The Dallas Cowboys are widely expected to be one of the NFL’s most explosive offensive teams heading into 2026, and you can understand why.
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens comprise arguably the league’s most lethal wide receiver duo, Javonte Williams had quite the resurgence at running back in 2025 and Dak Prescott is typically always among the game’s most prolific passers.
But because the Cowboys have so much depth on the offensive side of the ball, some established players could find themselves on the chopping block when it comes time to trim the roster to 53 players.
Randy Gurzi of Cowboys on SI recently ran down his projections as Dallas enters training camp with a 90-man roster, and he feels that Marquez Valdes-Scantling — who won a pair of Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs — could be on the bubble.
“While [KaVontae] Turpin won’t have a prominent role on offense, he’s locked in because of his special teams value,” Gurzi wrote. “MVS, [Traeshon] Holden and [Jonathan] Mingo are the top competitors for the final spots. MVS and Holden are the ones we’d pick out of those three.”
While Gurzi does ultimately feel that Valdes-Scantling could sneak on to the Cowboys’ roster, the fact that he will have to fight for a spot is certainly notable.
Valdes-Scantling played for two different teams in 2025, logging 14 catches for 120 yards and a touchdown in 10 games between the San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The 31-year-old is most known for his four-year stretch with the Green Bay Packers between 2018 and 2021, when he cemented himself as one of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite targets.
However, Valdes-Scantling’s most memorable moments came in Kansas City, especially when he caught a pivotal touchdown pass in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory over the 49ers back in February 2024.
Overall, Valdes-Scantling’s production has definitely dropped off in recent years, and with Dallas being so loaded at wide receiver, the Cowboys may decide that parting ways with him would be best.
That being said, it would be valuable to have his experience on the roster, especially if Dallas ends up making the postseason.
It should be noted that all of Lamb, Pickens, Ryan Flournoy and Turpin seem like sure-fire locks to make the team. Perhaps Valdes-Scantling can steal one of the final wide receiver slots.
