Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Dallas Cowboys begin mandatory OTAs on June 1 with roster changes expected after a strong offseason.
- Five players face uncertain futures as new additions and improved depth create stiff competition.
- Each man's performance this summer will determine whether he remains part of the team's plans for the season.
The Dallas Cowboys seemingly got the message that they weren't nearly good enough last season. Jerry Jones has largely avoided doing anything foolish, and the Cowboys have emerged as one of the winners of the offseason as a result. But winning the offseason only means so much. At the end of the day, Dallas needs it to coalesce on the field, which starts fully with mandatory OTAs, set to begin on June 1. And those offseason workouts could very well be the beginning of the end for several notable Cowboys players.
With the stellar offseason additions that the Jones family made in Dallas, in addition to a new defensive outlook with coordinator Christian Parker, there are going to be roster changes. That means some familiar Cowboys will be pushed out, and these five players stand out as the likeliest candidates (for now) to end up on the wrong side of the
WR Jonathan Mingo
Sorry to bring up the painful reminder that Jerry Jones traded a fourth-round pick to the Panthers for Jonathan Mingo (and a seventh-rounder), but it is a thing that happened. And not shockingly given the state of the receiver's stock when the Cowboys made the trade, he's not done much since joining this offense. To put a point on it, he has six catches for 71 yards (on just 21 targets) with Dallas.
Just given that lack of usage and production, it's not a stretch to say that the Cowboys don't seem entirely committed to Mingo in any capacity. But why he comes into the forefront at OTAs now is that he might not even be a depth piece that this offense needs any longer with how things have shaken out in the receiver room.
The top three in the Cowboys receiving corps are set with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and near-breakout Ryan Flournoy. Meanwhile, KaVontae Turpin almost surely isn't going anywhere given his return abilities. Then we get to the job Mingo is fighting for, as he'll be competing with newcomers Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Tyler Johnson and even seventh-round rookie Anthony Smith.
Point blank, we've seen MVS and even Johnson be more productive in their NFL careers than Mingo has been to this point, and Smith is obviously someone that intrigued the Cowboys. That could force a roster crunch at receiver, and Mingo could be the odd man out if he doesn't start to show more signs of elevating his performance this offseason, which begins at OTAs.
S Markquese Bell
Markquese Bell emerged in year two with the Cowboys as someone who could best be identified as an unexpected surprise. The hybrid safety graded out as a Top 20 player at the position in the 2023 season, and the arrow seemed to be pointing up for a diamond in the rough that Dallas had unearthed. Unfortunately, we simply haven't seen Bell be able to return to that form — and it's really not even been close.
This past season, PFF graded Bell as the fifth-worst safety in the NFL last year among 91 qualifying players. Whether it was in coverage or playing up in the box against the run, he was below average almost across the board in the metrics they look at. And now, with the way that the Cowboys have addressed the secondary this offseason, Bell's roster spot is in jeopardy.
Caleb Downs is the obvious headliner for the Cowboys' defensive back additions, but let's not forget that Dallas (finally) fully addressed the safety room in free agency, signing both Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke in free agency as well. That, in itself, puts Bell in a tough position as there's far more competition at the position than there has been in recent years.
The other factor to consider is that Bell isn't the most seamless fit in Parker's defensive scheme based on what we saw in his previous stops. With all of that coming together, Bell is going to need to flash some of his 2023 form while also making progress if he wants to keep his spot on the roster given all of the competition around him now.
LB Marist Liufau
A third-round pick in 2024, there are a number of Cowboys fans who will quickly say that Marist Liufau is the most frustrating player on the roster. While he only played 200 snaps for Dallas this past season, the fact of the matter is that was because he was a liability more often than not when he was on the field.
Liufau is a fine enough run defender, though I don't think anyone would say he's even close to being above average in that department, but he's an absolute eyesore in coverage. Time and again, we saw opposing offenses pick on him whenever he was forced to drop back into the middle of the field, and the Cowboys linebacker lost that battle more often than not. And that brings us to his standing coming into OTAs now.
Not only is Liufau not a natural fit for a 3-4 defense based on what he's done in his first two NFL seasons, but this is now a Cowboys defense that has improved the depth on the edge, most notably with Malachi Lawrence and Rashan Gary entering the fray, but they also landed Dee Winters via trade and drafted Jaishawn Barham (who has a ton of fans in the building and outside it, as well) in the third round.
When you take that and combine it with the upside of Shemar James and a hopefully fully healthy DeMarvion Overshown this year, the space for Liufau on the roster is starting to look limited already. If he doesn't show a stark turnaround, he could end up somewhere other than Dallas this season.
OT Ajani Cornelius
The Cowboys have never been shy about adding to their offensive line depth in the later rounds of the draft. They did so in 2024 with Nate Thomas, did it again in 2025 with Ajani Cornelius, and have now done it again in the 2026 draft with fourth-round pick Drew Shelton. However, with the way things seem to be shaking out for this group, it might be Cornelius who gets left on the outside looking in.
Even as a prospect, there was concern about Cornelius being able to stick at tackle in the NFL. But with the investment that Dallas has made in recent years on the interior of the offensive line, there's really not room for him to slot inside either. That likely leaves him competing this offseason with the aforementioned Thomas and Shelton for a swing tackle role or for a versatile depth spot.
The problem that arises there is that Cornelius might actually be starting OTAs and these offseason workouts behind the 8-ball. Thomas actually played 342 snaps for the Cowboys last season, the only tackle besides Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele to see the field that are still on the roster. That gives him a leg up already, but then you factor in Shelton, who the team spoke glowingly about after selecting him in this April's draft.
Maybe Cornelius is able to carve out a backup role for himself, but the chips do appear stacked against him to some degree in doing that.
CB Caelen Carson
Returning to the focus on the secondary this offseason, there are plenty of Cowboys fans who wish that the franchise would've done more at cornerback. However, Cobie Durant is a solid addition, Downs is one of the most versatile DBs in the draft class and will likely play often in the nickel, fourth-round rookie Devin Moore is oozing with talent, and the hope is that Dallas will get fully healthy versions of high-upside incumbents DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel Jr.
That puts Caelen Carson in a weird spot. A fifth-round pick in 2024, Carson was a depth and role player last season, getting on the field for 211 defensive snaps on the year. Unfortunately, his coverage ability wasn't anything to write home about, even if he was a plus run defender. He was sub-average at his primary role of trying to defend against the opposing passing attack.
With the reshaping of this secondary, though, that puts a ton of pressure on Carson. He obviously wasn't highly touted as a draft prospect, and newcomers to this roster put him in a position where he could be replaced. While there are other players on the roster like Reddy Steward and Corey Ballentine who will be fighting right alongside Carson, it's safe to say that Carson is undeniably in a battle for his roster spot.
Especially if Christian Parker and the Cowboys coaching staff can tap into Moore's potential immediately, it could very well leave Carson on the wrong side of roster cuts when we get to that point before the start of the season.
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