Damone Clark’s time in Dallas is coming to a screeching halt. At least that’s what Pro Football Network thinks when they dropped their salary cap casualties list. Clark has had an underwhelming NFL career since being drafted in 2022.
That came to a head last season when the Dallas Cowboys brought in Eric Kendricks and drafted another linebacker. This was their sign they were beginning to push Clark out and use him as a depth piece at best.
There’s an argument to make to keep him around with DeMarvion Overshown likely to miss most of this season after a late-season knee injury. But even then, is it worth it? They could opt for an aging EDGE rusher in Matthew Judon or even Za’Darius Smith, who are far more proven than Clark.
Jerry Jones can’t carry Damone Clark on the 53-man roster this year, there’s nothing left to prove
The numbers are staggering for Clark in his NFL career. In his three seasons, he’s been largely useless for two of them. The only year he had a strong season, 2023, he didn’t record a sack, interception or forced a fumble and had just one fumble recovery.
Clark might be a depth player, but even when he’s on the field, he’s just a body. The Cowboys can’t afford to bring that into the season, regardless of their depth issues. They could easily turn to an unsigned veteran at worst to get depth.
Micah Parsons needs help on defense and the linebacker room has been underperforming since Leighton Vander Esch announced his retirement. The Cowboys have been retooling to get that side of the ball back good again and have failed. Add Clark to that list.
At this point, there’s nothing else Clark can do to prove he deserves a spot. According to Pro Football Network, Clark played less than 15 percent of defensive snaps last year. That tells you everything you need to know about why Dallas has no reason to bring him on the 53-man roster.