Real football is back for the Dallas Cowboys, who are set to take the field for the first time in training camp on Wednesday. Most of the roster is set, with a conservative number of around 35 players all but guaranteed to make the team.
That leaves almost 20 roster spots up for grabs. Anything can happen this summer in Oxnard, and odd things occur annually in training camp, so there are some veterans who might be surprise cuts for the Cowboys. Here are four players who could be shocking releases if they don’t perform well in camp.
TE Luke Schoonmaker
The offense doesn’t have many depth issues, but tight end is a position where Dallas could be looking for more quality. The starter is Jake Ferguson, and the No. 2 option now appears to be Brevyn Spann-Ford, who has taken over for Luke Schoonmaker in the pecking order. While neither excelled as a receiver in the offense, Spann-Ford is a much better blocker.
Among those who could push Schoonmaker off the roster are undrafted free agent TE Michael Trigg, who brings an intriguing skill set as a receiver, or Princeton Fant, who’s managed to stick around for the last two seasons.
Schoonmaker’s a former second-round pick who has just 49 catches for 438 yards and three touchdowns in three years. With that lack of production, if the Cowboys can find a better and cheaper option, the Michigan product might have trouble sticking around.
Safety Markquese Bell
The Cowboys spent the offseason overhauling their safety position, which should tell everyone what new defensive coordinator Christian Parker thought of the group. Caleb Downs, Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke pair with returning starter Malik Hooker to get most of the snaps.
Out are Donovan Wilson and Juanyeh Thomas, leaving backup and special teams options Markquese Bell and Alijah Clark as the remaining options. Bell is a core special teams player, but he could be replaced by a cheaper option like Clark, who was responsible for one of the top highlights from the Cowboys’ 2025 season with his effort against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It also doesn’t help that Bell was arrested in April for possession of a controlled substance.
Cutting Bell could also give way for the team to go longer at CB, or any other position. He’s been a great story, from UDFA to becoming a starter as an undersized LB in 2023, but Bell’s time with the Cowboys might be coming to an end if he doesn’t excel during training camp.
KR/WR KaVontae Turpin
He might have been a Second-Team All-Pro returner last season, but that felt like it was more about reputation than performance. Turpin averaged a career low in yards per punt return at a paltry 5.5, which was the lowest in the NFL for players with at least 10 returns.
The soon to be 30-year-old also had his second worst average in yards per kickoff return, at 26.3.
Just a season after he returned a punt and kickoff for a score, Turpin failed to duplicate the feat on either special teams unit and had a long of only 19 yards on his punt returns. Turpin did lead the league in kickoff return yards, but that was due to having seven more opportunities than the next player.
The new rules on kickoffs resulted in more chances, the three-time Pro Bowler just didn’t do enough with them.
Turpin also regressed as a wide receiver and runner in 2025, which could be a sign he’s past his prime.
If second-year running back Jaydon Blue shows that he can be an option as a kickoff returner, something he did on a limited basis at Texas, and be an explosive part of the offense, the Cowboys could give him the touches Turpin was schemed for, leading the way for the team a way to move on from the veteran. Turpin’s contract signed just last year didn’t extend any guarantees into 2026, so there would actually be cap savings if her were released.
It would take a collection of several things to occur for this to come to fruition, but it shouldn’t be outright dismissed.
WR Jonathan Mingo
This shouldn’t be a surprise, but could be considered one since the Cowboys traded a fourth-round pick for Mingo. He hasn’t rewarded the team with much production. In 14 games with the team, Mingo has just 6 catches for 71 yards and no scores, yet he continues to have a spot on the roster because of the draft capital he cost.
That could change this season, where Mingo will have to show he can play to hold off a group of young and hungry WRs, as well as a few well-traveled veterans. To keep hold of WR5 or even WR6, Mingo will need to beat out Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Tyler Johnson, Denzel Mims, as well as second-year UDFA Traeshon Holden, and rookies Anthony Smith, a seventh-round pick, and UDFA Jordan Hudson.
Mingo hasn’t done much to prove he should stay and isn’t a good enough special teams option to make the roster if he can’t excel at WR. This could be the end of the road for Mingo.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 3x Pro Bowler among 4 vet Cowboys who could be noteworthy camp cuts
Reporting by Ben Grimaldi, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
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By Ben Grimaldi, Cowboys Wire | USA TODAY Network
