June 1st Cuts Can Help Dallas Find Defensive Help

I think June 1st could open a few doors for the Cowboys. I’m just hoping the front office is paying attention.

This is the time of year when front offices around the league start looking at contracts that have become handcuffs. A player may still be good, but if the money doesn’t match the production, teams start sharpening the pencil.

I’ve found a few players who could be vulnerable to that pencil’s eraser, and the Cowboys should be watching the defensive side of that list hard.

The next five names are names I’ve highlighted that have contract structures worth monitoring when cut day gets here.

1. Dorance Armstrong Jr., EDGE, Commanders

This one makes too much sense to me to not talk about.

Dorance Armstrong is a player the Commanders could cut ties with to save some cap space. For Dallas, this would not be some mystery evaluation because the Cowboys know exactly who Armstrong is.

They drafted him, and watched him grow into a dependable pass rusher.

I’m not saying Dorance Armstrong is some game-wrecking superstar, but he’s an edge defender who can give good snaps, set the edge, chase quarterbacks, and fit into a rotation without needing the whole defense built around him.

The NFC East part gives it extra spice, too. Bringing back a former Cowboy from Washington would get some attention, but the football part is what sells it. Dallas needs waves of pressure and Armstrong brings another wave.

2. Uchenna Nwosu, EDGE/LB, Seahawks

Uchenna Nwosu is the kind of name that doesn’t scream headline, but fits the job description.

Seattle’s roster lists Nwosu as a linebacker, and shows him at 6’2, 265 pounds with nine years of experience. He is credited with seven sacks during the Seahawks’ 2025 season.

That’s the kind of veteran pass rusher I would love to see Dallas pick up if the money doesn’t get weird.

Nwosu isn’t a luxury piece, but he is insurance. He’s the type of player I feel would keep the Cowboys from putting too much stress on the same pass rushers every week.

You can never have enough guys who can heat up the pocket, especially in a conference where every playoff road seems to run through quarterbacks who can make you pay if they get comfortable.

3. Jaylon Johnson, CB, Bears

Now this one is a big swing on my part.

I don’t think this would be a normal, easy, “yeah, that guy is probably getting cut” situation. Good corners don’t grow on trees, and teams don’t usually toss them aside unless the money, injuries, or roster distraction force the conversation.

But if he became available, crazier things have happened, I would want Dallas to at least take a look.

The Cowboys have some talent at corner, and they have youth. DaRon Bland, Shavon Revel, Cobie Durant, just to name a few, give the Cowboys some upside. But cornerback is one of those positions where depth disappears quickly.

Jaylon Johnson would be the ceiling play. He would be expensive, but it would be worth the cost.

4. Malik Harrison, LB, Steelers

This is the least flashy name on the list, and that may be why I like it.

This wouldn’t be a move made for jersey sales, this would be a move for a football player. It would be a move made because Dallas needs linebacker depth with proven linebackers.

The Cowboys have been trying to build a younger, faster linebacker room, and I like that direction, but youth alone does not get you through a season. You still need veterans who can handle dirty work, and those ugly December games where no one is fresh.

Malik Harrison is the kind of linebacker addition that wouldn’t shake the league, but it could help the Cowboys win on the margins.

Harrison has 215 career tackles in his six-year career.

Not every move needs a parade. Some of them just need to make sense.

5. Donte Jackson, CB, Chargers

Donte Jackson is the depth corner name I would keep circled as a possible June 1st Cut.

He’s definitely not the splash Jaylon Johnson would be, but he may be a more realistic target if the Chargers move on.

Sometimes the right move is adding a veteran corner who can compete, cover, and keep the secondary from getting thin.

That is what Jackson represents.

For the Cowboys, this would be more about the floor than the ceiling. If Bland is healthy, Revel takes the next step, and Cobie Durant being a steady contributor, Dallas may feel good at the top.

The thing I’ve realized is the NFL doesn’t care how good your plan looks. By October, you need bodies who can play.

In 2025, Jackson only allowed a 42.9% completion percentage and a 56.8 quarterback rating when targeted.

I know that type of production would raise the floor.

For a Cowboys team trying to turn a historically bad defense into a middle of the ground unit, the front office has to keep an eye out for defensive help.

One June 1st defensive addition could be the kind of move folks barely notice in June, but then appreciate it a lot more in December.