Dallas Cowboys Make Final Decisions on Roster Ahead of Regular Season
The exhibition season has come to a close for the Dallas Cowboys, and now the team must shift their focus to the regular season. Head coach Mike McCarthy chose to sit out the team’s top players during Saturday’s matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, except for the rookies who needed more playing time. McCarthy has made it clear that he believes in taking a cautious approach to the exhibition season, opting to protect his star players.
Now, it’s decision time for the coaching staff and front office. The Cowboys must select the 53 players who will make the regular season roster by 3:00 pm Central on Tuesday. Additionally, they will choose 16 players they hope to add to the practice squad. These final roster spots and practice squad selections go hand in hand as the team calculates which non-veterans they can expose to waivers and which ones they need to protect.
Certain veteran players, those with at least four years of experience, do not go through the waivers process. This allows the team to make handshake agreements with these players, ensuring they will be cut from the roster so the team can manipulate injury lists and game-day elevations.
Based on the current roster and the impending deadline, here is a prediction of how the Cowboys’ roster decision will shake out:
Quarterbacks:
– On the team: Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush, Trey Lance
– Cut: Will Grier
– Position Notes: The decision to include Lance on the roster was a surprise, but a pleasant one. Lance has shown upside and potential to be a gadget player who can regularly make the game-day roster once he becomes familiar with the playbook. Grier had an impressive showing, but he may be picked up by another team instead of becoming the fourth quarterback in Dallas.
Running Backs:
– On the team: Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke
– Cut to practice squad: Malik Davis
– Cut: Ronald Jones
– Position Notes: Luepke took full advantage of his opportunity in Saturday’s game and impressed, but the Cowboys decide not to take the risk of him being claimed by another team. Davis will likely be added to the practice squad.
Wide Receivers:
– On the team: CeeDee Lamb, Brandik Cooks, Michael Gallup, Kavontae Turpin, Jalen Tolbert
– Cut to practice squad: Jalen Brooks, Dontario Drummond, Jalen Moreno-Cropper
– Going to PUP/NFI/Season-ending IR: David Durden
– Cut: Communication Sim, Dennis Houston, Jose Barbon, Tyron Johnson
– Position Notes: Drummond was a close call for the final roster, but the Cowboys prioritize other positions. They expect to keep more members of the 2021 draft class at other spots, and the wide receivers are not a major concern in terms of being claimed by other teams.
Tight Ends:
– On the team: Jake Ferguson, Peyton Hendershot, Luke Cleaner
– Cut to practice squad: Sean McKeon
– Going to PUP/NFI/Season-ending IR: John Stephens
– Cut: Seth Green, Princeton Fant
– Position Notes: Stephens’ ACL injury is unfortunate, but the team decides to keep the veteran McKeon on the practice squad. The Cowboys may still look to make moves at the tight end position.
Offensive Line:
– On the team: Tyron Smith, Terence Steele, Matt Waletzko
– Cut to practice squad: Earl Bostick Jr., Alex Taylor
– Cut: Chuma Edoga
– Position Notes: The projected offensive line group is unlikely to be the final setup for the Cowboys. Expect the team to make a trade or sign a veteran, even if it doesn’t happen until after Week 1.
Defensive Line:
– On the team: Zack Martin, Tyler Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Matt Farniok, Asim Richards, TJ Bass
– Making it, but moving to IR: Josh Ball
– Cut to practice squad: Alec Lindstrom
– Cut: Brock Hoffman
– Position Notes: Ball’s injury will keep him out for two months, but the team wants to give him more time to prove himself before giving up on him. The Cowboys may release other vested veterans and then bring them back once Ball is placed on IR.
Linebackers:
– On the team: DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, Sam Williams, Dante Fowler, Isaiah Land
– Cut: Ben Banogu, Durrell Johnson
– Position Notes: Land’s performance has been impressive, and other teams may be interested in claiming him. The signing bonus he received as an undrafted free agent shows that there was interest in him during the offseason. Land may get more playing time in the final exhibition game to see how he performs against higher-level competition.
Cornerbacks:
– On the team: Trevon Diggs, Stephon Gilmore, DaRon Bland, Eric Scott Jr., Kelvin Joseph
– Making it, but moving to IR: Nahshon Wright
– Cut to practice squad: Josh Butler
– Going to PUP/NFI/Season-ending IR: Jourdan Lewis
– Cut: Myles Brooks
– Position Notes: The Cowboys choose to keep a deep cornerback group, including Wright, who will be placed on IR for the first week of the season. This decision opens up a spot for the return of CJ Goodwin, but Goodwin could also be added to the final practice squad spot and be elevated for Week 1 if needed.
Safeties:
– On the team: Donovan Wilson, Malik Hooker, Jayron Kearse, Israel Mukuamu, Markquese Bell, Juanyeh Thomas
– Going to PUP/NFI/Season-ending IR: Sheldon Redwine
– Cut to practice squad: Tyler Coyle
– Cut: De’Angelo Mandell
– Position Notes: The safety position is deep, and Donovan Wilson’s readiness for Week 1 remains uncertain. However, the Cowboys do not immediately move him to IR. Thomas has been exceptional throughout the preseason and earns a spot on the final roster.
Special Teams:
– On the team: Bryan Anger, Brandon Aubrey
– Cut but coming right back: CJ Goodwin
– Cut to practice squad: Trent Victory
– Position Notes: Anger will be elevated for the first week and eventually move to the permanent roster once a player is moved to IR. Goodwin will have a similar arrangement if the team only moves Ball to returnable IR.