Getty Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones speaks to the media at a press conference.
Cutting season is never easy for NFL teams, and the Dallas Cowboys are no different as they work through the 2022 preseason.
The team has already made its first wave of roster cuts, releasing five players earlier this week ahead of the August 16 deadline. August 23, which requires another five players to be released, also looms ahead.
Now, Cowboys insider and The Athletic reporter Jon Machota is predicting the Cowboys to release a surprising name in the next two weeks: defensive tackle Carlos Watkins.
“DE Tarell Basham and DT Carlos Watkins were the final two cuts,” Machota writes. “Mike McCarthy has often talked this offseason about Dallas being a draft and develop team, which means don’t be surprised if they favor keeping some youngsters over veterans on their final 53. The Cowboys legitimately have at least 12 defensive linemen worthy of a roster spot, which is the number they kept on their initial 53 last year.”
Watkins had a solid season in his first year in Dallas, earning himself a second contract with the team. But as Machota mentions, the Cowboys are deep at the defensive tackle position and do have a tendency to bet on their young talent.
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Watkins Coming Off First Season in Dallas
Before joining Dallas in 2021, Watkins entered the NFL as a third-round draft pick with the Houston Texans in 2017. Interestingly enough, his time in Houston was fairly muted, as injury and other factors led to him playing just 42 games over four seasons.
After playing out his rookie deal, the Cowboys swooped in for Watkins in free agency at a good time. Dallas essentially “bought low” rather than choosing a more expensive addition at defensive tackle, and Watkins delivered on his one-year, $1.75 million contract.
According to Pro Football Reference, Watkins totaled 32 tackles and a sack in his 14 starts. More importantly, he registered five tackles for loss, a career-high for the former Clemson Tiger. Of course, the cherries on top was his interception and touchdown return in the 27-17 win against the New Orleans Saints.
Cowboys DT Carlos Watkins: “It’s definitely an early Christmas present. It’s every fat guy’s dream to get a pick and make it to the end zone.”
Dallas re-signed Watkins to another cheap deal for 2022, and the 28-year-old is set to make $1.188 million if he makes the roster.
Cowboys Projected to Roll with 10 Defensive Linemen
Dallas finds themselves with a “burden of riches” at the defensive line. Not only is Machota predicting Dallas to cut Watkins after a big role in 2021, he also thinks that Dallas will let Tarell Basham go after a solid season.
Instead, Machota thinks Dallas will keep 10 players on the DL, and an even mix of five defensive tackles and five defensive ends. The 10 players:
- DeMarcus Lawrence, DE
- Dorance Armstrong, DE
- Dante Fowler, DE
- Sam Williams, DE
- Chauncey Golston, DE/DT
- Osa Odighizuwa, DT
- Neville Gallimore, DT
- Trysten Hill, DT
- Quinton Bohanna, DT
- John Ridgeway, DT
There’s no one especially surprising on the list, except for maybe Hill. All offseason, Hill has been linked to a release or a trade as the Cowboys DT has played just eighteen games since being drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft.
Williams and Ridgeway are the sole rookies of the projected group, with the two youngsters being drafted in the second and fifth rounds of the 2022 NFL draft respectively.