Dallas City News

The preseason has come to a close in Dallas, which means it’s time to start figuring out the first iteration of the 53-man roster. As the Cowboys embark on that journey, 31 other teams across the league are doing the same, which creates the possibility for teams to steal players as they get cut – or possibly even trade for them first, as has already happened – as part of the roster finalizing process. With that in mind, here are five players the Cowboys may take a look at.

Bears OT Larry Borom

The Cowboys know full well who their starting tackles will be – rookie Tyler Guyton cemented the left tackle job early on, and Terence Steele is entrenched at right tackle – but swing tackle became a question mark with Chuma Edoga’s injury. Asim Richards seems to be the most likely bet for the role, but the Cowboys could seek a more experienced option, and Larry Borom is a perfect fit.

Borom was a fifth-round pick back in 2021, and he was thrown into the fire right away, seeing work at left tackle due to injury in his NFL debut. Borom primarily worked at right tackle his first two years, though, before moving permanently to left tackle last year, starting six games for the Bears.

Heading into the final year of his rookie contract, Borom seems the odd man out. Braxton Jones will be the starting left tackle, and Darnell Wright will hold down the right tackle spot. Chicago also drafted Kiran Amegadjie in the third round. Dallas could offer a late Day 3 pick for Borom to essentially rent him for a year, immediately upgrading their offensive line depth with a young guy that has experience starting multiple games at both tackle spots.

Jets OT Max Mitchell

In the same vein, Max Mitchell from the Jets would make a lot of sense as a potential buy-low trade target. A fourth-round pick in 2022, Mitchell is a swift mover with experience on both sides of the line, making him a perfect swing tackle option. As a rookie, he exclusively played at right tackle, and even played at right guard for a game last year, but Mitchell has been working both tackle spots in the preseason this year.

The issue for Mitchell is that the Jets have made big moves to beef up their tackles lately. As Cowboys fans know, they signed Tyron Smith in free agency to man Aaron Rodgers’ blind side. They also reunited with Morgan Moses to play right tackle, and then drafted Penn State’s Olu Fashanu in the first round. Mitchell’s path to the field is looking very slim right now, which also means his potential price tag in a trade could be really low too. That sound you hear is Stephen Jones’ ears perking up.

Former Bengals OL Jackson Carman

Sensing a theme here? You can never have too much depth on the offensive line, and the Cowboys could certainly use a little bit more of it. Jackson Carman was a second-round pick out of Clemson back in 2021 and was supposed to be part of a rebuilt offensive line in Cincinnati.

A college left tackle, Carman moved to right guard as a rookie, starting six games. He held a backup role in his second season, but was called upon to start at left tackle through the team’s playoff run. But Carman fell further on the depth chart last year, seeing just 12 offensive snaps in only one game. After an uneven and often penalized preseason performance this year, the Bengals cut him on Thursday.

There is no question as to Carman’s talent, and he’s had training at every spot but center in the NFL. He just hasn’t put it all together yet, at least not well enough to earn a starting role. In Dallas, he would offer a solid insurance plan at a few different spots and, unlike Borom or Mitchell, Carman is already available to be signed.

Commanders DT Phidarian Mathis

The Cowboys are probably done making moves at the defensive tackle spot after trading for Jordan Phillips last week and signing Linval Joseph this week. But let’s say they decided they want five defensive tackles and don’t like Viliami Fehoko or rookie Justin Rogers enough to make them their fifth.

One place they could look is a player that new defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina already knows well. Phidarian Mathis was a second-round pick out of Alabama in 2022, but he’s been buried on the depth chart behind Jonathan Allen and DaRon Payne. In college, Mathis was a versatile defensive lineman who flashed solid run defense, average pass rush ability, and limited athleticism. That’s made it hard for him to break the lineup, and also made it even harder to impress new head coach Dan Quinn, who prioritizes pass rush over all else.

If that results in his release from Washington, who also drafted the highly touted Jer’Zhan Newton this year, then the Cowboys would likely take a long look at him given his history working under Zgonina.

Eagles CB James Bradberry

Saturday brought the bombshell news that cornerback DaRon Bland will miss six to eight weeks with an injury sustained earlier in training camp, leaving a gaping hole at the outside cornerback spot opposite Trevon Diggs, himself recovering from a torn ACL nearly a year ago. Rookie Caelen Carson seems the likely starter in his place, or perhaps recently acquired Andrew Booth Jr., but the Cowboys could also look for a veteran option.

One potential choice could come from within the division. James Bradberry was a very well regarded cornerback not too long ago, making the Pro Bowl in 2020 and being named a second team All Pro in 2022. He regressed in 2023 and just turned 31, which led the Eagles to draft two cornerbacks this year in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. That’s in addition to Darius Slay, Avonte Maddox, and safety/nickel hybrid CJ Gardner-Johnson, which could make Bradberry the odd man out.

If that’s the case, he would make a lot of sense in Dallas. Bradberry has a reputation as a ballhawk – last year was his first season without multiple picks since 2018 – and his coverage style would seem to be a fit in Mike Zimmer’s scheme. Of course, this wouldn’t make sense if the Cowboys are content with Carson, Booth, or even safety convert Israel Mukuamu. But if they want a more experienced option starting things out in Week 1, Bradberry makes an awful lot of sense.