The Dallas Cowboys are making roster predictions for their 2026 season, with key decisions looming at wide receiver, tight end, and along the offensive line. While CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson are expected to retain their spots, notable cuts like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Luke Schoonmaker are anticipated. Sam Howell is favored for the backup quarterback role over Joe Milton, and Phil Mafah is projected to edge out Malik Davis at running back. Defensive players Reddy Steward and Trikweze Bridges face uncertain futures despite significant playing time last season
Mingo, a 2023 second-round pick, never emerged as a consistent contributor on offense with the Panthers and was traded to the Cowboys in November 2024, playing a reserve role with his new team. Across 14 total regular-season appearances with Dallas from 2024-25, he totaled six grabs for 71 yards on 21 targets. Now with just one year left on his rookie deal, Mingo's chance to show progress in his development is growing scarce, and he faces real hurdles to securing a roster spot behind CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin in 2026
In 2026, Ryan Flournoy feels about as locked in to his role with the Dallas Cowboys as a player can be. Ahead of his third season, Flournoy enters training camp wth a firm spot on the WR depth chart, even if he takes his game to another level. Years in NFL: 2 Acquired by: 2024 6th-round pick Flournoy rode an impressive college career at Southeast Missouri State to NFL draft consideration in 2024. He offered physicality, athleticism, and proven ball skills, but was knocked for a lack of refinement in his technique and his small-school experience. As such, he dropped to the later rounds before the Cowboys finally took him in the sixth. In his first camp and preseason, Flournoy made strong early impressions. His good hands and physical running after the catch were immediately noticeable. Some even drew comparisons to Cowboys legend Dez Bryant , at least stylistically. The hype was enough that Dallas didn’t risk Flournoy on the practice squad as a rookie, going long with six receivers to keep him safe. He would appear in 11 games due to various injuries, but didn’t get many looks with just 10 catches on 14 targets. Last August, Flournoy was surprisingly waived at final cuts. But the team brought him back almost immediately, using the roster spot to facilitate its trade for backup offensive lineman Trevor Keegan . It ultimately felt more like roster math hijinks than an indictment on Flournoy, but Dallas did risk losing him to waivers. Thankfully they avoided that outcome. After limited work in the first four games, Flournoy got the start in Week 5 due to a CeeDee Lamb injury. He produced 114 yards on six catches, making the Jets pay for keying on George Pickens . It was the start of Flournoy’s emergence as Dallas’ clear number-three receiver, which Jalen Tolbert and Jonathan Mingo had failed to do. Flournoy finished 2025 with 40 catches, 475 yards, and four touchdowns on just 56 targets. Years Left: 1 2026 Cap Hit: $1.08 million Had Flournoy not been waived last year, his original rookie deal would still be in effect through 2027. But when Dallas signed him back off the practice squad, it was to just a two-year contract. Flournoy is the winner here, likely cashing in on his success next spring with about a $5 million raise as a retricted free agent. Depending on where things are with Pickens’ contract, we’ll see if the Cowboys try to lock up Flournoy with a long-term deal before he’d be unrestricted in 2028. Role: WR3 Roster Chance: 100% Again, this couldn’t be much simpler. As long as the Pickens negotiations go better than Dallas’ last financial fray with a star player, we know who the starting receivers will be. Flournoy remains clearly at number three as the Cowboys did not make any major moves at receiver this offseason. Turpin is still here as the return specialist and gadget guy on offense, but he’s not threatening to move up. Mingo is fighting just to stay in the league at this point, as is 31-year-old Marques Valdes-Scantling and fellow veteran Tyler Johnson. They’ll be battling young prospects like Traeshon Holden , Anthony Smith, Jordan Hudson, and others for the fifth and maybe sixth spots on the roster. Of course, we never know if a young guy like Holden or Smith could make a stunning push. After all, we just saw that from Flournoy himself. But with continuity on offense and an upward trajectory from last year, Flournoy appears highly likely to keep advancing. And if Pickens does end up playing on the franchise tag, Flournoy has an opportunity to convince the Cowboys they already have a replacement ready for 2027. That potential should keep Flournoy hungry this season, even without much pressure beneath him. Check out our previous player profiles from this series: RB Israel Abanikanda C Cooper Beebe G Tyler Booker S Alijah Clark EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku TE Jake Ferguson C Matt Hennessy S Malik Hooker EDGE James Houston WR Jordan Hudson LB Shemar James G Trevor Keegan CB Derion Kendrick S P.J. Locke FB Hunter
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Coach Brian Schottenheimer said Tuesday that Mingo is tending to a minor groin strain, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports. There was no indication as to when Mingo suffered the injury, but it doesn't sound like it's a serious issue. Any time that Mingo potentially misses could turn into a small opportunity for Tyler Johnson to make a bigger impression outside
Dallas may have more weapons. What’s more noteworthy is that another wideout appears to be making an early push up the depth chart during the first week of OTAs. None other than Marquez Valdes-Scantling is standing out and not just because he’s wearing Micah Parsons ’ former No. 11 jersey. A late arrival who signed with Dallas right after the NFL Draft in late April, Valdes-Scantling got a lot of burn with the first-team offense and saw plenty of targets from Prescott. He and CeeDee Lamb operated as the two boundary WRs, with Flournoy working a lot in the slot. Marquez Valdes-Scantling running with the Dallas Cowboys ’ first-team offense at OTAs How’s that for an early surprise? Valdes-Scantling’s experience showed up when he batted down an errant throw from Prescott that safety P.J. Locke was in prime position to intercept, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram . Look, obviously Valdes-Scantling wouldn’t be “starting” if Pickens was practicing. Maybe the Cowboys just wanted a veteran presence out there to help keep the offense operating smoothly during team drills. Regardless, it speaks volumes that Valdes-Scantling was the one getting those opportunities. It does not bode well for Jonathan Mingo , who worked off to the side with the rehab team on Thursday. Nothing is guaranteed. On the surface, it will probably make Guyton stay focused and put in the work that we know he has but struggle to stay constant. Even when healthy, though, Guyton’s been far too inconsistent to be trusted to be the blind side blocker for Dak Prescott or whoever is playing the position. He was flagged a whopping 25 times in as many games, 21 of which were accepted by the opposition. A lot of those penalties derailed promising drives, often forcing the offense to settle for a field goal or knocking it out of Brandon Aubrey ’s range altogether. On the other hand, we will see how the summer goes, but he might have little to no room for error in otherwise he would have had if it was his job 100%. Nate Thomas Nate Thomas is a guy that has not been talked about much, but should be now that he has a chance to earn the starting left tackle spot. Thomas was taken in the same class as Guyton but in the seventh round. He did not play his rookie season, but appeared in all 17 games a year ago and started four of them, but don’t get your hopes up, because he was just as bad as Guyton was. I will say one thing, I honestly think that Drew Shelton, the fourth round pick from Penn State, should also get a chance to compete with both of these guys for the left tackle spot. Either way, whoever gets the starting left tackle spot in the end needs to stop with all the penalties. “There’s competition everywhere and I think Nate’s an incredible player and we learn from each other. We’re both really young and we have a specific set of skills that compliment each other,” Guyton said today. Football headlines are back (sort of). Cornerback reps With Bland sidelined, the Cowboys gave first-team reps to Cobie Durant , Shavon Revel and Caelen Carson on the outside, with Carson being the biggest surprise in that group. We also saw Durant split time with rookie Caleb Downs in the slot. With Bland expected to be sidelined once again, it’ll be interesting to see if the Cowboys stick with that trio on the boundary, and if Dallas gives anyone else a look in the slot. Speaking of Revel, Nick Harris of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram noted the second-year corner looked more fluid and confident now that he’s another year removed from a torn ACL. RB2 battle Malik Davis has widely been considered the favorite for the top backup job behind Javonte Williams , but it appears both Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah will at least give him a run for his money . Last week, Nick Harris of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram relayed that there are positive things being said about both players in the Cowboys’ building, and both made some notable plays at OTAs. “Phil Mafah looked
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Defensive linemen Williams and Clark of the Dallas Cowboys discuss the new defensive scheme under coordinator Christian Parker, highlighting an emphasis on details and a scheme similar to other elite defenses in the league. They express excitement about the new coaching staff and personnel
The retirement of Parris Campbell opened a spot on the Cowboys' 90-man roster when he retired last week and the team filled it on Monday. They did so by replacing Campbell in the wide receiver room. They announced the signing of rookie free agent Romello Brinson. Brinson tried out for the Dolphins after being passed over in April, but did not sign with the team. He had 43 catches for 638 yards and three touchdowns in his final season at SMU. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens head up a Dallas receiver group that also includes Ryan Flournoy , Marquez Valdes-Scantling , KaVontae Turpin , Jonathan Mingo , Tyler Johnson, seventh-round pick Anthony Smith, and Brinson's former college teammate Jordan Hudson
The Cowboys have signed rookie free agent wide receiver Romello Brinson to fill the roster spot vacated by Parris Campbell's retirement. Brinson, who had a productive final season at SMU, will join a crowded Cowboys receiving corps
One of the position groups we have talked very little about this offseason has been the wide receiver position. Outside of some early offseason George Pickens contract drama, everyone expects CeeDee Lamb , George Pickens, and Ryan Flournoy to be the teams top three wide receivers. Behind those three, which is a very solid trio, things get a little more interesting. Kavontae Turpin was given more opportunities on offense over the last two seasons, but the results never showed up consistently. The Cowboys traded a 2025 fourth-round pick for Jonathan Mingo at the trade deadline during the 2024 season. Since his arrival, Mingo has caught six passes for 21 yards and zero touchdowns. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Tyler Johnson were both signed this offseason as veteran insurance at the receiver position. Valdes-Scantling and Johnson have both had multiple stops in the league, but with the future of George Pickens unclear, it was obvious the team wanted to have some veteran insurance heading into the season. The Cowboys have some young guys on the roster as well as their seventh-round draft pick, Anthony Smith, could fight for a roster spot. With 2025 training camp star Traeshon Holden also in the mix for a roster spot this offseason, the rookie draft pcik Smith will need to have a very strong training camp and preseason in order to find himself on the 53-man roster after cutdowns. All-in-all, the Cowboys have a lot of bodies on the roster as of today to fill five, possibly six roster spots. We have a very good idea that Lamb, Pickens, Flournoy, and Turpin feel like locks to make the Cowboys 53-man roster. That leaves one, possibly two jobs up for grabs. That final spot or two will likely lean on special teams impact a lot, which sets things up nicely for Holden and Smith to earn their way onto the team. With OTA’s starting up this week, we will get a glimpse into how this wide receiver room could look by the time September rolls around. Who do you have as the five or six players that will make up the Cowboys WR group?
Are jobs up for grabs next week when OTA’s kick off? The Dallas Cowboys seemingly got the message that they weren’t nearly good enough last season. Jerry Jones has largely avoided doing anything foolish, and the Cowboys have emerged as one of the winners of the offseason as a result. But winning the offseason only means so much . At the end of the day, Dallas needs it to coalesce on the field, which starts fully with mandatory OTAs , set to begin on June 1 . And those offseason workouts could very well be the beginning of the end for several notable Cowboys players. With the stellar offseason additions that the Jones family made in Dallas, in addition to a new defensive outlook with coordinator Christian Parker, there are going to be roster changes. That means some familiar Cowboys will be pushed out, and these five players stand out as the likeliest candidates (for now) to end up on the wrong side of the WR Jonathan Mingo Sorry to bring up the painful reminder that Jerry Jones traded a fourth-round pick to the Panthers for Jonathan Mingo (and a seventh-rounder), but it is a thing that happened. And not shockingly given the state of the receiver’s stock when the Cowboys made the trade, he’s not done much since joining this offense. To put a point on it, he has six catches for 71 yards (on just 21 targets) with Dallas. Just given that lack of usage and production, it’s not a stretch to say that the Cowboys don’t seem entirely committed to Mingo in any capacity. But why he comes into the forefront at OTAs now is that he might not even be a depth piece that this offense needs any longer with how things have shaken out in the receiver room. Cowboys’ OTA’s are just around the corner. The Dallas Cowboys are enjoying some time away from The Star before returning when the calendar flips to June to resume preparations for the upcoming season . Dallas has a lot at stake after missing the postseason for the past two years, with some excitement surrounding the team after a highly touted rookie class and some strong signings in free agency to improve on the defensive side of the ball. With Christian Parker guiding the defense , there is a hope for some improvement, which could lead to the team having the bounce-back year it is searching for. We won’t know exactly how things are looking for the team until it takes the field, but our first look will come on Monday, June 1, when the team reports for organized team activities. OTAs will run from June 1 through Thursday, June 11. The Cowboys preseason games are now set. The games for the Dallas Cowboys 2026 football season have now been set, at least all of them that come before the post-season. It wasn’t that long ago we learned the dates and times of the Cowboys 17-game regular-season schedule . Now we have the dates and times for the preseason slate. Once upon a time, teams played up to six preseason games before a season. Thankfully that has become fewer preseason games and more regular-season games. This year the Cowboys will play the Seattle Seahawks , the Arizona Cardinals and the New Orleans Saints . vs New Orleans Saints: Friday August 28th, 8:00 PM ET @ Seattle Seahawks: Saturday August 15th, 8:00 PM ET @ Arizona Cardinals: Saturday August 22nd, 10:00 PM ET Dak Prescott gets awarded with an obvious award. It is now officially confirmed: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is a good guy. We say that because Prescott was the winner of the 2026 Pro Football Writers of America Good Guy award , which is given to players for their “qualities and professional style in helping pro football writers do their jobs.” Of course, after following Prescott over the years, we already knew he was a good guy, but this only drives home that point further. “It’s so well deserved for a guy who goes over and beyond to help the media do their jobs, but I don’t even really think it’s intentional. Dak is just that kind of person where he’ll talk to anyone at any time,” Nick Harris of [... truncated ...]
Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens signed his franchise tag on April 29, and executive vice president Stephen Jones said soon after the team expected Pickens to show up for voluntary work. Monday was the first team workout for the Cowboys since Pickens signed the one-year, $27.3 million deal, and Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Pickens was not present. Nothing is mandatory until June 16, so he can stay away until then without being fined. The Cowboys announced they will not negotiate a long-term deal with Pickens this offseason, and Jones has repeatedly said the team has “zero interest” in trading Pickens. The Cowboys traded for Pickens a year ago, and he led the team in targets (137), catches (93), yards (1,429) and touchdowns (eight) in 2025
Mingo caught one of five targets for 25 yards while active for six games with the Cowboys in 2025. The third-year wideout didn't see his first snap of the season until Week 12, and he saw exactly one target in each of Dallas' last five games, catching just one of them. Mingo has one year left on his rookie contract after entering the league as a second-round pick of the Panthers in 2023, but he's done nothing with the Cowboys to suggest a breakout is coming next season, and he may not even be guaranteed a roster spot
Mingo is not among Dallas' inactives for Thursday's Week 17 game against the Commanders, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com, and he could see an increased role with Ryan Flournoy (knee) out of action. Mingo has had a quiet season so far, tallying one catch on three targets for 25 yards over four games. He'll still be behind CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and KaVontae Turpin in the WR pecking order Thursday, but Mingo could get a few more looks due to Flournoy's absence. Mingo has been a bit more involved of late anyway, notching 14 offensive snaps Week 15 and eight offensive snaps last Sunday against the Chargers
Mingo caught his only target for a 25-yard gain in Sunday's 34-26 loss to the Vikings. His first catch of the season came on the Cowboys' final drive, helping to set up a Brandon Aubrey field goal that got the home side to within a score, but they couldn't recover the subsequent onside kick. Mingo has seen only two targets in three games since making his 2025 debut in Week 12, and it would likely take a rash of injuries ahead of him on the depth chart to get him on the fantasy radar
