The Dallas Cowboys' practice squad is now complete. The key about forming the 10-man unit is to first remember once a player is cut, there's no guarantee they'll clear waivers to be available for a contract there -- should they be subject to that process. Veterans with at least four seasons of NFL service are not, and immediately become unrestricted free agents the moment they are let go. Those who haven't accrued such must go through the process of waiting 24 hours to see if they are scooped by another club, their immediate future not even remotely in their hands. The bad news for the youthful Cowboys is the large majority of those they released ahead of the mandatory NFL deadline are, in fact, at the mercy of the waiver system. This matters because anyone they were hopeful to sign to the practice squad could be long gone by the time the 24-hour window expires. And so, here we are, days later and now taking a look at who wasn't good enough to make an NFL team's active roster, but have the potential to keep their hopes alive. No released Cowboys were claimed off of waivers, leaving them all fair game, should they choose to ink a deal with the team. The practice squad is now intact and by the looks of it -- following a wild-and-crazy roster cutdown -- the Cowboys have got to be all smiles.<doc-sep>ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 26: Lance Lenoir #14 of the Dallas Cowboys shakes off Breon Borders #31 of the Oakland Raiders as he runs the ball in for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of a preseason game at AT&T Stadium on August 26, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) A day after making some shocking cuts to get down to 53 players, the Dallas Cowboys announced their practice squad signings, let’s look at those players Many Dallas Cowboys fans are likely still in shock today as the news from their 53-man roster cuts is still fresh. Obviously, the one that shook most people was the unexpected release of kicker Dan Bailey. While Bailey did struggle with accuracy and health in 2017, he’s still the second-most accurate kicker of all-time and all reports had suggested he was healthy entering 2018. Bailey wasn’t the only move that shocked some people. The Cowboys also let go of several offseason acquisitions that they were reportedly very happy about. Defensive end Kony Ealy, defensive tackle Jihad Ward, and wide receiver Deonte Thompson were all cut as the roster was being trimmed. Another interesting move had the Cowboys going with just two running backs as Darius Jackson and Bo Scarbrough were both released — which ended the speculation about which of the two earned that third and supposed final spot. Many of the players released are eligible to make the team’s 10-man practice squad, and news about those additions slowly trickled in on Sunday. Before that happened though, Dallas made a couple waiver claims and corresponding releases. Claimed: Safety Ibraheim Campbell and center Adam Redmond Waived: Guard Kadeem Edwards and defensive tackle Brian Price So far, here are the names added to the Dallas Cowboys practice squad for 2018. Players named to the practice squad Offensive tackle Jake Campos Running back Jordan Chunn Running back Darius Jackson Wide receiver Lance Lenoir Wide receiver Dres Anderson Cornerback Donovan Olumba Linebacker Kyle Queiro and Defensive end Charles Tapper What does the team tell us? Being honest? This tells us very little. What we do know is none of the players the Cowboys released on Saturday were claimed, so any calculated risks were made wisely. Having two running backs makes a lot of sense considering they went so slim at the position. Chances are a running back will be added to the main roster, which means there could be someone headed to IR — potentially a Noah Brown. The players who are most likely to make the roster and have an impact here are Charles Tapper and Darius Jackson. Both have played well in preseason games, and Tapper has displayed pass rush skills in regular season games as well. Each has also been limited by their own durability. Many were worried about the loss of Lance Lenoir when he was cut, but he landed safely back with the team. He’s still too raw and made a lot of mistakes — including two muffed punts in one game — during the preseason. He likely hangs out here all season with another shot at the roster next year. The most telling thing about this list is it’s incomplete. Dallas still has two open spots to fill to complete the roster. They could be waiting to see if Price and Edwards clear waivers, or possibly add their seventh-round pick Bo Scarbrough, the former Alabama power back.<doc-sep>
The Dallas Cowboys have filled the last spots on their practice squad, and (for the moment at least) are now set with the 53-man roster for the Carolina Panthers game after electing to not put Datone Jones on injured reserve. Here are the moves to round out the practice squad. The Cowboys signed DB Treston Decoud (Oregon State) and G Cody Wichmann (Fresno State) to the practice squad Tuesday. Dallas also released DE Charles Tapper (Oklahoma) from the practice squad. — Kate Hairopoulos (@khairopoulos) September 4, 2018 The Cowboys will opt to keep defensive tackle Datone Jones on the 53-man roster for now as he works back from a sprained knee, but they have added defensive tackle Aziz Shittu to the practice squad, according to sources. To make room for Shittu,... https://t.co/HMxgjKb2Wm — Todd Archer (@toddarcher) September 4, 2018 Just to get you all up to date, here is the full PS as of these signings: WR Dres Anderson T Jake Campos RB Jordan Chunn DB Treston Decoud WR Lance Lenoir CB Donovan Olumba LB Kyle Queiro* RB Bo Scarbrough DT Aziz Shittu G Cody Wichmann *Quiero played safety in college, and the team may move him back to that on the PS. This group is heavy at RB and WR, which may be for insurance purposes during the season, but may also represent the other function of the practice squad, which is to fill out the scout team without having to wear out your key players on the roster. While all the slots have been filled out, the PS is subject to at least as much churn as the 53-man roster, as it allows the Cowboys to bring players in for a longer evaluation at the low price of a week’s PS pay (currently $7,600 per week). And there is no minimum the team has to pay the way they do when they sign someone to the 53-man roster, where not only is the pay normally the league minimum based on that player’s number of seasons in the league, but the team also has to pay them a minimum of three week’s game checks. We will keep you informed of any changes to the roster or PS as they develop. So stay tuned.