The Dallas Cowboys didn’t reach the playoffs last season. Yet, considering Dak Prescott was only available for eight games, they get a bit of a pass, but ownership didn’t see things that way, leading to the dismissal of head coach Mike McCarthy.
Now, in the first season of the Brian Schottenheimer era, the Cowboys have missed the playoffs again. Though, this time Schottenheimer is expected to keep his job.
However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be several other personnel changes. Some could even include the departure of a pair of high-priced Pro Bowl defenders.
Specifically, ESPN’s Dan Graziano suggests the Cowboys could cut cornerback Trevon Diggs and/or defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
“There could be a lot of changes on that side of the ball, where cornerback Trevon Diggs is coming off a disappointing season and has no guaranteed money left on his contract. Dallas would save about $12.5 million against its 2026 cap if it cut Diggs and another $21.5 million by releasing defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who was a big part of the return in the Micah Parsons trade but might now be expendable since the team has Quinnen Williams.”
ESPN on Dallas Cowboys cap situation
The Cowboys did prioritize getting Clark back in the Parsons trade. Yet, they also didn’t know they’d later be adding All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Of course, the Cowboys also got two first-round picks back from the Packers in exchange for Parsons too. One of which was later sent to the New York Jets in exchange for Williams.
While Diggs and Clark are both former Pro Bowl players, those cap savings could be spread around throughout the defense in an effort to improve a unit ranked 31st in points allowed. Clearly, the Cowboys have to try something different to shake up their defense.
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