The exhibition season is over and the Dallas Cowboys will now turn their attention to the regular season. The club held out their top players from Saturday’s matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, save for rookies who they wanted to get more snaps under their belt. Head coach Mike McCarthy isn’t shy about believing in the bubble-wrap approach to the exhibition season, as his star players sat out all three preseason games.
But now the work is here for the coaching staff and front office. The club is going to decide on 53 players who will be on the regular season roster, set at 3:00 pm Central on Tuesday, but also 16 players they hope to make it to the practice squad. The last couple of roster spots go hand in hand, as the club makes calculated risks on which non-veterans they can expose to waivers and which they need to protect by placing them on the roster.
Vested veterans, players with at least four years of experience, do not go to waivers and thus can have handshake agreements they’ll be cut so the team can do some roster magic with injury lists and game-day elevations. Here’s our best guess as to how that will all shake out with the deadline for all moves barreling down the pike.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
I’m sure he’s on the team:
Dak Prescott
Cooper Rush
Trey Lance
Cut cut:
Will Grier
Position Notes:
The Lance move was a shocker, but a nice surprise in my humble opinion. I like the upside and think he can be a gadget player who actually makes the game-day roster on a regular basis after he gets wise to the playbook. Grier put on a show and we have empty space on the practice squad, but I think he gets picked up by another team instead of being QB4 in Dallas.
Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
I’m sure he’s on the team:
Tony Pollard
Rico Dowdle
Deuce Vaughn
Hunter Luepke
Cut to go to practice squad:
Malik Davis
Cut cut:
Ronald Jones
Position Notes:
Luepke got the opportunity on Saturday and did everything with it. I doubt another club wants to put him on their 53-man roster so Dallas would be safe getting him to the practice squad, but they don’t take the chance.
Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
I’m sure he’s on the team:
CeeDee Lamb
Brandik Cooks
Michael Gallup
Kavontae Turpin
Jalen Tolbert
Cut to go to practice squad:
Jalen Brooks
Dontario Drummond
Jalen Moreno-Cropper
Going to PUP/NFI/Season-ending IR:
David Durden
Cut cut:
Simi Fehoko
Dennis Houston
Jose Barbon
Tyron Johnson
Position Notes:
I really wanted to put Drummond on the 53 as I think he’s the new Noah Brown, but there were too many other difficult choices here. I think Dallas will hold onto more members of the Class of 2021at other spots than they should and I don’t think there’s too much concern over the wideouts being plucked.
Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
I’m sure he’s on the team:
Jake Ferguson
Peyton Hendershot
Luke Schoonmaker
Cut to go to practice squad:
Sean McKeon
Going to PUP/NFI/Season-ending IR:
John Stephens
Cut cut:
Seth Green
Princeton Fant
Position Notes:
Stephens’ going down with an ACL is tough business, he was looking like a steal but he opens up space to keep the veteran McKeon on the PS.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
I’m sure he’s on the team:
Tyron Smith
Terence Steele
Matt Waletzko
Cut to go to practice squad:
Earl Bostick, Jr.
Alex Taylor
Cut cut:
Chuma Edoga
Position Notes:
It’s impossible to predict who, but this OL group is not what Dallas will go into the season with. I fully expect a trade or a veteran signing, even if that doesn’t come until after Week 1.
(Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
I’m sure he’s 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 go to practice squad:
Alec Lindstrom
Cut cut:
Brock Hoffman
Position Notes:
Ball is out for two months but I don’t think the Cowboys’ give up on him just yet. It’s just a hunch, either direction wouldn’t shock me. But if they keep him they have a couple vested vets they could release and then bring right back.
(Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)
I’m sure he’s on the team:
DeMarcus Lawrence
Dorance Armstrong
Sam Williams
Dante Fowler
Isaiah Land
Cut cut:
Ben Banogu
Durrell Johnson
Position Notes:
I think Land’s performance at the back-end of the roster is that of a player who would be poached. The signing bonus Dallas gave him as a UDFA means other teams were interested and he’s drawn three holding penalties and had a strip sack. He’ll likely see extended action in the exhibition finale to see if he can do it against a higher level of competition.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
I’m sure he’s on the team:
Johnathan Hankins
Mazi Smith
Osa Odighizuwa
Junior Fehoko
Chauncey Golston
Cut to go to practice squad:
Neville Gallimore
Quinton Bohanna
Position Notes:
I’m putting the two young vets on the PS squad here, but I don’t feel great about Gallimore’s designation. He feels like they could offload for a trade before final cuts.
(Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
I’m sure he’s on the team:
Micah Parsons
Leighton Vander Esch
Damone Clark
Devin Harper
Cut but coming right back:
Malik Jefferson
Cut to go to practice squad:
Jabril Cox
Tyrus Wheat
Going to PUP/NFI/Season-ending IR:
DeMarvion Overshown
Position Notes
Overshown was going to be LB3 and his ACL tear is a ridiculously tough blow to the biggest positional question on the roster. His absence basically ends the three-way competition for two spots between Cox, Harper and Jefferson, with all three now likely to make the Week 1 roster.
Jefferson gets cut but with a wink-wink deal to return when Ball gets moved to IR.
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
I’m sure he’s on the team:
Trevon Diggs
Stephon Gilmore
DaRon Bland
Eric Scott, Jr.
Kelvin Joseph
Making it, but moving to IR:
Nahshon Wright
Cut to go to practice squad:
Josh Butler
Going to PUP/NFI/Season-ending IR:
Jourdan Lewis
Cut cut:
Myles Brooks
Position Notes:
I think the Cowboys go deep here, including Wright who will be stashed on IR for the first week of the season. He opens a spot to bring CJ Goodwin back, but if that isn’t the plan, Goodwin can go to the final PS spot I’m leaving open and be elevated for Week 1.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
I’m sure he’s 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 go to practice squad:
Tyler Coyle
Cut cut:
De’Angelo Mandell
Position Notes:
The deepest spot on the team. I don’t know if Donovan Wilson is ready for Week 1, but I’m not going to flag him for a move to IR after the initial roster is set, though that remains a possibility. Thomas made himself uncuttable in the preseason games and Bell moonlighting as a LB means more depth is needed.
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
I’m sure he’s on the team:
Bryan Anger
Brandon Aubrey
Cut but coming right back:
CJ Goodwin
Cut to Practice Squad:
Trent Sieg
Position Notes:
Sieg will be elevated for the first week and make his way to the permanent roster once someone is moved to IR. Goodwin will be the same if the team only moves Ball to returnable IR.
