Arguably the biggest positional question mark for the Cowboys this offseason was at running back. Rico Dowdle proved to be a good back, but he left in free agency, and the team never once brought in any clear-cut, obvious starter to replace him. Rather, they added several guys who all brought promise, along with uncertainty. […] Arguably the biggest positional question mark for the Cowboys this offseason was at running back. Rico Dowdle proved to be a good back, but he left in free agency, and the team never once brought in any clear-cut, obvious starter to replace him. Rather, they added several guys who all brought promise, along with uncertainty. Veterans Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams have both been productive starting running backs before, though not recently, while rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah offer plenty to get excited about if they can hit the ground running. And there’s always Deuce Vaughn, too. It seemed like the Cowboys’ plan was to bring in several competitors and just see who rises to the top. A noble plan, for sure, and especially when Brian Schottenheimer is preaching about competition everywhere in his first year as a head coach. However, we’re now through three preseason games and the running back situation is just as murky as it was before the first OTA. Williams seems to be the most secure roster lock out of the bunch. He was the only one to not play a single snap in the preseason, and he’s routinely taken first team reps in practices. He posted 1,219 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, but that promise was cut short with an ACL tear in his second season. Williams led the Broncos in rushing yards with 774 the next year, but he fell out of favor with new head coach Sean Payton. That led him to Dallas, where he appears to have locked up the starting job. Still, given his statistical instability, it’s hard to feel great about Williams after not seeing him in action with a star on his helmet. There was also a time where Sanders felt like a safe bet to start. The former Penn State star hit 700+ yards in all four seasons with Philadelphia. He didn’t even break 700 yards across two seasons in Carolina, though the Panthers hardly had the offensive line that Philadelphia did. Sanders’ talent felt ripe to earn him a starting job in Dallas. Now, though, that idea doesn’t seem so sure. Sanders only suited up against the Ravens, and he did not look good, tallying 15 yards on seven carries. Half of those yards came on one run, too. He looked more like his Panthers days than his Eagles days, to put it mildly. Blue had been building hype, but an injury kept him out of the first two preseason games. He finally suited up against the Falcons, and flashed plenty with 25 yards on nine carries and a touchdown. However, an ankle injury has now cast doubt on his readiness for the season-opener. With Blue being a rookie, and having already missed two important weeks of live game reps, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him slowly worked into the rotation. Then again, Blue has the highest ceiling of any running back on this roster. Mafah, on the other hand, is in serious danger. The Clemson bruiser has looked very much the part through three preseason games, routinely bowling over defenders, but his athletic limitations compared to the others have also been on display. At this point with Mafah, it’s likely a conversation about putting him on the practice squad. Vaughn is the wild card in all of this. An afterthought for most fans coming into the preseason, Vaughn has looked genuinely good in all three games. He saved his best for last, too, racking up 42 yards on 10 carries against the Falcons. Things look to be clicking for the diminutive dasher, and Schottenheimer has frequently praised him throughout this process. Most are still projecting Vaughn to be a roster cut, especially in a crowded running back room, but what if he isn’t? Schottenheimer did say they’ll keep some players that surprise the roster prognosticators, and he could’ve been thinking of Vaughn when he said that. The fact that we’re even asking that question reflects just how much uncertainty still remains with this position group as cuts approach. There is no clarity from the outside looking in, so hopefully the coaching staff feels differently. 0 CommentsSee More:

As the Dallas Cowboys and Brian Schottenheimer figure out which players belong on the 53-man roster, they got some positive news on Sunday. Cornerback Trevon Diggs has passed his physical and moved off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, and is now on the active roster. This news comes a day after Schottenheimer spoke […] As the Dallas Cowboys and Brian Schottenheimer figure out which players belong on the 53-man roster, they got some positive news on Sunday. Cornerback Trevon Diggs has passed his physical and moved off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, and is now on the active roster. This news comes a day after Schottenheimer spoke to the media, saying Diggs would likely open the year on the 53 versus needing to stay on the PUP list. After Diggs returned to the field last year from a knee injury that kept him out almost the entire 2023 season, his follow-up campaign ended with another knee injury that would require another offseason of rehab. Diggs decided that the best course of action for his recovery would be to work with his trainers down in South Florida at Alkeme Sports Rx with Dr. Shariff Tabbah. The star cornerback was not seen around the facility for the offseason workouts, which cost him $500,000. Diggs was confident his decision was in his best interest, even if the front office did not feel the same. While the news is a positive step forward for No. 7, there is some uncertainty about whether he will be ready to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. The Cowboys have had depth issues at cornerback all throughout training camp, with the majority of their players missing time outside of DaRon Bland and Kaiir Elam. Diggs himself said that Week 2 or 3 is his personal target to get back on the field, so he still may need a ramp-up period to get ready that goes past opening night. If Diggs is able to make it back healthy enough to play against Philly, the cornerback position looks a lot better with Diggs and Elam on the outside and Bland covering the slot. If he’s not able to make it back, then having just one week of Elam, Bland, and possibly Andrew Booth might be Dallas’ “best case scenario” given the situation. The decisions regarding who will be cut from the final roster will be made known in just a few days. Todd Archer of ESPN noted in his projection of the 53-man roster that, despite Diggs being on the active roster, “the Cowboys are likely to be aggressive in finding help at this position.” They may pursue free agents or attempt to claim players released by other teams. Regardless, Diggs’s earlier-than-expected availability is a significant boost for a team with high aspirations under its first-year head coach. 0 CommentsSee More:

Cowboys coach Schottenheimer to meet with Parsons on Sunday – Todd Archer, ESPN Micah Parsons’ lay down at the Falcons game is causing an issue.  Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said he will meet with Micah Parsons on Sunday to discuss the edge rusher’s behavior during Friday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. Early in the third quarter, Parsons — […] Cowboys coach Schottenheimer to meet with Parsons on Sunday – Todd Archer, ESPN Micah Parsons’ lay down at the Falcons game is causing an issue. Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said he will meet with Micah Parsons on Sunday to discuss the edge rusher’s behavior during Friday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. Early in the third quarter, Parsons — who again did not play as he seeks a contract extension — was lying on a medical table behind the Cowboys’ bench as the offense drove down the field. He was also the only player not to wear a jersey during the game. Schottenheimer said the team will handle a decision about Parsons’ future internally. “Without talking to Micah, I need to figure out what he was doing and why he was doing it,” Schottenheimer said on a conference call Saturday. “So, until I talk to him, I’m obviously not going to talk about it.” Parsons had an MRI on his back Friday, and Schottenheimer said it came back “pretty clean.” Parsons first talked about back tightness at the minicamp in June. However, in training camp, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones seemed to dismiss the severity of the issue, calling it part of the negotiation for a contract extension, similar to Parsons’ trade request. Jaydon Blue looking to prove he’s more than a speed back in NFL – Tommy Yarish, dallascowboys.com Rookie running back eager to show he’s got more tools in his bag. ARLINGTON, Texas – It’s been two years since Jaydon Blue has made a tackle. It didn’t take long for the rookie fifth-round pick to get his first NFL tackle on special teams, as he brought down Jashaun Corbin on the opening kickoff. In his first game after missing the last two with an ankle injury, Blue hopes those kinds of plays on special teams and what he showed on offense can convince the Cowboys’ staff that he deserves a spot on the 53-man roster. “Just the versatility I bring, man,” Blue said when asked why the Cowboys should bet on him. “I could do multiple things, whether it’s special teams running the ball out of the backfield, catching passes, and just having that explosion of that can break at any moment.” Speaking of the ankle injury, Blue was ruled out of the rest of the game in the fourth quarter after getting the same ankle rolled up on but doesn’t seem to be too concerned about it. “It was the same ankle just got rolled up a little bit, but I don’t think it’s nothing serious,” Blue said. “I’ve had ankle rolls plenty of times, but I feel good right now.” In his NFL debut, Blue finished with nine carries for 25 yards and a touchdown. While those numbers aren’t mind boggling, it’s what Blue did on those carries as well as the plays that didn’t show up in the box score that stood out. From picking up the blitz in pass protection to running up the middle through contact, Blue is out to prove that he’s more than just a speed back that can be used on the outside. “I’m just not runner that can run a ball outside,” Blue said. “I can also run between the tackles, I can break tackles, run through contact and things like that. So that just showed that I’m not just that scat back or speed back, I can also run a ball in tight spaces…” “I always believed that I wouldn’t just be that speed back. I always thought that I can do plenty of things, whether that’s catching ball in the backfield, running between the tackles and I know this is the NFL, In order to be that running back, if you want to be, you have to be able to do it all inside and off the tackle, so it felt good being able to showcase that.” It wasn’t a perfect debut, but Brian Schottenheimer still came away with positive things to take away from his rookie running back’s first action against another team in a game setting. “(He was) up and down. He had some good runs. They were doing a nice job with some of the things that we got,” Schottenheimer said. “We had a screen that was, you know, might’ve had a chance for some more. But you see the talent. You see the acceleration. I wish we could have got him a little bit more, but you’re obviously going to be cautious in a situation like this, in the last preseason game.” The Cowboys offensive line rebuild is complete – Mark Heaney, Inside the Star The Cowboys hope their offensive line is now ready. The dominant 2010s Dallas Cowboys offensive line is fully in the past; Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, and Travis Frederick are all gone. We’ve seen the front office prepare and react to the end of that era, and it has paid off. Dallas’s offensive line rebuild is already complete. This preseason has featured the depth and player development efforts put into the offensive line, as late-round flyers have surprised and first-round picks have flexed their muscle with the starting unit. Going forward, the Cowboys’ team-building focus needs to shift elsewhere. The core of the offensive line has been built; now, it’s time to let them grow, develop, and shine. Aside from 28-year-old Terence Steele, the starting Cowboys offensive line is all 24 and under. That is incredibly young for a position group that commonly features long-term veterans. The All-Pro on the left side, Tyler Smith, has cemented himself as one of the best guards in the entire league. The next step

The Dallas Cowboys must be down to 53 players on their roster by 4pm ET on Tuesday, August 26th which means that the next few days could/may be filled with all sorts of news pertaining to the group. While the Cowboys will submit a “final” 53-man roster on Tuesday there are a lot of elements […] The Dallas Cowboys must be down to 53 players on their roster by 4pm ET on Tuesday, August 26th which means that the next few days could/may be filled with all sorts of news pertaining to the group. While the Cowboys will submit a “final” 53-man roster on Tuesday there are a lot of elements to it that will not be final. The full and total group that will kick off the season in Week 1 may not be fully finalized until around the weekend after the deadline given the way things tend to go. It stands to be a busy few days as noted which means we will be tracking all of the action that unfolds as it does. This stream will house all of the articles that have anything to do with the path to the final 53, including our annual roster cuts tracker.

With the preseason now behind us and in the books, there will be no shortage of 53-man roster projections for the Dallas Cowboys popping up all over the internet. Instead of following the crowd though, we decided to take a different approach by predicting who we consider to be roster locks with the Cowboys this […] With the preseason now behind us and in the books, there will be no shortage of 53-man roster projections for the Dallas Cowboys popping up all over the internet. Instead of following the crowd though, we decided to take a different approach by predicting who we consider to be roster locks with the Cowboys this season. We do this in the hopes of getting a better understanding of where exactly things stand at each position prior to cut downs. We’ve added a few guys as ‘surprise locks’, guys who based on camp and preseason play should be locks, but in reality are still a little vulnerable. Quarterback Dak Prescott Joe Milton There is absolutely zero reason to question Prescott as a roster lock. He is the unquestioned starter for the foreseeable future. Milton should be considered a roster lock as well, despite his shaky preseason. He was acquired via trade to be a developmental QB and will continue to be so. Running back Javonte Williams Jaydon Blue Hunter Luepke Williams has watched the entire preseason from the sideline with the rest of Dallas’ key starters, cementing his roster spot. Blue’s upside and explosiveness make him a roster lock as well. We can pencil in Luepke as a lock as well. He is expected to play a much bigger and versatile offensive role this year. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb George Pickens KaVontae Turpin Dallas’ WR position is one the ultimate mysteries prior to the 53-man roster cut down date. The only thing we know for sure is Lamb, Pickens, and Turpin are the only ones guaranteed a roster spot right now. What happens behind them on the depth chart is anyone’s guess. Tight end Jake Ferguson Brevyn Spann-Ford Ferguson inked a new long-term contract extension not long ago, securing his roster spot for years to come. Prior to his injury, Spann-Ford was pushing for the TE2 job, and even with him sidelined, Luke Schoonmaker hasn’t really stood out. We believe he could be traded/released in favor of another TE on the roster. Offensive line Tyler Guyton Tyler Smith Cooper Beebe Tyler Booker Terence Steele Brock Hoffman Nathan Thomas T.J. Bass No real surprises here. The Cowboys have their starting five in Guyton, Smith, Beebe, Booker, and Steele for the season once Guyton is fully healthy, which could be sometime soon. And in Hoffman, Thomas, and Bass they have their backups along the interior and swing OT. Defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa Solomon Thomas Perrion Winfrey (surprise lock) Both Odighizuwa and Thomas have been held out the entire preseason like other key players, leaving no doubt of their job security. Winfrey on the other hand has played pretty extensively and looked like Dallas’ best DT in preseason. He should be a roster lock as well considering the lack of depth at the position. Defensive end Micah Parsons Dante Fowler Jr. Donovan Ezeiruaku Marshawn Kneeland Tyrus Wheat (surprise lock) The exclusion of Sam Williams and James Houston as roster locks may come to a surprise, but probably not as much as the prediction of Tyrus Wheat as a lock. He is highly thought of by Dallas’ coaching staff and we believe one, if not both, of Williams or Houston could be traded. Linebacker Jack Sanborn Kenneth Murray Jr. Marist Liufau Shemar James DeMarvion Overshown The trio of Sanborn, Murray, and Liufau have no doubt secured their roster spots for the Cowboys in 2025. We also believe James’ play in the preseason and the fact he was a draft pick by this coaching staff secures his spot as well. We’re inncluding Overshown also, even though he’ll start the season on IR or the PUP list. Cornerback DaRon Bland Kaiir Elam Zion Childress (surprise lock) Trevon Diggs Shavon Revel Jr. Bland and Elam are no doubt roster locks, and Childress has done enough to make the cut despite being an undrafted rookie. Diggs and Revel are roster locks as well, even though they may start the season on the PUP list or IR as they continue work their way back from season-ending injuries. Safety Malik Hooker Donovan Wilson Juanyeh Thomas Israel Mukuamu (surprise lock) Hooker and Wilson joined the other Cowboys key players watching from the sideline during preseason, which is proof enough they will be Dallas’ starting safeties in 2025. We also believe Thomas is a roster lock due to his versatility to play either safety spot. Mukuamu sticks as well due to his position flex and special teams value. Special teams K Brandon Aubrey P Bryan Anger LS Trent Sieg Nothing to see here. This is without a doubt the easiest players to predict as roster locks. 8 CommentsSee More: Dallas Cowboys Roster