Dallas Cowboys have a strong reason to believe one of their riskiest roster decisions will turn out just fine
The Cowboys took a calculated risk.
The Dallas Cowboys let go one of their most exciting rookies of the preseason as part of Tuesday’s barrage of roster cuts, undrafted wide receiver Traeshon Holden.
The response from fans has been a predictable one. Holden became a fan favorite rookie as soon as he signed with the Cowboys in undrafted free agency. It wasn’t hard to see why: The front office had neglected the wide receiver position through free agency frenzy and through seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. This was before George Pickens entered the scene in May.
For a while, Holden was the only hope Cowboys fans had for improvement at the wide receiver position. This inevitably turned him into someone many fans expected to see on the 53-man roster in September. A strong training camp from the former Oregon Duck only boosted expectations.
Now that he’s been waived though, fans are naturally concerned at the prospect of losing him before the Cowboys get a chance to sign him to the practice squad. As all waived rookies do, Holden will go through waivers and the Cowboys can’t control if another team puts a claim for him on Wednesday. However, I believe Holden’s chances of going unclaimed are higher than people expect. Dallas probably feels the same way and they have a crystal clear reason to do so.
Cowboys have a $3,000 reason to believe Holden will clear waivers
When the Cowboys signed Holden in undrafted free agency, they only guaranteed him $3,000. For context, the Cowboys UDFA with the second-lowest guaranteed money was safety Bruce Harmon at $40,000. The highest-paid one, Alijah Clark, signed for $259,000 guaranteed. Cornerback Zion Childress, who made the cut, got $1350,000 in guaranteed money.
In other words, back in May, there wasn’t a lot of competition going on to sign Holden post draft. Otherwise, Dallas would’ve had to open the wallet a tad more to land him. Are four preseason catches in three games enough to change how the NFL perceives the young receiver? I wouldn’t bet on it. Keep in mind, if teams claim a player, he must land on the 53-man roster spot. Those are very dear to every front office.
I’m aware this could age very by Wednesday noon. In 2023, for instance, the Cowboys lost edge rusher Isaiah Land to waivers. Perhaps an NFL team ravenous for WR help could target the former Duck. But even if Holden is claimed, the overall point stands: The Cowboys didn’t have competition to land him in May. Risking him to waivers isn’t as bad of a bet as many are making it out to be.
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