Hypothetical NFL expansion team poaches Dallas Cowboys' former starter whose roster spot is already in jeopardy anyway

Stuff like this has happened in NFL history and it could very well happen again. If the league was to announce another expansion in the future, that team would get the opportunity to "draft" players on other teams' rosters—including the Dallas Cowboys—to fill its own. 

After all, imagine how tough it would be to build a competitive squad otherwise. All the talent is already taken!

Well, as we wait for the offseason to be over, we like to have some fun at A to Z Sports. That's why my colleague Wendell Ferreira took on the challenge to mock an entire offseason for a hypothetical 33rd team and asked every writer on the site to leave 12 players unprotected (under certain rules) that could then be picked for his new team, which he named the St. Louis Arches. 

I was in charge of picking the 12 Cowboys that were up for grabs and in his official team-building simulation, Ferreira poached one Cowboys defender from the team's 91-man roster: Linebacker Damone Clark. 

Before we dive into Clark's current context with the team and why he could be on his way out anyway, here's a recap of the other 11 players I left unprotected:

• QB Will Grier
• RB Miles Sanders
• DL Earnest Brown IV
• CB Troy Pride Jr. 
• TE John Stephens
• OL Hakeem Adeniji
• EDGE Tyrus Wheat
• LB Buddy Johnson
• LB Darius Harris
• CB Andrew Booth Jr.
• OT Matt Waletzko

Damone Clark's roster spot is genuinely in jeopardy

Losing Clark to an expansion team wouldn't be ideal but it wouldn't move the needle for expectations on the 2025 Cowboys. In fact, part of the reason why I left Clark "unprotected" for this hypothetical exercise is that I view him as a likely roster cut in August.

Clark oddly started 17 games for the Cowboys in 2023 before being benched by defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer upon his arrival in 2024. With Matt Eberflus onboard, it's still a mystery how he will perceive Clark but the addition of Jack Sanborn, Kenneth Murray, and rookie Shemar James via the Draft suggests Clark's spot on the depth chart is in question. 

Additionally, this is the final year on Clark's rookie contract, which means he's unlikely to remain in Dallas beyond this season anyways.

Now granted, training camp is the time to prove oneself and he will certainly have a shot. At least in real life, in Ferreira's hypothetical team, he's made it.