Dallas Cowboys cut standout rookie in under 24 hours after he made the 53-man roster in a risky move

I did not see that one coming. On Wednesday, the Dallas Cowboys cut undrafted rookie Zion Childress after the cornerback made the initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, per ESPN's Todd Archer.

Childress, a preseason standout, was the only Cowboys' undrafted rookie that survived cuts. And for good reason. The former Kentucky Wildcat was sticky in coverage and physical defending the run. He also showed off a knack for blitzing, often pressuring the quarterback over three preseason games.

However, the Cowboys claimed two defensive backs in the initial waiver wire period on Wednesday: Trikweze Bridges and Reddy Stewart.

It appears the Cowboys are much higher on the two newcomers than on Childress. The team could've opened multiple roster spots by placing CB Caelen Carson and RB Phil Mafah on Injured Reserve as expected. Instead, it's cutting Childress and CB Andrew Booth.

For Childress to land back on the Cowboys, he needs to clear waivers to be signed to Dallas' practice squad. That could be a tough task as the rookie put on impressive film over the course of the preseason. We'll see if he goes unclaimed.

Earlier in the preseason, Childress appeared a legitimate candidate to start at nickel in Week 1 while Dallas navigated injuries to the position. Ahead of next week's matchup versus the Philadelphia Eagles, there's a chance Trevon Diggs is able to play, which would pair him outside with newcomer Kaiir Elam. In such a scenario, DaRon Bland would take over the slot.

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