Once the Dallas Cowboys finalized their 53-man roster, it was clear they needed to bolster two positions: cornerback and defensive tackle. The tricky part about claiming players, though, is that they must immediately transfer to the 53-man roster, forcing teams to make sacrifices to create room.

And that is what happened when the Cowboys claimed defensive back Trikweze Bridges from the Chargers and nickel cornerback Reddy Steward from the Vikings. To make room, they waived undrafted star Zion Childress and veteran cornerback Andrew Booth.

Letting go of Childress, who impressed at every turn this summer, is questionable. It’s made even more problematic by the fact that Chargers fans were happy to see Bridges go after he was downright dreadful in the preseason.

New Cowboys CB Trikweze Bridges was not adored by Chargers fans

A seventh-round pick out of Florida this year, Bridges finished preseason action with a 47.6 PFF coverage grade after conceding 12 catches on 16 targets. He allowed the most receiving yards (212) among 77 qualified corners to go with a whopping 137.5 passer rating allowed and three missed tackles, per PFF.

Those numbers do not inspire any confidence, and they really make you wonder why the Cowboys would sacrifice a stud rookie like Childress for a struggling rookie who potentially could have been signed to the practice squad without using a waiver claim.

What Bridges does have, though, is size and length, two traits Dallas has coveted under vice president of player personnel Will McClay. His 6-foot-9 wingspan is rare for a defensive back and he offers the versatility to play zone corner or split safety.

You might be wondering why the Cowboys didn’t just keep Israel Mukuamu, who brings similar measurements and versatility to the table.

A sixth-round pick in 2021, Mukuamu was waived and was not signed back to the practice squad. That suggests both sides were ready to move on, but there’s a reason the fan base was stunned he didn’t make the initial 53.

The Cowboys clearly think they can work with Bridges’ traits. But that Chargers fans were more than happy to get rid of him speaks volumes. Add in that it cost Childress his roster spot and it’s really hard to warm up to the move.