The Dallas Cowboys approach training camp with high expectations and a clear mandate to win. Last season was a disaster for several reasons. Obviously Dak Prescott was hurt, but Dallas was also severely hampered on the O-line and in the running back room. The defense, once stout, felt awfully beatable. This just was not a very good team all around, which contributed to the 7-10 record.
Jerry Jones has been far more active and intentional with his roster choices this offseason. We don't ever need to "hand it to Jerry Jones," but the George Pickens trade was a brilliant buy-low maneuver. The running back room, while still lacking compared to the golden years of Ezekiel Elliott or Tony Pollard, at least has a compelling balance of experience and youth.
But as always, training camp will bring about the roster crunch. Only 53 players can survive until the regular season and there is always a couple cuts that make you go... 'Oh?' This year, it's hard not to look at newcomer Payton Turner as a potential casualty of the Cowboys' improved depth across the board.
Payton Turner might not make it to the regular season on the Cowboys roster
Turner inked a one-year, $3 million contract with Dallas this summer after four years with the New Orleans Saints. He got $2 million guaranteed. On the surface, it's a minute amount of money to invest in a former first-round pick. And yet, the label of "former first-round pick" almost always signals disappointment. Typically we have something else to call good players after four years. Turner, after all this time, is still defined more by where New Orleans drafted him than what he has accomplished on the field.
Through four NFL campaigns, Turner has zero starts under his belt. He has dealt with nagging lower-leg injuries every season, but even more catastrophic has been his general lack of production. Last season was by far his best yet. He appeared in 16 games, logging 21 tackles and 2.0 sacks, with a couple forced fumbles for good measure. That was enough to catch Dallas' attention.
Jones has always built his rosters strong in the trenches, but the Cowboys went away from that in 2024. The offensive line was the primary source of consternation among fans, but Dallas' pass rush paled in comparison to past years as well — especially in games Micah Parsons missed.
It should look better this season. Dante Fowler arrives after putting up 10.5 sacks in DC last season. Turner, in theory, is another pass-rusher with pedigree and upside. Still 26 years old, it's not like the book is written on Turner's career. But as things sit, it may very well be written on his Cowboys tenure, even though it has barely even started.
Dallas has too many options on the defensive line
The Cowboys will need to undergo tough cuts before the regular season. The defensive line is much deeper than it was a year ago. In addition to the Fowler signing, Dallas went out and spent a second-round pick on defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku. Not to mention seventh-round picks Jay Toia and Tommy Akingbesote at tackle.
There is just limited space for Turner, who has a longer track record and thus far less intrigue than some of the names he will compete with for a roster spot. After four years of failing to break through in New Orleans, it's harder to make the upside argument for Turner with a straight face. That's not to say it doesn't exist — again, he's only 26 — but we need to see it before we believe it. With rookies and second-year options, like Marshawn Kneeland, there is a bit more mystery. It's easy to sell a front office on mystery and "untapped" potential.
So yeah, Turner is on the roster bubble, and he could join a long list of surprising cut candidates in Dallas. With so much pressure to get back in the green, here's to hoping Jerry Jones can make the right decisions.