The Dallas Cowboys finalized their 53-man roster Tuesday, cutting two players selected in the 2026 draft and trading away a swing tackle acquired for depth insurance. The moves—routine in timing, less so in composition—signal tighter margins under the salary cap and a front office willing to admit recent draft misses faster than league average.
The team waived sixth-round offensive lineman Garrett Hayes and seventh-round linebacker Jordan Mitchell, both selected five months ago. Swing tackle Matt Farniok, a 2022 sixth-rounder re-signed in March on a one-year, $1.2 million deal, was traded to an undisclosed team for a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick. The Cowboys also placed cornerback Nahshon Wright and defensive end Chauncey Golston on injured reserve, opening two additional roster spots that were filled by waiver claims still processing league-wide.
Cutting recent draft picks this early carries reputational cost but little cap friction. Hayes and Mitchell were making rookie minimum salaries—roughly $800,000 each—and their dead money charges vanish with the waiver. The optics matter more: Dallas spent two late-round picks on players who couldn't survive four months. That's not unusual league-wide—late-round hit rates hover near 15 percent—but it compounds a Cowboys draft narrative that's been underwater since 2022. The team's last three classes have produced one full-time starter (tight end Luke Schoonmaker, second round, 2023) and a rotation piece (defensive tackle Mazi Smith, first round, 2023). Compare that to division rival Philadelphia, whose 2023-2025 classes have five current starters.
The Farniok trade is cleaner arithmetic. He was depth behind starting tackles Tyler Smith and Terence Steele, and the Cowboys have been running a heavier tight-end personnel package this preseason that reduces swing tackle snaps. Moving him for a late pick clears $1.2 million in cap space the team can roll into 2027 negotiations with quarterback Dak Prescott, who enters the final year of his current deal next March. Prescott's camp is expected to seek north of $60 million annually, and every million saved now is leverage then.
The injured reserve placements are temporary relief. Wright and Golston can return after four games if healthy, but both were fringe roster pieces competing for special teams roles. Their absence doesn't shift the defensive rotation, but it does leave Dallas thin at cornerback if starter Trevon Diggs or DaRon Bland misses time. The team worked out free agent corner Kendall Fuller last week but did not extend an offer, suggesting confidence in undrafted rookie Eric Scott as the sixth defensive back.
What matters for operators: Dallas is optimizing for 2027 cap flexibility at the expense of 2026 depth. That's rational if you believe the current roster is a win-now group, but it's a narrow window. Prescott turns 34 next summer, and edge rusher Micah Parsons will command a defensive record contract—likely $30 million-plus per year—before the 2027 season. The Cowboys have $12 million in effective cap space right now, among the lowest in the league. Moving Farniok and waiving Hayes and Mitchell buys roughly $2 million more breathing room, most of which will be consumed by practice squad elevations and in-season injury replacements.
The franchise has now cut or traded nine players from its last four draft classes before their rookie contracts expired. That's not Philadelphia's three or San Francisco's five, but it's also not the 17 of the New York Giants. It sits in the middle—competent but not dominant, functional but not feared. For a team that hasn't advanced past the divisional round since 1995, middle is the problem.
Watch the waiver wire through Wednesday. Dallas has $4.1 million in available cap space and will be scanning for released corners and interior offensive linemen. The team also has an open roster spot if it chooses not to claim anyone, which could be reserved for a post-camp free agent signing. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has been vocal about wanting a veteran slot receiver, and several were cut Monday across the league. If Dallas adds one by Friday, it's a tell that the front office thinks CeeDee Lamb needs more help than Brandin Cooks alone can provide.
The takeaway
Cowboys cutting two 2026 draft picks in five months underscores front-office willingness to admit misses faster than peers, but depth sacrificed for 2027 cap room narrows the Prescott-Parsons window.
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