4 Cowboys veterans who have the most to lose this summer

The weather is getting hot, a new coaching staff is getting acclimated, and players are back on the field; it must be summer. With that comes a few huge months for a few of the Dallas Cowboys veterans.

It’s usually the rookies and the superstars that get all the attention at this point, but the in-between guys are scrapping for playing time right now.

Dallas added a slew of these players during free agency, and has their fair share returning from last year. How they perform during these summer months will dictate the depth chart and the snap count in the early weeks of the 2025 campaign.

Let’s talk about four of these guys here, and what is at stake as the clock slowly ticks to Week 1.

Javonte Williams: Last Chance At RB1

At this point, there is little debate about the leader of the Cowboys’ running back room; it is Javonte Williams, the former North Carolina Tar Heel and Denver Bronco.

The front office brought Williams in on a cheap, one-year deal this offseason, and he’s going to be fighting for his NFL career these next few months.

This Cowboys veteran needs to secure the starting job by the start of the year.

Cowboys RB1 Javonte Williams last season pic.twitter.com/d1l0ooz70x

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) May 11, 2025

Fellow-signee Miles Sanders and rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah will be on his tail throughout the summer, and with his lack of production in recent seasons, it is do-or-die.

He is both young and experienced, which gives him a leg up over the rest of the depth chart. Now, it’s about proving he still has what it takes to start in the NFL.

Jonathan Mingo: Trade Teetering On Disaster

Most fans shook their heads in disbelief at the Jonathan Mingo trade the second it happened, but that reaction only solidified as his production in Dallas flatlined, and George Pickens was added to the room.

Mingo, 24, caught just five passes in eight games for the Cowboys, despite it taking a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to get him.

Why would Dallas give Carolina such a premium pick if they didn’t plan to use him?

That is a question that will remain up for debate until he actually makes something out of his Cowboys tenure. Unfortunately for Mingo, the upcoming season may be his final chance to do that.

He simply hasn’t shown enough at this level to justify a new contract, or even a roster spot, if he doesn’t make some noise this summer. He must win the WR3 battle before Week 1.

Damone Clark: Turning Potential Into Production

After falling to the Cowboys in the 2022 NFL Draft due to a spinal injury, linebacker Damone Clark’s potential earned him a lot of attention from fans.

Unfortunately, the ceiling Clark has always had hasn’t been reached.

In three seasons, the former LSU Tiger has been largely inconsistent. In limited action in his rookie year, he showed flashes, and then followed that up with a 109-tackle season in 2023. Let’s just say he didn’t exactly continue that upward trajectory last year.

struggled mightily in Mike Zimmer's scheme and paid for it with playing time ... but early signs point to Damone Clark trending upward under Matt Eberflus'. #Cowboys https://t.co/n1QjAqJq4x

— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) June 3, 2025

Clark registered a career-low 28 total tackles in 14 games, and now, he is close to being buried on the depth chart.

The Cowboys signed multiple veterans in free agency, and if he can’t beat them out, he could easily turn into a cap casualty. Jack Sanborn, Kenneth Murray, and Marist Liufau are tough competition, but he’ll need to beat them out to stay in Dallas.

Kaiir Elam: Career On The Ropes

It isn’t an exaggeration to say Kaiir Elam’s NFL career is on the line in 2025.

One of the top cornerback prospects in the 2022 draft, Elam was selected 23rd overall by the Buffalo Bills in a trade-up. In the end, he started just 12 games on defense.

Elam was a bust for the Bills, but the Cowboys are trying to turn his career around. They traded for the former Florida Gator in March, and now he has the chance to be a key player in a questionable secondary.

#Cowboys starting cornerbacks Kaiir Elam and DaRon Bland getting in some work together over the weekend at Elite Performance Training.

(📸: @FlightSkillz on IG) pic.twitter.com/IakiM7Z7xD

— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) June 3, 2025

Injuries have held back both Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland recently, and rookie Shavon Revel is dealing with an ACL tear of his own.

This has slotted Elam, despite his early struggles, solidly in competition for a starting role. If he can capitalize on it, we could see a career resurgence; if not, his brief stint in the NFL could be over.