The Dallas Cowboys continued to shake up their lackluster defense Wednesday, releasing defensive tackle Dontari Poe and defensive back Daryl Worley a day after they traded defensive end Everson Griffen to Detroit for a conditional draft pick in 2021.

The Cowboys had also been looking into dealing Poe and Worley but were unable to find trade partners for either player, according to multiple reports.

Dallas owner Jerry Jones contended Poe's release was because of his weight and disappointing production and not due to his being the only Cowboy to kneel for the national anthem before games.

"When you're 30 pounds overweight and you're not doing anything about what's keeping you from performing well on the field, there is no reason to get into the other stuff," Jones told ESPN. "We have a platform here, but the platform on the football field has a high standard, and he was not up to the standard.

"He needed to correct that, and he did not. I'm going to leave it at that."

The 30-year-old Poe signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract in March but he has just seven tackles and no sacks despite playing 266 snaps, the most of any Cowboys interior lineman this season.

Worley, 25, hasn't been that much better, totaling 14 tackles in seven games (four starts) this season for a Cowboys defense that ranks dead last in the league in points (34.7) and rushing yards (178.3) allowed per game.

A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Poe has 285 tackles and 20.5 sacks in 128 career games (125 starts) with the Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Cowboys.

Worley has 257 tackles, five interceptions and two sacks in 63 career games (53 starts) with the Panthers, then-Oakland Raiders and Cowboys.

--Field Level Media