The Dallas Cowboys’ initial 53-man roster is set in stone. Changes will surely follow over the next few days but for now, let’s look at the biggest surprises to emerge from roster cutdown day.

And as is often the case this time of the year, we’re starting by looking at someone who is not on the team.

Jaydon Blue’s departure is the biggest surprise

The biggest surprise of the Cowboys’ initial 53-man roster is running back Jaydon Blue not being on it. Blue was waived, and frankly, it’s hard to bet on him returning to the practice squad. We’ll see about that on Monday.

Here’s what makes this so notable: Israel Abanikanda wasn’t better than Blue. Phil Mafah wasn’t better than Blue. Heck, both were also waived. In other words, Blue kind of lost this battle to nobody. Sure, he lost the RB2 spot to Malik Davis, who emerged as the second-best running back on the roster behind Javonte Williams. But the Cowboys ended up going short at running back.

Blue losing this competition to himself strongly suggests this connects to whatever kept him inactive for most of the 2025 season. Him not playing at all on Friday night against the New Orleans Saints was telling in hindsight. At the time, the read was that Blue had secured his spot and Dallas didn’t want to risk injury.

Now it looks like there may have been a deeper issue, and the Cowboys decided Mafah and Abanikanda deserved those reps more than Blue did. We’ll probably learn more about this decision when Brian Schottenheimer speaks to reporters on Monday.

5 cornerbacks make the cut

Dallas carrying five cornerbacks was another surprise. The bigger shock is that fourth-round rookie Devin Moore isn’t among them. Instead, Caelen Carson and Ameer Speed made the cut.

Speed had a solid preseason, but both players feel like they’re already in danger of losing their recently secured roster spots. The key word is initial. This is the initial 53-man roster. The Cowboys are likely going to look for upgrades through the waiver wire or free agency. Adoree’ Jackson, who has been linked to Dallas earlier this offseason, remains available.

Carson struggled in the preseason with too many penalties and coverage issues, though he looked solid as a tackler. Speed stood out a bit more but still doesn’t inspire much confidence for regular season football. Moore heads to injured reserve with a designation to return, meaning Dallas isn’t ruling him out for 2026. But expect this cornerback room to look different by Week 1.

Alijah Clark emerges as the dark horse

Clark making the 53-man roster as the sixth safety was not on most people’s radar. When Markquese Bell was essentially confirmed as a roster lock after coach Brian Schottenheimer shouted him out as one of the team’s most trusted special teamers, the assumption was Dallas would stop at five safeties and Julius Wood would be the odd man out. The Cowboys did carry six, but it was Clark who grabbed that spot over Wood.

Before the preseason even started, Danny Phantom from Blogging the Boys asked on social media who everyone’s true dark horse was. My answer was Clark, based on special teams. Now, this was before Julius Wood became a fan favorite of the preseason.

But Clark had that high-effort play against the Philadelphia Eagles last season, that movie-like sequence where he’s falling to the ground, getting back up, fighting to make the tackle, forcing a strip fumble the Cowboys recovered in the red zone. With C.J. Goodwin no longer around, Dallas needs dogs on special teams. Clark might be that guy.