Sitting at almost $40 million over the salary cap headed into what should be another nightmarish, drama-filled offseason, the Dallas Cowboys are going to be looking for bargains wherever and however they might get them.
For the Cowboys, that means hoping and praying someone sticks or provides depth that they pay pennies on the dollar for in terms of value — think undrafted free agents who become starters or discarded low round draft picks from other teams.
It’s easy to see that reflected in a flurry of roster moves the team pushed through after their season ended with a 7-9-1 overall record and a loss to the lowly Washington Commanders in Week 18.
“Cowboys sign Israel Abanikanda, Zion Childress, Traeshon Holden, Marcellus Johnson, Isaiah Land, Nick Leverett, Adedayo Odeleye, Julius Wood to reserve-future deals,” NFL reporter Aaron Wilson wrote on X on Tuesday, January 6.
Of that group, Abanikanda and Holden have particular upside for what the Cowboys might need on the offensive side of the ball.
Abanikanda Broke Dorsett’s Record From 1970s
Abanikanda has one pretty direct tie to the Cowboys because he played for Pitt, the same college as legendary Cowboys running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett.
At Pitt, Abanikanda broke Dorsett’s single-game rushing record of 303 yards set in 1975 when he rushed for 320 yards and an ACC record 6 touchdowns in a win over Virginia Tech in 2022. He was named an All-American that season after he rushed for 1,423 yards and 20 touchdowns while averaging 6.0 yards per carry to go with 228 receiving yards.
The New York Jets selected Abanikanda with a fifth round pick (No. 143 overall) in the 2023 NFL draft but was released after 2 seasons. He spent 2024 with the San Francisco 49ers and split 2025 between the Green Bay Packers and the Cowboys practice squad.
Holden Could Make Play for 53-Man Roster
Holden certainly seems like he has what it takes to make a 53-man roster as an NFL wide receiver. He spent the first 3 seasons of his college career playing at Alabama, where he won a College Football Playoff national championship a a freshman in 2020 and played in the CFP National Championship Game in 2022, where the Crimson Tide lost to Georgia.
He transferred to Oregon for his final 2 seasons, where he had a career high 462 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns in just 8 games in 2024.
Holden’s time at Alabama and Oregon had something in common — he scored a lot of touchdowns on not a lot of touches.
“Touchdown-maker who averaged a TD grab for every 7.1 catches,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about Holden in his pre-draft evaluation. ” … The tape doesn’t stand out, but his physicality and willingness as a run blocker is a differentiator that could help his cause.”
The Cowboys signed Holden after he went undrafted, he flashed in the preseason then spent this year on the Cowboys practice squad, learning from 2 of the very best wide receivers in the NFL in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
“I was hurt,” Holden told DallasCowboys.com’s Tommy Yarish about not being drafted. “That 24-hour rule, I was hurting. But now, I’m here, and I’m ready to make it happen. I’ll do what I can to show everybody that I belong … (I want) to prove everybody wrong. Everybody. I’m coming for heads. That’s it.”
Cowboys Bring Back Record-Setting RB, Promising WR in Flurry of Roster Moves