Perrion Winfrey
Getty
The Dallas Cowboys are moving on from a talented defender.
The Dallas Cowboys are making moves but some players are on the outside looking in when it comes to the team’s future plans. Dallas cut ties with a promising defender just days before NFL free agency starts on Monday, March 9, 2026.
The Cowboys released a former fourth-round pick in a move revealed on the NFL’s daily transaction wire. Dallas released defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey as the team prepares for NFL free agency. The move saves the Cowboys more than $1 million in cap space with free agency just around the corner.
“The Dallas Cowboys have waived DT Perrion Winfrey,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris detailed in a March 5, message on X. “He appeared in one game last season after making his way back to the NFL through the UFL. The move saves the team $1.075 million toward the cap in 2026.”
Winfrey was unable to carve out a regular role in Dallas. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive tackle played in just one game this season while appearing in a total of 15 contests during his four NFL seasons.
Here’s what you need to know about the latest Cowboys news.
Perrion Winfrey Played Just 1 Game for the Cowboys Before Being Released
Winfrey was originally selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft after a standout college football career at Oklahoma. The defender played in 13 games notching 22 tackles, two quarterback hits and two pass deflections during his rookie season in 2022. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein projected Winfrey to be a second- to third-round pick ahead of the draft.
“Winfrey looks the part and will impress with his body type at the NFL Scouting Combine,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile of Winfrey. “However, he’s frequently late off the ball. A tight lower half and disappointing lateral agility make him a liability against move-blocking schemes.
“He does, however, have an explosive get-off and heavy hands. His flashes at the Senior Bowl improved his draft stock and made teams take notice. He has some hit-or-miss elements to his game but has good rotational value with a chance to become an eventual starter.”
Prior to being released, Winfrey was on a two-year, $2 million contract that was slated to go through the 2026 season.
The Cowboys Are Working With New DC Christian Parker to Revamp the Team’s Defensive Roster
The move was clearly a cost-saving decision for Dallas, but it also likely indicates that the defender may not have been the best fit in new defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s system. Parker has been in discussion with the Cowboys front office discussing his ideal fits for the defense.
“We’ve had general conversations to begin with, but you know he wants good players and he wants smart players, which every coach does,” Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay said of Parker, per DallasCowboys.com.
“We’ll get down to the nitty gritty once they get the rest of the staff together, but we talked about our roster. He has a vision for the guys that we have, so it’s off to a good start right now.”