The interior of the Dallas Cowboys defensive line was considered one of the team’s biggest weaknesses last season and the front office is hoping that offseason moves have greatly improved the unit. The selection of Mazi Smith combined with the re-signing of Johnathan Hankins puts the returning Cowboys defensive tackles on notice.
USA Today’s K.D. Drummond offered his latest roster projections and has the Cowboys releasing Quinton Bohanna, Neville Gallimore and Isaac Alarcon. Bohanna is a player of particular interest given the defensive tackle played in 13 games, including nine starts, during the 2022 season.
“Gallimore being a healthy scratch for the playoffs says a lot about where his end-of-year stock was in the eyes of the staff,” Drummond wrote on June 12, 2023. “The drafting of Smith puts Bohanna in a competition with Hankins and the difference between the two’s play in 2022 was a wide gulf. Alarcon’s status as an International Pathway player can no longer save him.”
Dallas Cowboys Rumors: Quinton Bohanna Finds Himself on the Hot Seat Heading Into Training Camp
Despite being a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, Bohanna has been able to carve out a role on the Cowboys defense. Bohanna now finds himself fighting for a roster spot with Dallas expected to lean on Smith and Hankins for 2023.
The defensive tackle still has two seasons remaining on a team friendly four-year, $3.6 million contract. Bohanna is slated to have a $940,000 salary for this season, but Dallas would take just a $94,236 dead cap hit by releasing the defender, per Spotrac.
Bohanna will need to improve his play in order to secure a spot on the final 53-man roster. The defensive tackle earned dismal 30.5 and 41.1 grades from Pro Football Focus over his first two NFL seasons. Bohanna notched 19 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 1 quarterback hit during his 13 appearances in 2022.
Will the Dallas Cowboys Make Another Significant Signing Prior to Training Camp?
The Cowboys have hinted more roster moves may be on the way before training camp starts in July. Dallas executive vice president Stephen Jones admitted the front office is looking at the bottom of the roster and could make more changes before practices begin.
“There’s a chance we may trade some guys out,” Jones told reporters on June 5. “Guys we decided we don’t want to take the camp, and we replace that guy with another again in the same position.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones appeared intrigued by the pool of veterans who remain free agents as the season approaches. Some of the top available players include DeAndre Hopkins, Dalvin Cook, Jadeveon Clowney, Yannick Ngakoue and Ezekiel Elliott.
“There’s an active free agent market relative to some pretty talented people out there,” Jones remarked during a June 5 media session. “We want to keep a close eye on that. I never shut the door — never — relative to the potential to smartly add to our team for this year.
“I emphasize that, for this year. Mainly, I would tell you that 99% of my thinking is about this year. Now, you’ve got to think about the impact on other years when you make these decisions, so. You name it whether it be Zeke. Whether it be where we are with the guys that we worked out here today.”
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Cowboys Predicted to Cut Former $3.6 Million Starter