Every NFL team faces tough decisions when trimming their roster from 90 to 53 players ahead of the regular season, and the Dallas Cowboys are no exception. With a new era under offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer—marked by an aggressive free agency and a best-player-available draft approach—sentimentality is being replaced by pragmatism.
In some cases, it doesn’t matter how a player performs in camp or preseason. Factors like salary cap space, age, injury history, and scheme fit can make certain cuts inevitable.
Here are two players the Cowboys should part ways with before the start of the 2025 season:
1. Miles Sanders: The Short-Lived Experiment
Just two months after signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys, veteran running back Miles Sanders is already on the chopping block. Once a Pro Bowler with the Eagles, Sanders has seen a sharp decline in performance since leaving Philadelphia. After signing a lucrative deal with the Panthers in 2023, he managed only 637 rushing yards—averaging just 23.6 yards per game.
Injuries haven’t helped. Multiple hamstring and knee issues over the years, combined with nearly 1,000 career carries, have taken a toll. Now at 28, Sanders appears to lack the explosiveness he once had.
With the emergence of younger backs like Javonte Williams and rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, there simply isn’t a spot for Sanders in the Cowboys’ 2025 plans.
2. Donovan Wilson: Time to Move On
Safety Donovan Wilson has been a key contributor since being drafted in the sixth round out of Texas A&M, but his time in Dallas may be nearing its end. As the Cowboys look to retool and get younger across the roster, Wilson stands out as a potential veteran cut despite his past value to the team.
While it’s never easy to move on from a long-tenured player who fought hard to earn his place, the reality is that Dallas may benefit from freeing up cap space and giving opportunities to younger, more scheme-fitting options in the secondary.
