Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Dallas Cowboys enter OTAs with a revamped defense and several offensive backups aiming to secure roster spots.
- With key roles up for grabs, a few players could emerge as surprise contributors this offseason.
- The next few weeks will determine whether these candidates can turn potential into playing time in 2026.
The Dallas Cowboys enter OTAs in an interesting spot. After a disappointing 2025 season in which the offense soared and the defense consistently let the team down despite that, this year's Cowboys roster looks much different on the defensive side. Dallas drafted five rookies on that end, and added five other potential starters via trade or free agency.
I say that as a way of saying that anything can happen as far as roster battles on defense. I'll highlight one in particular below that features someone already on the roster who might surprisingly beat out new additions, but what's more interesting is how a handful of offensive backups have a chance to break through at OTAs.
LB Shemar James
The extensive changes to the Cowboys defense this year should put most returning backup players at a disadvantage when it comes to making the final roster, but linebacker Shemar James has a great shot to overcome that and play a key role in 2026.
The 2025 fifth-round pick wasn't overly impressive as a rookie, but he did show he could be a reliable tackler, racking 91 combined tackles despite playing just under 60 percent of defensive snaps for the Cowboys.
Mentioning James under this headline is probably cheating because he wasn't going to be left off this roster, but with the additions the team has at linebacker, he easily could see his role reduced and would wind up playing more special teams. He has a chance this offseason to prove he's ready for a breakout campaign and that no matter who the new faces around him are, the Cowboys will have to get him out on the field as much as possible.
WR Traeshon Holden
Arguably no team in the NFL has a better one-two punch at wide receiver than Dallas has with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, but behind those two, the team has a whole bunch of dudes fighting for the other receiver spots. One name not getting mentioned enough? Traeshon Holden.
Holden is back for his second camp with the Cowboys. He didn't make the active roster last season, but the fact that he's back for another year should be viewed as a positive. Also a positive: that Holden is a big-bodied receiver who excels as a blocker. That could translate into some usefulness down in the red zone.
You know exactly what you're getting with current backup receivers like Jonathan Mingo and Marquez Valdes-Scantlng. Holden is still a bit of a mystery, and Cowboys fans seem to be pretty high on him entering OTAs. If he can show he can produce on special teams as well, then he can sneak on to this roster.
TE Michael Trigg
Jake Ferguson is locked in as the starting tight end in Dallas and the team isn't going to give up on 2023 second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker yet, but the No. 3 tight end role feels like it's ripe for the taking, and UDFA Michael Trigg has as good a shot as anyone at earning the role.
Trigg had a combined 1,089 yards and nine touchdowns over his final two seasons at Baylor. While his collegiate career was slow to get going, he showed over the past two seasons that he could be a viable weapon in the passing game.
The real question mark with Trigg is whether he can refine his blocking ability. He has the athleticism to be an NFL player at the position, but he has to show he's well-rounded enough to contribute even when the ball isn't heading his direction.
QB Sam Howell
Maybe calling Sam Howell a "breakout candidate" is going too far, but I do think he has a very, very good shot to unseat incumbent backup quarterback Joe Milton III.
Dallas traded for Milton last offseason as part of a seemingly never-ending quest to find a backup for Dak Prescott, but the Milton we saw was definitely not the Milton we saw as a rookie in New England. Granted, these are all snaps as a backup, but Milton's numbers took a dip:
Completion Percentage | Passing Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 75.9 | 241 | 1 | 0 |
2025 | 62.5 | 183 | 1 | 2 |
Howell didn't take an NFL snap in 2025, spending the season on the Eagles' bench. In 2023, he led the NFL in pass attempts in his lone year as a starter, but also tossed a league-worst 21 interceptions.
So, neither of these options seem great, right? But the one thing working in Howell's favor is that he has experience as a starter, and that's something Dallas would probably like to have if Prescott goes down. Howell feels like he can be a version of Cooper Rush if that's what the Cowboys need, and I don't think Milton is going to provide that same kind of thing.
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