For three seasons, Dallas Cowboys tight end Princeton Fant has been on the fringe of the team’s roster, a reliable special teams presence who often shuttles between the practice squad and the gameday roster. He was a running back when he entered college at Tennessee, but made the switch to tight end and signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
Fant has played 14 total offensive snaps in his career, and played in only one game last season, logging 11 special teams snaps. Thus when the Cowboys released Fant in January, it appeared that his time on the fringe of the Dallas roster was over. But that changed on Friday when the team did, in fact, move to sign Fant back, though it still could be a long slog for him to make it to the team’s roster.
As the USA Today site Cowboys Wire noted, “At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, Fant has managed to do just enough to stick around in Dallas but has been stuck at the bottom of the depth chart, most recently behind starter Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, and Brevyn Spann-Ford in 2025.”
Cowboys Have Been Bringing Back Offensive Players
While we knew that the Cowboys would focus on defense during this NFL free agency period, it’s still strange to say that Fant is only the third offensive player the Cowboys have made a move on this week. The Cowboys brought in new reserve quarterback Sam Howell (and released Will Grier), and signed a backup offensive lineman, Matt Hennessy.
Previously, the Cowboys had re-signed running back Javonte Williams and put the franchise tag on star receiver George Pickens. They also gave a second-round reserve tender to TJ Bass, indicating their intention to keep him in place.
At this point, though, the offense has seen only two new additions, and the return of Fant after his release.
Cowboys Defense Adding Personnel
The Cowboys defense has been a different story. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker is changing the team’s defensive look, and the front office vowed to upgrade the talent to match. Whether that’s been accomplished can be argued, no doubt.
Here’s where things stand in terms of additions there, with two notable subtractions after the trades of Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas.
- Traded for edge rusher Rashan Gary
- Signed safety Jalen Thompson
- Signed safety P.J. Locke
- Signed DT Otito Ogbonnia
- Signed edge rusher Tyrus Wheat
- Signed CB Cobie Durant
- Re-signed edge rusher Sam Williams
More Moves Coming?
The Cowboys did net a third-round pick from the 49ers in the trade for Odighizuwa, as well as significant salary savings–San Francisco is taking on Odighizuwa’s contract. That could open up some trade possibilities for the Cowboys.
On Thursday, team owner Jerry Jones hinted as much.
Said Jones, via the Forth Worth Star-Telegram: “Very tough [to trade Odighizuwa] to some degree, he has such high character. He’s done such an amazing job in his career. [Some might say] well, aren’t you going the wrong way when people of his quality, his caliber, aren’t on the team? But that’s the reason we were able to get what we thought was a really beneficial result for the team. We got [a third-round draft pick] that’ll be very helpful to us, and … let’s just put those resources that we’re going to spend there [at] some other spots we need help.”
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