Each year, several veterans end up cut or traded by their teams before the start of the regular season. That will likely be the case this year for Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are in win-now mode, but could still release a few notable players who survived the pre-free agency cuts.
There are a few veterans who might end up not being on the Cowboys' roster at the start of the season. The Cowboys will likely try to trade these players before cutting them, but more often than not, the players are simply cut. This list only focuses on some of the more notable players, which means we're ignoring the undrafted free agents or other players (like Leon McFadden) who don't quite move the needle enough. With that in mind, here are three players the Cowboys could cut before the season.
WR Brice Butler
The Cowboys brought back Butler on a one-year, $1.1 million deal, but only $300K of that is guaranteed. That means Butler's roster spot is not locked up. If seventh round pick Noah Brown (or someone like Andy Jones) shows promise, Butler will be on the chopping block. After all, he'll likely only see playing time if Dez Bryant or Terrance Williams need a breather or are hurt.
TE James Hanna
The Cowboys gave Hanna a a three-year, $8.25 million deal before last year with the hope he'd serve as the team's No. 2 TE. Instead, he was hurt all year and Geoff Swaim took control of that role. Now he's firmly on the roster. Cutting Hanna would save the Cowboys $1.75 million (and even more in 2018), but his future might be tied more to Rico Gathers. If Gathers shows promise and/or the Cowboys don't want to try to stash him on the practice squad again, Dallas might keep Gathers over Hanna. The Cowboys might not want to carry four tight ends. Hanna is squarely on the roster bubble.
RB Alfred Morris
Ezekiel Elliott clearly isn't going anywhere and Darren McFadden is back as the No. 2 running back (on a cheap deal). The Cowboys tried and failed to deal Alfred Morris before and during the draft, which does not bode well for his roster chances. The clear-cut No. 3 back on the roster has a $2.1 million cap hit this year, with over $1.67 million of that getting saved via a cut. Don't be surprised if the Cowboys cut Morris and sign a different running back before or after the initial 53-man roster moves.
WR Lucky Whitehead
Barring injury, Whitehead's time with the Cowboys appears up. The Cowboys drafted Ryan Switzer (a personal favorite of mine) in the fourth round and he'll serve as the backup slot WR and return specialist. Whitehead is on the wrong side of a number game for Dallas and it's tough to see him making the roster unless Switzer or Cole Beasley are hurt. Cutting him will save the Cowboys $615K.
LB Kyle Wilber
Every year Wilber finds himself on the roster bubble. He's managed to hang around, but he'll have a tough battle this year. With Jaylon Smith healthy, Wilber will likely only get on the field for special teams. And if a UDFA or another young player proves to be just as good, the Cowboys could elect to cut Wilber and take the $1.25 million in cap savings.
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