3 Dallas Cowboys who made the 53-man roster but don't deserve it

The Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster is officially set. Well, not fully, as CeeDee Lamb isn't on it yet, but Lamb will be added, and the other key cuts have been made.

Carl Lawson was probably the biggest name cut by the Cowboys on Tuesday, but there were certainly some questionable decisions made by the self-proclaimed best GM Jerry Jones involving their roster.

While most of the players chosen to be on the 53-man roster deserved it, not everyone did. These three in particular stick out as those who Dallas might regret keeping around.

3. Israel Mukuamu, CB

The Cowboys were dealt a major blow in their secondary with the injury suffered by DaRon Bland. The star corner will be back sometime mid-season, and they are set to get Trevon Diggs back after he was limited to two games in 2023, but still, this was a tough one to stomach.

What that injury did mean, though, is that the Cowboys might've been able to carry another player on their secondary. That could have been the determining factor for a guy like Israel Mukuamu to make their 53-man roster. Even with the injury, though, it's tough to defend Mukuamu making the team over Kemon Hall.

I get that Hall missed their last preseason game due to injury, but are we really going to ignore this pick-six he had in Week 2 of the preseason? Hall also happened to be the Cowboys' second-best defensive player according to PFF ($) with a grade of 88.9. Mukuamu ranked fourth, but that's not second, and he also only played in two games.

Realistically, the corner Dallas should've cut in order to roster Hall was Andrew Booth Jr. who had an up-and-down preseason, but since the team just traded for him, that was never likely. Cutting Mukuamu would've been a tough blow, especially since he has played a role in Dallas in each of the last three seasons, but it feels like Hall's departure could really come back to haunt the Cowboys.

2. Matt Waletzko, OT

Once again, the Cowboys will trot out a really solid offensive line. Tyron Smith might be gone, but his replacement, Tyler Guyton, looked quite good in the preseason, and let's not forget Zack Martin still being there.

While Matt Waletzko won't start, he made the team as a backup offensive lineman. That might not be the biggest deal, but it's hard to justify him making the team over a guy like Josh Ball who dominated this preseason.

In fact, according to PFF ($), Ball was their second-highest-graded offensive lineman this preseason, only trailing Guyton in that regard. His 79.2 PFF grade was over 14 points better than Waltezko's 65.1 mark. Waletzko wasn't horrible, but Ball was excellent.

It's possible that Waletzko made the team because he's an offensive tackle and Dallas' primary backup tackle, Chuma Edoga, is injured, but that shouldn't have been the only factor that the Cowboys considered. Outside of the fact that Ball is a guard and Waletzko is a tackle, what argument is there for the latter to make the team over the former?

1. Trey Lance, QB

Hot take? Maybe, but it shouldn't be. If we're talking about players who truly deserve to make the Cowboys' 53-man roster, how can we realistically say that Trey Lance fits the bill? Again, the key word here is deserve.

He was given the chance to play virtually the entire preseason for the Cowboys and while he did flash some of his immense potential, he also showed just how raw he is. He ended his preseason with a major dud, throwing five interceptions. Two or three might be somewhat manageable in a game that saw him throw a lot, but five? That should never happen and shows how far away he truly is from being the reliable option that the San Francisco 49ers hoped he'd be.

The Cowboys were never going to cut Lance given his potential, the fact that they recently traded a real pick for him, and the fact that they'd have to take on some dead money, but them keeping him aboard means they now have to roster three quarterbacks.

Cooper Rush deserved to make the team, but chances are, the Cowboys won't need three quarterbacks this season. Rush is the clear backup, and there's a good chance Lance won't play at all in the regular season.

Jerry Jones had to do this to save face to an extent, but that doesn't mean Lance deserved to make the team. His brutal last preseason game should've been the final straw.