Cowboys cuts tracker 2018: News, rumors, roster moves, trades, updates for 53-man roster

Note: We have moved to a new tracker, you can find it here. All Cowboys roster moves made after the initial 53-man roster (Sept. 2nd and later) will be found there. If you want to keep up on the latest roster moves, go here.

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It’s officially 53-man roster time. Here is BTB’s official Dallas Cowboys cut tracker.

Important Information

NFL rules state the each team must have their rosters trimmed down to 53 players by Saturday, September 1st at 4pm ET. Things won’t necessarily be “set” at that time as there could be other moves made (someone placed on injured reserve for example), but it’s still a deadline.

The Cowboys could very well put in some claims for players that were released by other teams, and the window for that closes on Sunday, September 2nd at 12pm ET. After the waiver process slows down the Cowboys will start filling out their practice squad. You can refresh yourself on the practice squad rules right here.

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List of Cowboys cuts

(You can also view other NFL cuts right here)

September 1, 4:15 pm ET: The full list of cuts are in, and surprisingly Dan Bailey is among them. From ESPN’s Todd Archer.

K Dan Bailey, WR Dres Anderson, G Kyle Bosch, T Jake Campos, WR K.D. Cannon, WR Darren Carrington, RB Jordan Chunn, LS Scott Daly, T Matt Diaz, DE Kony Ealy, T Chaz Green, RB Darius Jackson, S Jeron Johnson, LB Tre’von Johnson, S Kam Kelly, LB Joe Lanning, DE Austin Larkin, WR Lance Lenoir, G Damien Mama, WR Mekale McKay, DT Lewis Neal, C Jacob Ohnesorge, CB Donovan Olumba, LB Eric Pinkins, LB Kyle Queiro, DT Caraun Reid, S Dominick Sanders, RB Bo Scarbrough, DE Charles Tapper, CB Duke Thomas, WR Deonte Thompson, DT Jihad Ward, TE David Wells, CB Marquez White; Waived/injured: RB Trey Williams, S Marqueston Huff.

September 1, 4:00 pm ET: There are going to be three quarterbacks on the Cowboys this season (more here). Also we have our first surprising cut as Deonte Thompson did not make the team.

September 1, 2:50 pm ET: Another cornerback has been cut. Donovan Olumba is out. Also apparently the Cowboys are only rolling with two running backs as Darius Jackson has been released as well (our own Tom Ryle explained what could be happening here).

September 1, 2:45 pm ET: There is quite the news to report. Jihad Ward has been released (more on that if you’d like) and RICO GATHERS IS ON THE TEAM (for real).

September 1, 2:25 pm ET: Things are starting to heat up, but not for a couple of players. Duke Thomas and Bo Scarbrough are the latest releases of the Cowboys. You can read our story on Scarbrough right here.

September 1, 2:15 pm ET: This was a bad moment in time for a few defensive backs. Marqueston Huff, Marquez White, and Jeron Johnson are all out.

September 1, 2:10pm ET: This is a moment many were waiting for but ultimately dreaded. Wide receiver Lance Lenoir has been released. Could this mean Deonte Thompson is in? We’ll have to wait and see. Read our story on Lance being cut right here.

September 1, 1:45 pm ET: Charles Tapper is the latest cut. It was never going to be easy for any fringe pass rusher to make this team considering how deep the Cowboys are. Our full story is here.

September 1, 10:55 am ET: Rico Gathers arrested for marijuana possession on Friday night.

Not exactly a roster cut, but carrying around marijuana - much less getting busted for possession - has got to have you wondering about Gathers’ commitment to making it in the NFL. Hard to see how there’s room for Rico Gathers on team trying desperately to get Randy Gregory “right.” Our full story is right here.

This is not the way to go about making an NFL roster. Rico Gathers was already on the bubble, this may have burst it for him.

Jerry Jones hinted that Rico could make the 53-man roster on Friday afternoon. Hours later Rico Gathers was arrested for marijuana possession. That is, well, it is not good. The Cowboys were seemingly leaning in the Rico direction in the eleventh hour of roster trimming and then this happens.

September 1, 10:15 am ET: Chaz Green and Kam Kelly are the latest Cowboys releases. Read our full story on Chaz right here.

September 1, 9:40 am ET: A cut that happened while many across the country were kicking off their first high school games of the season, the Cowboys have moved on from Tre’von Johnson.

August 31, 9:30 pm ET: Rumors continue to swirl about Earl Thomas.

In considering a piece of media, it is always good practice to ask the question “who benefits?”

So given that Seattle and Dallas have not talked Earl Thomas since the draft, the question is: “Who profits from keeping news about the Cowboys and Earl Thomas in the headlines?”

Bob Sturm may be on the right track, but you also have to consider that media members are increasingly putting stuff out there simply to have their own name in the news.

August 31, 6:10 pm ET: Looks like the Cowboys might keep both backup QBs, at least according to Stephen Jones.

Three QBs plus a fourth TE in Rico Gathers? That would mean the Cowboys have to go short at some other positions ...

August 31, 5:05 pm ET: In the wake of Kony Ealy’s release, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reflects on the quality of the Cowboys’ defensive line.

August 31, 4:40 pm ET: Important reminder - the Cowboys have 19th overall priority on waiver wire. If the Cowboys want to grab a player off waivers, they’ll need a lot of luck to succeed.

The claiming period for players placed on waivers during the final cuts to the 53-man rosters across the league will expire at 12:00 noon EST on Sunday. If the Cowboys have put in any waiver claims, they face long odds of being awarded the players they claimed.

Once a club waives a player, the 31 other clubs either file a claim to obtain him or they waive their chance to do so (thus the origin of the term “waiver”). Clubs are assigned players on a priority basis.

From the first business day after the Super Bowl until the day after the third regular season week, assignments are based on a claiming order that is the same as the order in which clubs selected in that year’s Draft. From the beginning of the fourth regular season weekend through the Super Bowl, assignments are based on the inverse order of their win-loss record.

August 31, 4:25 pm ET: Looks like linebacker Eric Pinkins is going to be released.

Not many people expected Pinkins to make the roster in the first place, but the writing was on the wall after Pinkins played just 16 snaps on defense over the four preseason games.

August 31, 4:00 pm ET: Per reports, Kony Ealy and Lewis Neal are the first known Cowboys cuts.

Both Ealy and Lewis got some extended playing time against the Texans last night, with Ealy notching 45 snaps on defense and Neal getting 25. Perhaps they put enough on film to quickly get some interest from other teams.

August 31: Jerry Jones is dropping hints (full story here), but whether they mean anything is anybody’s guess.

August 31: We’re not saying that it’s going to happen, but just maybe?

August 30th: The Cowboys traded cornerback Charvarius Ward to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for offensive lineman Parker Ehinger on Thursday just before their preseason finale in Houston. Dallas was looking for more depth on the offensive line and they got it.