Cowboys release veteran RB, trim roster to 53

After some late trades and signings, the Cowboys joined in the NFL’s mass exodus of players to get their roster down to 53 players:

Released:

• RB Royce Freeman
• LB Darius Harris
• DE Carl Lawson
• C Dakoda Shepley
• LB Nick Vigil

Waived:

• T Josh Ball
• DB Josh Butler
• RB Snoop Conner
• WR Jalen Cropper
• RB Malik Davis
• DT Denzel Daxon
• TE Princeton Fant
• DB Kemon Hall
• WR Kelvin Harmon
• DB Emany Johnson
• WR Racey McMath
• LB Brock Mogensen
• DT Justin Rogers
• DB Julius Wood

Placed on IR:

• T Nathan Thomas

Placed on IR (designated for return):

• CB DaRon Bland

A number of veterans who were hoping to make the team in Dallas this year saw that hope come to an end. Freeman couldn’t compete with the young backups behind Ezekiel Elliott. Lawson couldn’t contribute to a depleted defensive line, either.

Rogers, the team’s seventh-round pick out of Auburn, is the only drafted rookie to be waived, though Thomas, the team’s other seventh-round pick out of Louisiana, will miss the entire season on injured reserve.

Brevyn Spann-Ford didn’t end up getting drafted, but the 24-year-old, 6-foot-7 tight end out of Minnesota will be the fourth tight end on the roster to start the year.