One of the most stressful parts of the job in the Dallas Cowboys front office has finally come and gone.
Dallas brass was tasked with cutting down a 90 player roster to 53 players in one fell swoop on Tuesday.
A total of 37 players were sent to Injured Reserve or to waivers, with the hopes that many would go unclaimed.
Dallas also “released” a few vested veterans that are ineligible to be claimed by other teams with a gentlemen’s handshake that they would be signed back to the team.
This roster is one of the most talented in recent memory, specifically on defense.
As I wrote in my last article, we all needed to be prepared to lose one of our pet cats once the waiver claim report closed on Wednesday morning.
Before we dive into the results, let me just say Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones, and Will McClay performed an absolute master class in roster management.
Of the 37 players given their walking papers Tuesday afternoon, only one player was claimed by another NFL team.
Isaiah Land
The rookie undrafted free agent from Florida A&M University caught the eye of Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn since last offseason.
While scouting current Cowboy Markquese Bell last year, Quinn noticed the athleticism and potential of Land, and made sure to sign him when he went undrafted this past April.
Land, listed as a linebacker on the depth chart all offseason, rarely lined up at that position.
Instead, he spent most of his time in camp and during preseason games with his hand on the ground rushing the passer.
The traits that caught Quinn’s attention over a year ago were on full display, as Land had one of the highest pressure rates of any other player in the preseason.
Land was officially claimed by the Indianapolis Colts, and those of us who projected him to make the Cowboys’ 53 man roster will have to watch him make his mark in the AFC South.
How Could Dallas Have Kept Land?
Losing Land to the Colts stings.
We knew that we would wake up this morning expecting to be disappointed after the Cowboys were forced to waive many talented players.
Land being the only player waived who ended up on another team stings just a bit more, though.
Hindsight is always 20/20, but I can’t help but wonder which other player could have been spared to keep Land on the roster.
The first player that comes to mind is FB Hunter Luepke, who made the 53 man roster at running back behind Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle.
Luepke, like Land, is also a rookie undrafted free agent who came into camp with a dream to make the final roster.
He had a huge game in the final week of preseason, racking up 120 total yards and a touchdown in the 31-16 win over the Raiders.
That might have given Head Coach Mike McCarthy and the offensive staff the ammo needed to fight for his roster spot behind closed doors.
However, I still can’t see how a hybrid fullback carries more value than a raw and talented pass rusher.
Another move that led us to this situation is the trade for San Francisco 49ers QB Trey Lance.
Will Grier was going to be waived, and only Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush were going to be listed on the 53 man roster.
Instead, the trade for Lance forced Dallas to declare three quarterbacks on the roster, and could be the reason there was no room for Land.
Another trade also led to Land being waived.
A few days ago, Dallas Morning News Reporter Michael Gehlken reported that the Cowboys were primed to release CB Kelvin Joseph if they could not find a trade partner.
Just before the deadline yesterday, Gehlken reported that Dallas and Miami had reached an agreement to send Kelvin Joseph to the Dolphins in exchange for former first round CB Noah Igbinoghene.
Had Joseph just been released, that would have freed up a spot on the roster for Land to still be a member of the Dallas Cowboys today.
Dallas is currently in the process of signing several waived players to the practice squad, and I will have more of those details tomorrow.