The Cowboys are continuing to look at options for key positions on their depth chart, turning now to a source that’s paid dividends for them in the past.
The club on Monday worked out three players having just wrapped up their spring season in the UFL, including one local talent they’ve had particular interest in for quite some time.
Wide receiver Denzel Mims, cornerback Ameer Speed, and linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi reportedly visited The Star in Frisco one day prior to the team’s mandatory minicamp. While it’s possible the Cowboys are merely scouting for competent fill-ins to take the place of current star or injured players, each of these NFL veterans also has the experience and potential to compete for an actual roster spot.
The Cowboys, of course, have gone to the spring league well before, with considerable success. Return specialist/wide receiver KaVontae Turpin came from the USFL’s New Jersey Generals, and kicker Brandon Aubrey was a star for the Birmingham Stallions. Just the two most notable examples, Turpin and Aubrey have six Pro Bowl nods between them.
As of this writing, none of this year’s tryout candidates- all of whom have NFL experience- has been signed. But here’s your look at who the Cowboys are looking at.
WR Denzel Mims
A Texas native, Mims has been on the Dallas radar since his college days at hometown Baylor. He was considered a legitimate target for the team in the 2020 draft until CeeDee Lamb unexpectedly fell into their lap with the 17th overall pick. Mims was then selected in the second round by the Jets.
Things never clicked with Mims and Gang Green. He missed the start of his rookie season with a hamstring and then put up very pedestrian numbers once he got on the field. He was requesting a trade before his third season, with the Cowboys thought to have at least reached out to the Jets at the time. No trade ever materialized; Mims caught 42 balls for 676 yards in three seasons in New York.
He bounced around with short stints at Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Jacksonville but never saw action in a game. Mims has even worked out for the Cowboys previously, early in the 2024 season, when Brandin Cooks went down with a knee issue.
The speedy Mims was with the the St. Louis Battlehawks during the 2025 UFL season and the Dallas Renegades this past spring.
The Cowboys have 13 wide receivers on the updated roster, but George Pickens has not worked out with the team all offseason, and Lamb and Turpin may not be asked to do much at this early stage. Ryan Flournoy and Marquez Valdes-Scantling likely lead the rest of the receivers in terms of making the team, but Mims would provide an experienced set of hands in a group that includes mostly second-year guys and rookies.
CB Ameer Speed
Speed spent five years at Georgia- winning a national championship in 2021- before finishing his college career at Michigan State in 2022.
Originally a sixth-round draft pick, Speed has been something of a journeyman, playing for four different teams- the Patriots, Colts, Bears, and Texans- over the three years of his NFL career. He’s seen time in 17 games, with the vast majority of his snaps coming on special teams.
Speed was a member of the Houston Gamblers for the most recent UFL season.
In Dallas, DaRon Bland is still coming back from foot surgery. And while there are 10 other cornerbacks on the current roster, it has proven to be a position at which the team simply cannot be too deep.
LB Olakunle Fatusaki
While listed as a linebacker, Fatukasi would be an outside linebacker in Christian Parker’s defense in Dallas. He comes off a strong season with the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions and was with the Battlehawks the year prior.
Originally undrafted coming out of Rutgers in 2022, the younger brother of NFL veteran Folorunso Fatusaki has been on the field with the Buccaneers and Rams and spent time either on the practice squad or in camp with the Broncos, Patriots, and Chiefs. Over his two NFL seasons, he logged time in 14 contests.
In Dallas, the edge rusher/OLB role is going through a transition under Parker. While Rashan Gary leads the group, Donovan Ezeiruaku is coming off hip labrum surgery and likely won’t practice until training camp. James Houston, Sam Williams, Isaiah Land, and Tyrus Wheat are veterans, while highly-touted Malachi Lawrence is still a rookie, and Marist Liufau is in his first year at the position.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys work out 3 from UFL, including longtime Baylor target at WR
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire | USA TODAY Network
