Schottenheimer Says Cowboys Will Be 'Active' During Waiver Period After Roster Cuts

The Dallas Cowboys plan to spend the waiver period following roster cuts on Tuesday bolstering their roster for the season ahead.

Per ESPN's Todd Archer, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said the waiver period would be a "second draft" for Dallas.

"I think we will definitely be active," he said. "What does that mean? I don't know how many new faces there will be here compared to how many guys we bring back. But we're open for business."

The deadline to cut players and trim the roster down to 53 players was Tuesday afternoon, so the Cowboys' initial 53-man roster is now set. The full list of players who were cut can be found here.

While plenty of players were cut on Tuesday, many have the chance to return to either the Cowboys' roster or the practice squad. Schottenheimer said he hopes the players cut from Dallas' roster can use the feedback they were given to improve and return to the team.

"It was hard to sit down in front of those guys and be honest and tell them the why, tell them the things they do well, tell them the areas that they can improve," Schottenheimer told reporters. "I think that's important because anytime you have those hard conversations, whether they're back or not back… they hopefully can use a thing that they're given the feedback about to improve themselves as a player."

While Schottenheimer hopes to see familiar faces return, there's also plenty of talent to be found elsewhere after teams parted ways with players who didn't fit into their plans.

What exactly the Cowboys hope to find is the question heading into the final stretch before the start of the regular season.

Perhaps the biggest question Dallas is facing has less to do with who isn't on the roster and more to do with who is. Star pass rusher Micah Parsons' status looms as he remains a hold-in with just a few weeks left before the start of the season. The two sides reportedly had a lengthy conversation this week, which could be a good sign that things are getting closer to being sorted out.

In the meantime, the Cowboys will look to ensure their defense can manage in the event Parsons continues his hold-in into the regular season.