The Cowboys signed Kyle Orton as a free agent because they didn’t want Stephen McGee to be their backup quarterback in 2012.
They appear to be just fine with McGee remaining as their third-string quarterback, however. The team has announced their cuts down to the 53-man limit and McGee is not among them despite much speculation that his days in Dallas were coming to an end. Owner Jerry Jones even said that the team was entertaining trade offers for McGee, but when the time came they just couldn’t quit their 2009 fourth-round pick.
McGee is staying, but the same isn’t true for 22 other players. The Cowboys announced that they have waived defensive end Ben Bass, cornerback Lionel Smith, linebacker Orie Lemon, linebacker Adrian Hamilton, defensive end Clifton Geathers, safety Eddie Whitley, cornerback Teddy Williams, cornerback Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, defensive tackle Robert Calloway, wide receiver Saalim Hakim, wide receiver Danny Coale, running back Lance Dunbar, wide receiver Tim Benford, running back Jamize Olawale, quarterback Rudy Carpenter, tight end Andrew Szczerba, tackle Jeff Adams, offensive lineman Pat McQuistan and fullback Shaun Chapas. Guard Daniel Loper was waived-injured.
Coale, a fifth-round pick this year, was one of two draft picks to fall off the roster this summer. Seventh-round linebacker Caleb McSurdy did not survive Monday’s cut to 75 players.