MacMahon: Vol. 1 - 53-man roster projection

Cotton

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Vol. 1: 53-man roster projection

July, 22, 2013

By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com


OXNARD, Calif. -- We'll do a weekly 53-man roster projection throughout Cowboys training camp and the preseason.

We recognize that this is ridiculously premature, which is why we'll revise on a weekly basis.

QUARTERBACKS (2)
Tony Romo
Kyle Orton
There’s no reason to believe at this point that the Cowboys will carry a third quarterback on the roster after going with two last season.

RUNNING BACKS (4)
DeMarco Murray
Lance Dunbar
Joseph Randle
Phillip Tanner
Special teams are probably Tanner’s ticket to the 53-man roster, but that’s a good bet. Dunbar, an explosive North Texas alum, isn’t going to make it easy for fifth-round pick Randle to get carries as a rookie.

TIGHT ENDS (4)
Jason Witten
James Hanna
Gavin Escobar
Dante Rosario
The Cowboys will keep four tight ends. The question is whether Escobar, the second-round pick, can beat out Hanna to join Jason Witten with the starters.

RECEIVERS (5)
Dez Bryant
Miles Austin
Terrance Williams
Dwayne Harris
Cole Beasley
Keep an eye on undrafted rookie Eric Rogers as a sleeper. He’s big (6-3, 210) with good hands. Danny Coale, a 2012 fifth-round pick coming off a torn ACL, can’t be counted out, either.

OFFENSIVE LINE (10)
Tyron Smith
Nate Livings
Travis Frederick
Mackenzy Bernadeau
Doug Free
Jermey Parnell
Phil Costa
Ronald Leary
Demetress Bell
Kevin Kowalski
Ryan Cook, the fill-in starter at center last season, didn’t do himself any favors by flunking the conditioning test. Same goes for Bell, but the former Bills and Eagles starter is a more experienced option than Darrion Weems as the fourth tackle.

DEFENSIVE LINE (9)
DeMarcus Ware
Jay Ratliff
Jason Hatcher
Anthony Spencer
Sean Lissemore
Kyle Wilber
Ben Bass
Nick Hayden
Veteran TBD
The Cowboys were looking to improve their defensive line depth before they arrived in Oxnard. It’s a desperate need after key reserve Tyrone Crawford suffered what appears to be a season-ending torn Achilles.

LINEBACKERS (6)
Bruce Carter
Sean Lee
Justin Durant
Alex Albright
DeVonte Holloman
Brandon Magee
Do the Cowboys carry more than six linebackers? Veteran Ernie Sims and Caleb McSurdy, a seventh-round pick who missed his rookie season with a torn Achilles tendon, can make a case that they should.

CORNERBACKS (5)
Brandon Carr
Morris Claiborne
Orlando Scandrick
B.W. Webb
Sterling Moore
There doesn’t appear to be a threat to Moore for the fifth corner job. That could change at some point, perhaps after other teams make their cuts to 53.

SAFETIES (5)
Barry Church
Will Allen
Matt Johnson
J.J. Wilcox
Danny McCray
Allen, a good special teams player and savvy veteran who has played for Monte Kiffin, should be safe even if Johnson or Wilcox wins the starting job. Undrafted rookie Jakar Hamilton, who had a fifth-round grade on the Cowboys’ board, is a threat to special teams ace McCray.

SPECIALISTS (3)
Dan Bailey
Chris Jones
L.P. Ladouceur
No competition here. Ladouceur’s job isn’t in any jeopardy as he recovers from a strained calf.
 

Simpleton

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No way should we keep a POS like McCray over a guy like Sims who can actually give us quality snaps on defense.
 
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