IRVING, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys have released veteran safety Patrick Watkins.
The Cowboys made three moves Tuesday to get down to the NFL-mandated 75 players. The final roster cuts to 53 players have to be made by Saturday.
Dallas placed tight end John Phillips on injured reserve with a tear in his right knee, and put linebacker Stephen Hodge on the physically unable to perform list with an injured left knee.
Watkins was a fifth-round pick by Dallas in 2006. He started 10 of his 49 games and was a special-teams standout, with 116 career tackles with four interceptions.
Phillips was injured in the preseason opener. Hodge, a 2009 draft pick, had microfracture surgery last September and still hasn’t played a game for the Cowboys.