As news of roster cuts is rolling in from all over the NFL, you may be shocked by some of the names popping up as released or waived by the Cowboys. But before you worry that Dallas would dare go into Week One without a kicker or a backup quarterback, rest assured that some of these players aren’t really gone.
A key element in these moves is the rule that allows teams to recall players from injured reserve during the season. For a player to be eligible to return, he must be on the team’s initial 53-man roster as of today’s deadline.
That’s why players who stand to miss several regular-season games, such as OT Tyron Smith or WR James Washington, have not yet been placed on IR. They will be carried through the deadline on the 53-man roster but soon hit the reserve list, likely within the next 24 hours.
To facilitate this move, Dallas has had to cut some players whom they have no intention of going without this season. These are guys who weren’t subject to waivers and likely have handshake deals with the front office to not sign elsewhere, confident that they’ll resume their jobs with the Cowboys shortly.
QB Cooper Rush, K Brett Maher, LS Jake McQuaide, and special teams ace C.J. Goodwin are among the veterans who’ve been released today but won’t be gone long. Their temporary absences will allow for Smith, Washington, and others such as DT John Ridgeway or CB Kelvin Joseph to be moved to IR with the hope of still playing in 2022.
Will Grier is another who was cut but could soon return, though he’s still subject to the waiver wire with less than four accrued seasons. If he clears waivers then Grier may be QB3 on the roster or should at least have a spot on the practice squad.
Further complicating matters, potentially, are the relaxed modern rules for calling players up from the practice squad. Some players may spend Week One in that capacity and not get added to the official roster until Week 2, keeping their contracts from being fully guaranteed this season.
Given his shaky history and relatively unsecured role with the team, Brett Maher may be facing just that in the coming weeks.
Clearly, today’s news is only the first wave of transactions and some of them are only technicalities. The Cowboys aren’t going to host the Buccaneers without a kicker, long snapper, or backup quarterback; the real 53-man roster may not be realized until later this week.
That’s why our most recent roster projection was not about today, but rather who we expected to be on the team for Week One. Be sure to check that out for a much better idea of who the Cowboys will be working with this season.
