IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys have waived 2013 fourth-round pick B.W. Webb, the team announced Thursday afternoon.
The roster move comes just hours before the Cowboys are set to kick off their preseason finale against the Denver Broncos in AT&T Stadium. With the NFL roster limit currently at 75, the Cowboys needed to release a player to make room for running back Phillip Tanner, who is expected to play a role against Denver.
Webb was drafted No. 114 overall out of William & Mary last spring, and injuries in the secondary forced him into action as a rookie – primarily at nickelback. He finished 2013 with 16 tackles, but he struggled often in pass coverage.
This cut comes just two days after the Cowboys decided to part ways with another fourth-round pick and fellow defensive back. The team waived/injured safety Matt Johnson as part of its preliminary cuts on Tuesday. Injuries prevented Johnson from ever playing a regular season game for the Cowboys. [embedded_ad]
The decision to release Webb further opens up what was already a secondary that will look very different from what many expected on Sept. 7 against San Francisco. Starting corner and veteran nickelback Orlando Scandrick has been suspended the first month of the season for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy, and word came down Thursday that safety Jakar Hamilton had suffered a similar fate.
Neither player will be eligible to return to the team until Monday, Sept. 29, following the Cowboys' Week 4 game against New Orleans.
With Webb gone after just 15 career games in Dallas, it looks likely that this year's Week 1 secondary will feature just five of the 10 defensive backs that opened the season in 2013 – Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne, Barry Church, J.J. Wilcox and Jeff Heath.
The cornerback position specifically will have several new faces when the season opens. Behind Carr and Claiborne, journeyman Sterling Moore and rookies Terrance Mitchell and Tyler Patmon all have strong chances to make the 53-man roster. The Cowboys will also get a look at fellow rookie Jemea Thomas, who they claimed off waivers this week, against the Broncos.
