Cowboys Cut 24-Year-Old Running Back & Former 5th-Round Receiver

Getty Running back Malik Davis (right) is among the notable Dallas Cowboys cuts.

The Dallas Cowboys faced some difficult roster decisions as the team released several young players who possess upside, including two playmakers. Among the notable cuts for the Cowboys were running back Malik Davis and wide receiver Simi Fehoko.

Davis played in 12 games last season, notching 224 total yards and a touchdown, but lost out on the backup running back role to Rico Dowdle. Dallas’ selection of Deuce Vaughn in the 2023 draft also ended up making Davis’ days numbered, at least on the 53-man roster.

Fehoko is a wideout who was never quite able to live up to his upside while with the Cowboys. Dallas selected Fehoko in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft but the wide receiver only posted 3 receptions for 24 yards during his two seasons in Big D.

CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup are the Cowboys top three receivers, but an intense training camp battle developed for the remaining roster spots. Dallas opted to keep an additional three receivers to bring their total wideouts to six with Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin and rookie Jalen Brooks made the final roster.

The Dallas Cowboys Have an Interest in Re-Signing Malik Davis to the Team’s Practice Squad

At running back, the emergence of hybrid fullback Hunter Luepke also made it challenging for Davis to make the final roster. In addition to Fehoko, the Cowboys released five other receivers: Jalen Cropper, Dennis Houston, Dontario Drummond, Tyron Johnson and Jose Barbon. According to The Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken, Dallas has an interest in re-signing Davis if the running back clears waivers.

“Cowboys waived RB Malik Davis, a person familiar with the decision said,” Gehlken tweeted on August 29. “He trailed Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn this summer, but the team has interest in re-signing him to practice squad if he clears waivers.”

There were other notable Cowboys cuts, including former fourth-round pick Jabril Cox, quarterback Will Grier and tight end Sean McKeon. It will be worth watching to see which players pass through waivers and become available for Dallas to re-sign to the team’s practice squad. On August 30, Grier was signed to the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Aside From Brandin Cooks, the Dallas Cowboys Passed on Adding Veteran Playmakers This Offseason

Dallas made two significant moves to add playmakers to the offense by trading for Cooks and drafting Vaughn. Otherwise, the Cowboys have been quiet opting against adding veteran receivers or running backs. When asked about the potential to add DeAndre Hopkins following his release by the Cardinals, head coach Mike McCarthy expressed confidence in some of the team’s young wide receivers taking a step forward in 2023 versus signing one of the available veterans.

“I’ll say this, obviously being on offense full-time, I really do like the look of our group,” McCarthy told reporters on June 1. “The vertical speed, we’ve made some improvement there and obviously we’re not in any full speed type activities, outside of seven-on-seven, so you can feel that from our guys. But yeah, as far as players that are not here, there’s nothing good that comes out of those answers.”