FRISCO — The deadline has passed and now the initial 53-man roster has been set for the Dallas Cowboys.
Well, the initial one.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said on Tuesday that the team is always “open for business” when it comes to potentially improving their team. He called the waiver wire process, which will close at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, a “second draft” for vice president of player personnel Will McClay and the rest of the scouting staff.
“Will McClay looks exhausted right now,” Schottenheimer said, “but I don’t feel bad for him at all. I said, ‘Hey, I don’t want to hear it, get back in there and turn on some more film.’”
Schottenheimer said that will be the deciding factor — the film — just as it was to decide the initial 53-man roster. Let’s dive into those decisions.
Of note: At 3 p.m. on Wednesday, teams will be able to add additional players to injured reserve with the designation to return. The Cowboys were allowed to add two players to injured reserve with the ability to return on Tuesday. They placed wide receiver Jonathan Mingo and defensive end Payton Turner on that initial injured reserve list.
Quarterbacks (2)
Players: Dak Prescott, Joe Milton
Joe Milton’s first two performances this preseason provided the potential for the Cowboys to keep three quarterbacks on the initial roster. Schottenheimer was even hesitant to name a backup quarterback in training camp, adding that he would decide when they had to decide. Well, decision made. Schottenheimer named Milton the backup. The Cowboys released Will Grier, but there’s a good chance he returns either to the active roster after Wednesday’s injured reserve deadline or to the practice squad, where he could be elevated three times before they had to make a decision.
Of course, this comes down to how well Prescott can play and how healthy he can be. He feels confident about both things.
Running backs (5)
Players: Javonte Williams, Hunter Luepke, Jaydon Blue, Miles Sanders, Phil Mafah
The Cowboys are planning to have their cake and eat it too when it comes to running backs. Translation: They found a way to keep both veteran Miles Sanders and rookie Phil Mafah — at least temporarily. Mafah will go on injured reserve on Wednesday, allowing them to add a player back to the 53-man roster. That will also give Mafah the chance to return after a minium four-game absence.
This group, as a whole, will still be a mystery for the Cowboys. The clear-cut starter is Javonte Williams, but he’s someone who hasn’t regained his rookie season form since he tore his ACL in his second season. Should Cowboys fans be optimistic about his potential? It’s hard to tell, considering we didn’t see him. The wildcard remains rookie Jaydon Blue. He’s the fastest of the bunch — how quickly could he earn a larger role?
Wide receivers (5)
Players: CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Tolbert, Ryan Flournoy
The Cowboys elect to go thin at wide receiver and keep just five. That’s not really a surprise because they have injured wide receiver Jonathan Mingo waiting on injured reserve, and their two top receivers, Pickens and Lamb, should receive the majority of targets and playing time this season. Six at this time wasn’t necessary. It was a race for that fifth and final spot, however, between Flournoy and Jalen Brooks. Flournoy seemed to take strides both on special teams and with his route running to earn the spot. Former Oregon wide receiver Traeshon Holden is a candidate to make the practice squad if he clears waivers.
Tight ends (3)
Players: Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford, Luke Schoonmaker
Brevyn Spann-Ford practiced on Monday for the first time since he sprained his ankle early in camp. He told The Dallas Morning News that he’s progressing well — well enough so the Cowboys didn’t need to place him on injured reserve and they didn’t need to keep a fourth tight end. Princeton Fant and undrafted rookie Rivaldo Fairweather were candidates to make the team if they did keep a fourth spot.
The Cowboys are expecting a bounce-back season from Ferguson after his big extension this offseason. They’re going to need a big year out of him, too.
Offensive line (9)
Players: Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, Terence Steele, Nate Thomas, Brock Hoffman, T.J. Bass, Ajani Cornelius
The depth of the Cowboys’ offensive line was really on display this preseason. It allowed them to trade Asim Richards to the New Orleans Saints for a 2028 pick swap. One surprise was the rise of sixth-round pick Ajani Cornelius, who started slow in camp but eventually proved to be a consistent competitor during preseason games. Veteran Hakeem Adeniji was released, but is a candidate to come back after injured reserve designations on Wednesday. Richards was dealt, along with a 2028 seventh-round pick to the Saints for a 2028 sixth-round pick. Schottenheimer indicated that Richards was likely going to be waived before the trade happened.
Defensive line (11)
Players: Micah Parsons, Osa Odighizuwa, Solomon Thomas, Mazi Smith, Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland, Dante Fowler, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Perrion Winfrey, James Houston, Jay Toia
Winfrey and Houston probably weren’t initially on the roster when camp broke, but over the course of the offseason they earned their spots. Schottenheimer said he was impressed with Winfrey’s competitiveness and what he put on film — even late into the second half of Friday’s preseason finale against Atlanta. Schottenheimer said he was impressed with the consistent pass rush ability that Houston showcased all through camp and into preseason games, including his sack he had on the opening drive against the Falcons. Schottenheimer also made it clear that he challenged Smith, a former first-round pick, during the meeting when he told Smith he had made the team. Smith has previously acknowledged those expectations. We’ll see how his third season shakes out.
It is noteworthy that the Cowboys went heavy at this position. They want fresh legs and a constant rotation. The numbers back that up.
Linebackers (5)
Players: Jack Sanborn, Kenneth Murray Jr., Marist Liufau, Damone Clark, Shemar James
This proved to be one of the deepest positions for the Cowboys during the preseason. That’s because Clark and James both took steps in games. Clark was one of the lone standouts in the second preseason game against the Ravens. James had an interception against the Falcons. Syracuse undrafted free agent Justin Barron is a candidate to make the practice squad. Buddy Johnson ended up being the tough cut in this group.
Corners (6)
Players: DaRon Bland, Trevon Diggs, Kaiir Elam, Andrew Booth, Zion Childress, Caelen Carson
There’s a very real chance that Childress, an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky, is the starting nickel corner in the season-opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 4. Schottenheimer said he wouldn’t disclose starting lineups, but he would trust Childress in that role. He added that he would trust anyone who made the team. Childress was in a battle with Kemon Hall for a roster spot. It was close, Schottenheimer said, but they deferred toward the younger player. Israel Mukuamu was another notable cut.
Safeties (4)
Players: Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson, Juanyeh Thomas, Markquese Bell
This group remains unchanged for the third straight season. Just like last year, there was one competitor for a spot. That was undrafted Syracuse safety Alijah Clark, who impressed in the preseason finale. Fellow undrafted safety Mike Smith also earned recognition from Schottenheimer for their preseason finale performances. Both could be practice squad candidates.
Specialists (3)
Players: Brandon Aubrey, Bryan Anger, Trent Sieg
Schottenheimer doesn’t read roster projections, but he did bet that some would be wrong. No one had this trio wrong, however.
Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Source link
