Cowboys latest roster move has the OBJ sirens blaring

The Dallas Cowboys have been in hot pursuit of Odell Beckham Jr. but their latest roster move is quite interesting in how it could relate to OBJ.

One thing that is without question, the Dallas Cowboys want to sign Odell Beckham Jr. The franchise at virtually every turn has taken available opportunities to express interest in the free-agent receiver.

Now, one of their latest roster moves could be connected to OBJ, though perhaps not in the most obvious manner.

On Tuesday, the Cowboys waived veteran defensive end Tarell Basham, who had played just 33 snaps for Dallas this season after an injury early in the year and then returning a couple of weeks ago.

Now, some might look at this as clearing up a roster spot for Odell Beckham Jr. And in part, that might be some of the case. However, it does not mean that Dallas is about to sign the wide receiver right now.

Cowboys releasing Tarell Basham could be connected to OBJ

In actuality, what waiving Basham likely does is make the way for the Cowboys to promote former first-round pick Takkarist McKinley from the practice squad to the 53-man roster after they recently added the former Falcons edge rusher. That’s the short-term ramifications of this decision.

But if you zoom out, this could still have some connection to OBJ and how the Cowboys plan to operate moving forward.

By releasing Basham and then promoting McKinley, Dallas is saving approximately $1.6 million on the cap, which is money that the team could use to then lure Beckham to Dallas once the receiver begins going on visits starting in the next week. Moreover, if the Cowboys are confident in a rotation of Demarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong and Sam Williams, perhaps McKinley is also expendable — especially if he doesn’t perform — to clear that roster spot for OBJ.

All told, what we’ll see immediately from the Cowboys releasing Basham has nothing to do with Beckham. That changes, however, when you look at the financial implications and how that could play into negotiations with OBJ.