With training camp right around the corner, the time for NFL jobs to be won and lost is almost here. For the Cowboys players teetering on the edge of the active roster, the next few weeks are their last chance to prove they belong at AT&T Stadium on game day. These three players could find themselves out of a job if they can't convince Dallas' front office to keep them around in Oxnard:
3 cut candidates on Cowboys roster bubble:
Trysten Hill
Of all the players heading to Oxnard for Cowboys training camp, Trysten Hill might be the one most in danger of losing his job. Hill hasn't found a foothold in Dallas since the Cowboys drafted him in the second round of the 2019 draft. Despite a general lack of production from Hill, the Cowboys' interior defensive line has thin enough as a position group for him to hang around in a backup role. After the emergence of Osa Odighizuwa as a quality piece in 2021 and the return of Neville Gallimore from injury towards the end of last year, those days may be coming to an end.
Defensive tackle is one of the Cowboys' weakest positions going into this season. It's possible that Hill will have to be overtaken on the depth chart by the likes of John Ridgeway and Quinton Bohanna in training camp for Dallas to get serious about cutting Hill. The other factor that could affect Hill's standing on the team is the possibility of the Cowboys adding another defensive tackle in free agency during the waning weeks of the offseason. If the Cowboys land a player like Ndamukong Suh or Sheldon Richardson over the next few weeks, Hill could find himself on the chopping block.
C.J. Goodwin
Cornerback isn't the first position group most people think of when considering the Cowboys' deepest positions, but C.J. Goodwin hasn't played a true cornerback's role for some time. Goodwin didn't play a single defensive snap a season ago and was relegated entirely to Dallas' special teams unit. With Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis comfortably positioned at the top of the Cowboys' depth chart and Kelvin Joseph poised to play a bigger role in Dallas' secondary in 2022, there doesn't appear to be any more defensive playing time available to Goodwin this season.
The Cowboys can free up $1.5 million in cap room by cutting Goodwin. If the coaching staff becomes convinced that one of the rookies, or another cheaper player, can can play Goodwin's special teams role better than he can , Goodwin may be on his way out.
Connor McGovern
Dallas got better on the offensive line than they did at any other position simply by using their first-round pick to acquire Tulsa combo lineman Tyler Smith. Smith played both guard and tackle during his tenure in Tulsa, so Dallas has options when it comes to how they use him in his rookie season. The Cowboys could place him in a backup role by make him a swing tackle, or they could just let him play behind Connor McGovern far a while as the backup left guard. They could also throw Smith into the deep end and make him a starter from day one. If the Cowboys choose that route, McGovern would be a candidate to be cut.
McGovern's departure wouldn't just depend on Smith's ability to replace him as a starter. The Cowboys would also have too feel comfortable with the likes of Matt Farniok and Isaac Alarcon playing backup roles if they want to send McGovern packing. McGovern would be one of the team's more profitable cuts from a cap savings perspective. The Cowboys stand to save over $2.5 million by cutting McGovern.
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