The first preseason game is in the books for the Dallas Cowboys. Two more preseason games remain, but things are slowly starting to take form when it comes to constructing the 53-man roster. Many players who were healthy scratches are safe, while those who logged several snaps are fighting for a spot on the team. Based on playing time, who’s running with which unit, and what they showed against the Los Angeles Rams, here is how the Cowboys roster might be shaping out.
QUARTERBACK (2)
Dak Prescott
Joe Milton
Practice squad: Will Grier (veteran)
This group is pretty set. The team has unwavering faith in second-year QB Joe Milton and hopes he’ll grow enough to be ready if Dak Prescott goes down. Third-stringer Will Grier has a fighting chance to make the team, and what he does these final two weeks could sway things, but he should be a relatively safe stash on the practice squad.
RUNNING BACK (4)
Javonte Williams
Jaydon Blue
Hunter Luepke
Phil Mafah
Practice squad: Miles Sanders (veteran)
The coaches have made it clear that Javonte Williams is currently the lead back, and it appears that rookie Jaydon Blue will be RB2. We also know the team loves fullback Hunter Luepke. The only thing left to sort out is who they keep after that. The Deuce Vaughn love has to end sometime, and this projection doesn’t even have him making the practice squad. A case can be made for both veteran Miles Sanders and rookie Phil Mafah, but their skill sets aren’t so unique that the team needs to keep both. Roster space is scarce, so we’re rolling with the rookie as the player they keep with Sanders an “elevate if needed” option on the practice squad.
TIGHT END (3)
Jake Ferguson
Luke Schoonmaker
Brevyn Spann-Ford
Practice squad: Rivaldo Fairweather and Princeton Fant
This feels relatively easy to sort out. The Cowboys have a slew of undrafted free agent candidates to fill out the practice squad, which is why they can afford to go short here. The practice squad is the trickiest part, as it could go several different ways. John Stephens Jr. and Tyler Neville are in consideration for practice squad spots as well. It all comes down to what the coaching staff values. Fairweather had a good game on Saturday and could be the team’s new space tight end option over the often-injured Stephens Jr..
WIDE RECEIVER (5)
CeeDee Lamb
George Pickens
KaVontae Turpin
Jalen Tolbert
Jonathan Mingo
Practice squad: Jalen Brooks, Ryan Flournoy, and Traeshon Holden
Jalen Brooks is hard to leave off the roster because the coaches love him, and he adds value on special teams. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make it. Second-year receiver Ryan Flournoy hasn’t shown enough to supplant any of these other guys and could use another year of development. This year’s camp highlight reel, Traeshon Holden, is a player to keep an eye on and is an early nominee for the “player who won’t make it through waivers, but ultimately does” award.
OFFENSIVE LINE (10)
Tyler Smith
Terence Steele
Cooper Beebe
Tyler Booker
Tyler Guyton
Brock Hoffman
Nate Thomas
T.J. Bass
Hakeem Adeniji
Saahdiq Charles
Practice squad: Asim Richards and Ajani Cornelius
While the starting five is filled with many young players who need time to grow as a unit, the depth the Cowboys have here is actually quite good. And it would be even better had veteran Rob Jones not been injured and lost for the season. Rounding out the players who make the team is not easy. They have so many solid choices that there might not be room for third-year utility lineman Asim Richards and rookie Ajani Cornelius. With a new coaching staff, we give precedence to the veterans they’ve added who have actually played pretty well. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Richards bump one of the bottom guys off the list, but Cornelius doesn’t look ready and would benefit from a year on the practice squad.
DEFENSIVE END (6)
Micah Parsons
Dante Fowler
Marshawn Kneeland
Donovan Ezeiruaku
Sam Williams
Payton Turner
Practice squad: Tyrus Wheat and James Houston (veteran)
As deep as the team’s offensive line is, it still doesn’t match the assortment of quality players that make up the defensive end position. It was hard leaving Tyrus Wheat off the roster as he’s an underrated depth piece who also plays special teams. It wouldn’t surprise us if he again makes the team. New free agent add James Houston is also a fan favorite, but there are only so many spots available. If the team is looking to exchange surplus at one position for a shortage at another (defensive tackle or cornerback), trading one of their defensive ends could be the answer.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE (4)
Osa Odighizuwa
Solomon Thomas
Mazi Smith
Jay Toia
Practice squad: Perrion Winfrey and Denzel Daxon (International Pathway Program)
Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas are good pieces for the 3-tech position group, but it’s a little hairy when you look at the nose spot. Mazi Smith isn’t showing the growth we’d hoped for. Rookie Jay Toia looked like a late-round rookie as he was getting pushed around a bit on Saturday. Perrion Winfrey looked good, and he’s a dark horse to sneak onto the roster; however, at 290 pounds, he’s not going to be their answer at the 1-tech spot. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Cowboys pulled off one of their typical last-minute veteran adds at the nose tackle spot after realizing they are once again ill-equipped at the position.
LINEBACKER (5)
Marist Liufau
Kenneth Murray Jr.
Jack Sanborn
Shemar James
Damone Clark
Practice squad: Darius Harris (veteran) and Justin Barron
It feels like the five that survive is easy. Rookie Shemar James makes the squad as he’s a fifth-round rookie they traded up to get, so he’s going to be given a fair opportunity. Plus, he showcased some of his athleticism on Saturday. The team has some decent options for the practice. Rookie Justin Barron is someone to keep an eye on. He didn’t play in the first preseason game due to a leg injury. Both Darius Harris and Buddy Johnson are very similar, but Harris gets the nod here for a practice squad spot.
CORNERBACK (6)
DaRon Bland
Kaiir Elam
Caelen Carson
Andrew Booth
Kemon Hall
Israel Mukuamu
Practice squad: Zion Childress
Okay, so this is a little messy, and you might want to look away. There are a couple of things to remember here. First, the Cowboys have three cornerbacks who are injured right now who all should be eventually returning, although the exact timeline is unclear. Trevon Diggs (physically unable to perform) will be the biggest piece to helping us feel better about this group. Josh Butler is also out (PUP as well), while rookie Shavon Revel Jr. (NFI, non-football injury) rehabs from his knee injury.
While better days are coming, it could be a little rocky early on. The Cowboys must have players filling out the corner room, and right now, this is the best they’ve got. Could a veteran signing be on the horizon? Maybe, but that might be more of an indictment of learning that their injured guys might not be ready as expected. Honestly, anyone on this list not named DaRon Bland should give us nightmares if they are roaming around covering receivers. Kaiir Elam is having a good camp and could be a serviceable player, but things drop off in a hurry. Finally, rookie UDFA Zion Childress is having a good camp, but could be relegated to the practice squad if the team favors a corner with a little more experience.
SAFETY (4)
Malik Hooker
Donovan Wilson
Markquese Bell
Juanyeh Thomas
Practice squad: Alijah Clark
This should go down as expected. Similar to the Childress snub at corner, another rookie UDFA, Alijah Clark, might not make the cut as well. There’s only so much room to go around.
SPECIAL TEAMS (4)
Brandon Aubrey
Bryan Anger
Trent Sieg
C.J. Goodwin
This is the easiest group to predict, as all of these guys are excellent at their craft. Gone are the days when we try to rationalize C.J. Goodwin off the roster.
Here is a current 53-man roster projection. Note – teams are allowed 16 practice-squad players (17 with a player in the International Pathway Program), with up to six of them being a “veteran” player with more than two accrued seasons (indicated by a triangle).
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