Roster Shake-Up? 3 Cowboys Who Should Be Among Schottenheimer's 'Notable' Changes

Broderick Jones has played nine offensive snaps.

Michael Trigg hasn't dressed for a game that counts.

And first-round pick Malachi Lawrence has watched nearly two-thirds of Dallas' defensive snaps from the sideline.

Five games into a 2-3 season, Brian Schottenheimer is promising "notable" changes to the Cowboys' roster. He has a few places to look.

"There will be some roster adjustments. ... Some will be notable, and some will be subtle," Schottenheimer said Monday, as Patrik Walker reported.

The comments follow Thursday's 24-16 loss to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dallas also added Mike Pettine as a senior defensive assistant, giving Christian Parker another experienced voice.

The coaching change is official. The roster changes remain a mystery … but three players have cases for bigger opportunities.

Michael Trigg is still on the practice squad, watching a tight end group that hasn't produced much yardage.

The undrafted Baylor product caught four passes for 30 yards in Dallas' preseason opener against Seattle, but Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford earned the initial roster spots.

And how has that worked out?

Ferguson has 15 catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 6.8 yards per reception. The scores matter, but so do his two drops on 21 targets and 49.0 overall Pro Football Focus grade. His 49.4 receiving grade ranked last among 31 qualifying tight ends in the figures reviewed.

Schoonmaker has three receptions for 30 yards; Spann-Ford has three for 33, although his blocking provides value. That's 21 catches for 165 yards from the group through five games.

Trigg, meanwhile, caught 50 passes for 694 yards and six touchdowns in his final Baylor season, earning recognition as a John Mackey Award finalist.

His blocking needs work, and college numbers aren't NFL production. But nobody needs to hand him Ferguson's job.

A temporary practice-squad elevation would let Schottenheimer see whether Trigg can add something as a receiver. After five weeks, that's hardly an outrageous experiment.

READ MORE: Cowboys Must Bench Jake Ferguson; How's Jerry Jones Not See That?

Dallas traded for Broderick Jones in August, announced a competition with Terence Steele at right tackle … and gave Jones nine offensive snaps through five games.

That's some competition.

Steele has played 324 of Dallas' 325 offensive snaps. And his performance hasn't exactly made the decision automatic.

Entering Week 5, Steele carried a 57.3 PFF grade, ranking 58th among 69 qualifying tackles. His 61.4 pass-blocking grade ranked 54th, while his 52.8 run-blocking grade ranked 57th. He had allowed six pressures and one sack in 178 pass-blocking snaps.

Jones isn't a guaranteed improvement. He underwent surgery following a neck injury that ended his 2025 season, and he's barely played for Dallas.

Still, the Cowboys surrendered 2027 third- and sixth-round picks to acquire Jones and a 2027 fourth-rounder. Schottenheimer even called Steele to explain the competition.

Five games later, it's fair to wonder when Jones will get a meaningful chance to compete. Replacing Steele would certainly qualify as notable.

Rashan Gary might have the clearest reason to look over his shoulder.

Schottenheimer acknowledged Friday that Dallas would revisit its outside linebacker rotation. Through Week 4, Lawrence led the Cowboys with a 20.5 percent pass-rush win rate, according to PFF data cited by Blogging the Boys. He generated five pressures on just 42 pass-rushing snaps.

Against Tampa Bay, the rookie recorded his first career sack and a pass defended in 27 defensive snaps.

Gary played 50.

Through five games, Gary has played 223 defensive snaps to Lawrence's 117, nearly double the workload. Gary has just one sack, although he led Dallas with four pressures against Tampa Bay — evidence that he's contributing beyond the box score.

This doesn't require benching him. Shifting 10 or 15 snaps to Lawrence could give Dallas a longer look at its first-round investment while retaining Gary's experience.

Pettine's history with Gary in Green Bay could help Dallas sort out the rotation. But Lawrence has already made a case for more playing time.

READ MORE: 'Growing Pains'? Cowboys' Schottenheimer In Denial On Christian Parker Failure

Schottenheimer might have different changes in mind. But Trigg, Jones and Lawrence each represent an opportunity the Cowboys have barely explored through five games.

If Trigg stays on the practice squad, Jones keeps watching Steele and Lawrence remains behind Gary, Dallas had better have something else planned.

Otherwise, "notable" might be a difficult word to explain.