July 5, 2026, 6:02 a.m. CT
Traeshon Holden was one of the most difficult cuts for the Dallas Cowboys last training camp. The then-rookie UDFA starred in the team’s preseason work, as head coach Brian Schottenheimer held back his intended starters in the exhibition, opening the door for down-roster players to prove their worth in live competition.
Holden returned to the team, though, joining the practice squad in Dallas instead of looking for work elsewhere, and spent the season learning on Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams’ system. He’ll enter 2026 trying to ward off a new group of competitors to try and earn a down-roster spot.
It was an opportunity he wasn’t always assured to have, after needing bodycam footage to clear his name after being pepper sprayed in a Eugene incident while playing for the University of Oregon. Originally charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon, coercion and misdemeanor menacing, Holden was dismissed from the program, only to be reinstated when the footage proved he was actually de-escalating the situation and never made the threat the initial police report claimed he did.
Rundown
Position: Wide Receiver
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Age: 24
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 208 pounds
Hometown: Kissimmee, FL
High School: St Frances (Baltimore), Narbonne High (Los Angeles)
College: Oregon, Alabama (Film Study Video)
Draft: 2025 Undrafted Free Agent
Contract: Two-year contract (2026), $1.935 million
2026 Base Salary: $885,000, no guarantees
Career Earnings: $237,000 (per Over The Cap)
Profile
Holden wasn’t able to overcome the three Jalens: Tolbert, Brooks, and Cropper, last offseason. The Cowboys were on their way to a glorious offensive season featuring CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Kavontae Turpin and last season’s breakout player Ryan Flournoy. That cast is returning, and now Holden will have to beat out a new set of characters in his quest to make the 53-man roster.
Jonathan Mingo, who earned a spot based on contract last year, has no such leverage this training camp. Denzel Mims, Marquez Valdez-Scantling and Tyler Johnson are veterans who join the fray. Seventh rounder Anthony Smith leads a cabal of rookies lookig to make their marks, also including UDFAs Camden Brown and Jordan Hudson.
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