Cowboys predicted to cut ties with former 2nd-round edge rusher amid crowded room

The Dallas Cowboys are in the middle of trying to revamp the defense after a brutal first season without Micah Parsons last year. A huge reason was the lacklustre edge rusher group.

But now, heading into the 2026 NFL season, the Cowboys have a strong group of edge rushers, good enough to potentially even force the release of a player who maybe shouldn't be cut this summer.

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report is predicting that the Cowboys, with their strong edge rusher depth, will release former 2nd-round pick Sam Williams in an unfortunate roster move prior to the 2026 season.

Cowboys predicted to cut ties with Sam Williams amid crowded edge rusher group

"Williams may have to jump-start his career elsewhere," Davenport writes. "... Williams would no doubt quickly get scooped up, but the truth is there may not be room for him in Dallas anymore."

This would be an unfortunate decision for the Cowboys, but Williams, the 27-year-old edge rusher who's played in 49 games across three seasons with 9.5 total sacks, would make sense as someone to cut ties with.

Williams could only be released by the Cowboys, as Davenport is predicting, for one reason: their stacked depth chart.

Rashan Gary and Donovan Ezeiruaku are two solid starters, and rookie Malachi Lawrence and recent free agent signing Von Miller are two high-quality depth options.

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Behind those four, James Houston, Marist Liufau, and Williams could make the NFL roster. But it might be hard to justify keeping all seven of these edge rushers.

Keeping six, with three pairs of edge rushers, would make sense. A seventh, though, might not work. With Liufau's special teams role, it might come down to Houston vs. Williams.

Of these three potential cut candidates, Davenport is predicting Williams would be the one released by Dallas, as Houston's eight-sack 2022 rookie season in seven games is something worth chasing.

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