We are so close to the Cowboys finalizing their 53-man roster.
With their preseason finale on Saturday afternoon and roster cuts due on Tuesday, the Dallas Cowboys don’t have much time left for personnel decisions. By this point, the majority of the roster is already written in stone and other spots are very predictable. But there’s still a bubble until final cuts, and today we’ll consider which players could still help or hurt their chances.
A couple of weeks ago, we gave you 34 players to consider as “roster locks” even before the preseason began. Here’s a quick reminder:
OFFENSE: Prescott, Dowdle, Luepke, Lamb, Cooks, Tolbert, Ferguson, Schoonmaker, Guyton, Steele, Beebe, Hoffman, Martin, T. Smith
DEFENSE: Parsons, Lawrence, Kneeland, Odighizuwa, M. Smith, Kendricks, Overshown, Clark, Liufau, Diggs, Bland, Lewis, Carson, Hooker, Wilson, Thomas, Bell
SPECIAL: Aubrey, Anger, Sieg
That list is still intact, and there are a few more names we’d add at this point like WR KaVontae Turpin, WR Jalen Brooks, and OL Asim Richards. One player, OL Chuma Edoga, will almost certainly start the year on injured reserve so doesn’t factor. We also now have to account for the recent veteran additions: DE Carl Lawsons and DTs Jordan Phillips and Linval Joseph. That would take us to 40 spots we’re ready to call, leaving only 13 for the rest of the pack to fight over.
Even then, you can earmark a few spots for certain positions. We didn’t name either Cooper Rush or Trey Lance as locks at that time, holding open the possibility that Dallas might only go with one backup quarterback. That feels less likely now, so both are probably making the 53. You also know at least one more tight end, one or two more running backs, and and guys to fill out other positions will comprise the remainder of the roster.
So what’s still up for grabs and who has a shot? Where do competitions still exist as we head into these final, crucial days?
Running Back
It’s hard to imagine Ezekiel Elliott won’t be on the Week 1 roster, especially after Dallas has sat him in the first two preseason games like other key players. But with little positive coming out of how Zeke’s looked in training camp, could Royce Freeman and Deuce Vaughn still squeeze him out?
Vaughn is probably making it either way. He’s the Cowboys’ only real change-of-pace option from what Dowdle, Zeke, and Freeman do. Unless he shows some major ball security issues or other problems against the Chargers, Vaughn makes sense to complete the backfield and bring more variety to the offense.
At that point, it’s really Elliott versus Freeman and I doubt we’d have imagined it a few months ago. When Dallas reunited with Zeke shortly after signing Freeman, it seemed like one veteran was replacing the other. But if Freeman is outplaying Zeke, which most camp reports have suggested, how far will the Cowboys’ loyalty go?
Wide Receiver
Will Dallas even keep a sixth receiver? If they have Vaughn and a WR/TE hybrid in John Stephens, maybe they don’t need to. But if so, the battle between Ryan Flournoy, Tyron Billy-Johnson, Jalen Cropper, and others may go right until the last practice snap.
Flournoy has a fresh rookie contract working in his favor, which is only preserved if Dallas keeps him on the roster. It’s a strong tiebreaker for him, but wouldn’t necessarily carry him over another prospect if there’s a clear outweighing of talent. While many of the prospects have had their moments, it’s hard to say one guy has just been singularly shining over the rest.
Tight End
We mentioned Stephens already and he’s certainly a frontrunner for the third spot, but it’s hard to say he’s created much separation from Peyton Hendershot or Princeton Fant. Dallas could go four deep at TE but also have the option of using FB Hunter Luepke in certain formations, which they already have this summer.
Keeping either a sixth WR or a fourth TE is probably one of the big decisions the Cowboys have to make next week. If they trust Stephens to handle the dirty work at TE, they probably go with another receiver. If they don’t think he can hold up in the trenches, they might hold on to Hendershot, Fant, or Brevyn Spann-Ford for more physical duties.
Offensive Line
With five starters and three key backups in Hoffman, Bass, and Richards, that’s already eight guys. They’re probably keeping at least one more, maybe two, so where does that leave everyone else?
Who you trust to play offensive tackle really dictates the rest of the conversation. If you’re good with Richards as the swing tackle until Edoga returns, plus the idea of moving Tyler Smith to LT in a pinch, then you can focus more on preserving a developmental prospect like rookie Nathan Thomas. If you’re more worried about LT depth, that may help Josh Ball to hang around a bit longer.
Defensive Line
With four spots dedicated to Parsons, Lawrence, Kneeland, and Lawson, the rest is anyone’s guess. At least one more pass rusher is likely, which should be either Al-Quadin Muhammad or Tyrus Wheat. For the likes of Chauncey Golston and Villiami Fehoko, who are more run defenders with some inside potential on passing downs, it will be how much their versatility is valued. With the recent additions at defensive tackle, they’re likely lean more toward the pass rushers.
You have a guaranteed four at DT now with Odighizuwa, Smith, Phillips, and the expected signing of Joseph. If there is a fifth guy, it’s probably rookie Justin Rogers for continued development. But if they think Rogers would make it to the practice squad, that might help them go longer at defensive end.
Linebacker
This one may be all wrapped up. With Kendricks, Overshown, Clark, and Liufau as your clear top-four, plus signs that Parsons may get used more at his official position than in past years, they may not need to keep one more. But if a fifth true LB does make the team, Willie Harvey Jr. seems to be running away with it so far. Veteran Damien Wilson has also made a case, so this one should come down to special teams work.
Defensive Backs
With eight guaranteed spots between the top four at both cornerback and safety, there’s little left for the other contenders. Guys with CB/S flex like Israel Mukuamu and Josh Butler could be tough to oust, but Eric Scott is still a good, young prospect. Dallas also is just getting to know Andrew Booth Jr. after the recent trade, and he’s solid showing against the Raiders probably helped his job security. You’ll probably see one more pure CB kept between Scott and Booth and then a spot for a guy who can also help at safety.