quickly, but it could happen.
For all the Cowboys’ offseason transgressions, if you look deep, they have started to stockpile talent in the trenches. I’m not just talking about drafting Tyler Booker either; this was clearly an organizational priority in free agency and late in the draft.
The Cowboys are reeeeeally trying to build in the trenches.
Kick everyone's ass. Awesome. https://t.co/Vrf573Elj0
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) April 26, 2025
It’s great news for the future of the team and Dallas’ fanbase, but it has also positioned Steele and Williams in a roster crunch.
For the first time in their careers, they are surrounded by talented players at their exact positions, and they’ll have to fight them off this summer.
Let’s talk about each of them, who is chasing them down, and what it could mean for the future.
Terence Steele: Big Money, Big Competition
Despite being the third-highest cap hit on the entire roster, at just over $18M, Steele could have serious competition at right tackle in 2025.
Most fans have felt frustrated with his performance in recent years as he has recovered from a torn ACL. We saw some positive steps last season, but for his contract, it’s fair to say he hasn’t fully lived up to the price tag.
According to Pro Football Focus, Steele was below average in pass blocking in 2024, tallied seven penalties, and allowed nine sacks. That isn’t cutting it.
Dallas also has guys like Asim Richards, who was significantly better in pass protection last year, and sixth-round rookie Ajani Cornelius, who many have touted as a great value pick by the front office.
Asim Richards should get a fair shot at being the starting LT.
Chuma Edoga has been quality depth.
— Dominic White (@DomWWhite) January 5, 2025
It could be too early for a guy like Cornelius to jump that high on the Cowboys depth chart, but Richards, 24, is entering his third season and would cost a crazy amount less.
They might feel like it’s too early to quit on Steele, a good run blocker who could improve his pass-blocking struggles, but he’s also turning 28 in June. Moving off his massive contract now could save them a lot of pain over the next few years.
If Richards shines in camp, they could move on as a post-June 1st cut and start a new era away from Terence Steele.
Sam Williams: All Out Of Chances?
It has been a wild ride for Sam Williams in Dallas, and it may be coming to an end this summer.
The Cowboys’ second-round pick in 2022, Williams led the defense in penalties in 2023, was arrested and suspended, and then was injured for an entire season. Now, he hasn’t played in two years, when he recorded 4.5 sacks in 17 games played.
In short, it hasn’t been a great start. Whenever it seems like it is finally his time, a shoe drops that hurts his chances at playing time.
With a new season on the horizon, his chances at making the roster are in doubt.
#Cowboys now have Micah Parsons, Dante Fowler Jr. and Donovan Ezeiruaku to rush off the edge.
Some clips: pic.twitter.com/6T0mi6BjJ9 https://t.co/gO0fkDoH6m
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) April 26, 2025
Remember how I said Dallas was focused on the trenches? That is no more true than on the defensive line; they have added nearly ten defensive linemen since Williams last played in 2023, including a pair of second-round edge rushers.
Donovan Ezeiruaku and Marshawn Kneeland rank ahead of him on the Cowboys depth chart, and veterans Dante Fowler and Payton Turner are also competing for snaps.
Is there room for Sam Williams, who has shown discipline problems on and off the field, and is now trying to come back from a serious knee injury? I don’t think so. It may upset fans who love his potential, but this experiment seems like a failure.
