Cowboys released Dontari Poe due to weight and play

The Dallas Cowboys parted ways with their offseason acquisition, and it had nothing to do with trying to tank the season.

At the start of the 2020 league year, most pundits believed that the Dallas Cowboys were going to make some noise this season, all thanks to their offseason moves. One of their additions was defensive tackle Dontari Poe. After a 2-5 start to their campaign, reports indicated that the Cowboys were trying to shop the interior defensive lineman to other teams, but they opted to release him on Wednesday. Why would they do so? Well, owner Jerry Jones has the answer for you.

Jones told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen on Wednesday that he opted to release Poe just seven games into his tenure due to weight issues and his lack of production on the field.

“When you’re 30 pounds overweight and you’re not doing anything about what’s keeping you from performing well on the field, there is no reason to get into the other stuff,” Jones said, via ESPN.

Jones feels he wasn’t getting the most out of his investment

Jones was confident that Poe would be a welcome addition to the Cowboys defensive line, as he signed him to a two-year, $8.5 million contract, where he was guaranteed $3.5 million. Poe didn’t live up to his end of the bargain, as he tallied just seven tackles in as many games (253 defensive snaps).

The Cowboys invested heavily on the defense this year. The team signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen and cornerback Daryl Worley to one-year contracts. This was expected to give Dallas’ defense a much-needed boost, especially since the team lost edge rusher Robert Quinn in free agency to the Chicago Bears. That failed to transpire.

McCoy never even logged a snap with the Cowboys, as he tore his ACL at the start of training camp, before being released with an injury designation. Griffen was shipped off to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a conditional 2021 sixth-round draft pick on Tuesday. Worley was shown the door alongside Poe on Wednesday.

Jones, like his fans, had such high hopes for the Cowboys this season. He had a great free agency and one of the better draft classes this year. All Jones has to show for it is a 2-5 record and endless jokes at his expense. Jones used Poe as a bit of an example for the rest of his players. If you’re not producing on the field or putting in effort in the weight room, he won’t hesitate to hand you your walking papers.