Nolan Carroll and Stephen Paea were defensive starters to open the season for the Cowboys.
Now, both are gone. The club released Carroll. Paea chose to retire rather than continue to perform at a level below his standards.
Jason Garrett spoke about both players at his Thursday news conference. He began with Paea, the defensive tackle who started the first four games of the season.
"In regards to Stephen Paea's retirement, it was really all about being not able to play any more at the level that he felt like he wanted to play,'' Garrett said.