Cowboys Cuts

IRVING, Texas - The first wave of roster cuts are already underway for the Cowboys, who return to the practice field Monday and have to trim the roster down from 90 to 75 players by Tuesday.

Among the first to go include defensive end Martez Wilson, who was with the Cowboys last year and got significant snaps in training and this preseason. A three-year veteran who spent two seasons with the Saints before heading to Oakland for a brief spot last year, Wilson played in two games last season with the Cowboys.

In the preseason, Wilson had eight tackles and two sacks, including one in Saturday’s 25-20 loss to the Dolphins.

Another player the Cowboys parted ways with is rookie fullback J.C. Copeland, an undrafted free agent from LSU. Copeland was battling for a spot with Tyler Clutts, who has received the bulk of snaps at fullback and on special teams.

A physical blocker, Copeland missed some early in camp due to injury and never got back into the rotation long enough to make a better impression.

The Cowboys will likely make more moves throughout both Monday and Tuesday to get to 75 players. Some of these moves will also be injury-related. Rookie tight end Jordan Najvar will have surgery on his torn Achilles Tuesday and will go to an injury list.

Look...Wilson is no big loss, but he is really the only guy I think can get to the passer now and he is on the first group of cuts. Puzzling.

Carp said:

Look...Wilson is no big loss, but he is really the only guy I think can get to the passer now and he is on the first group of cuts. Puzzling.

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I thought he would probably not end up making the 53 but I agree that it is odd he was cut in the first group. Wonder if there is something about his attitude that they didn't like.

E_D_Guapo said:

I thought he would probably not end up making the 53 but I agree that it is odd he was cut in the first group. Wonder if there is something about his attitude that they didn't like.

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Or he just sucked and they had seen enough. It is one thing to not defend the run even if you can be a one trick pony. He wasn't even that. Speedy, athletic, but that is it.

If he's not in their plans, might as well dump him now and get someone else in.

Scout’s Notebook: Moving On From Martez Wilson

Posted 20 minutes ago



Bryan Broaddus

Football Analyst/Scout



IRVING, Texas – Some leftover thoughts from the Dolphins game, as well as a few developments from Monday’s practice.


•If there was some positive news from the practice field Monday, it was that Henry Melton and Morris Claiborne returned to work with the squad. Melton, who has been dealing with a groin injury for the last several weeks, lined up with the first defense as the under-tackle. Claiborne, who injured his shoulder while working against the Raiders in Oxnard, California, also received work with the first unit – though he was splitting snaps with Orlando Scandrick. It might not be fair to put this all on Melton, but this defense desperately needs him to be that disruptive player he was for the Chicago Bears in 2012 in all phases.

•In visiting with Ryan Williams after the Ravens game last week, he had a clear understanding of what he needed to do in order to make this 53-man roster. He knew that he had to find a way to show up on special teams, much like Joseph Randle has. Williams did get that opportunity playing on the kickoff, kickoff return and punt return against the Dolphins. For all his work that evening, his best job was working on the punt return, where he did a nice job of holding up the center and maintaining sustain in his block.

•With the release of Martez Wilson, now all eyes are focused on Kenneth Boatright. The question now becomes if can he line up at right defensive end and give this club a stable and reliable pass rush from that spot? Against the Dolphins, Boatright saw extensive action on special teams, and from my observations, he did not make any glaring mistakes in those opportunities. But let’s be honest here: he was not brought on board here to play special teams. This staff wants him to put his hand in the dirt and rush the passer. What I have noticed about his game is that he doesn’t always play with that burst and acceleration. It’s strange how it comes and goes with him. There are snaps where he is up the field in a hurry, followed by snaps where he appears to be stuck in sand. He just hasn’t been as consistent as he needs to be. There is also the issue of his upper body strength. He is just not a naturally strong player and this causes him problems getting off blocks. If he rushes a blocker down the middle, he has no shot of disengaging. There are too many flashes with this player not to give him a shot because as they sit now, those options are limited.

•If there was a positive from the lack of numbers at safety in the Dolphins game, it was that Ryan Smith received some quality snaps. There is something about this player that I really like in the way he carries himself on the field. He’s not the hitter that J.J. Wilcox or Ahmad Dixon is, but he is a nice compliment to those types of players. There is a calm way in which he plays the game, and I don’t mean that as a negative but you see it in the way he reads the formation, lines up and reacts to the ball. When I had the chance to ask Jason Garrett about his traits at safety he spoke of that ability to line up down in the box or in the back end to play in coverage. From a scouting perspective, I think you have to have a player at safety that is balanced in the way that he plays. I want a player that is never too high or too low. Smith appears to be very balanced.

Relying on Boatwright to be our big pass rusher. FML

Carp said:

Relying on Boatwright to be our big pass rusher. FML

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It is insane.

The only part that made sense with what Broaddus wrote was that Boatwright was on the field on ST.

boozeman said:

•If there was a positive from the lack of numbers at safety in the Dolphins game, it was that Ryan Smith received some quality snaps.

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I am so tired of hearing this line of reasoning. "Well, if there is a positive from every decent defensive player being hurt/otherwise out of action, it's that some total shitbag who doesn't even belong on an NFL roster got some quality snaps!". If that's the only thing that can maybe be considered positive, there aren't any real positives. For whatever reason no one on this defense can stay healthy and the level of talent/depth on that side of the ball would be laughable if it weren't just outright pathetic.

E_D_Guapo said:

I am so tired of hearing this line of reasoning. "Well, if there is a positive from every decent defensive player being hurt/otherwise out of action, it's that some total shitbag who doesn't even belong on an NFL roster got some quality snaps!". If that's the only thing that can maybe be considered positive, there aren't any real positives. For whatever reason no one on this defense can stay healthy and the level of talent/depth on that side of the ball would be laughable if it weren't just outright pathetic.

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Patmon made use of quality snaps. I couldn't pick Ryan Smith out of a lineup, if you gave me his jersey number.

That's sad because back in the day, I would know all that shit and take time to do so.

What? Matt Johnson... RELEASED?!?

We will rue the day.

Dallas Cowboys waive S Matt Johnson, remove 12 other players from roster
By Rainer Sabin
rsabin@dallasnews.com
2:18 pm on August 26, 2014 | Permalink


IRVING — The Cowboys waited patiently to see Matt Johnson contribute. But the oft-injured safety never played in an NFL regular-season game after he was drafted in the fourth round in 2012.

Johnson was one of 13 members of team removed from a roster trimmed to 75 players to comply with the league mandate by Tuesday’s deadline.

Johnson landed on injured reserve his first two seasons. Hamstring injuries robbed him of his rookie campaign. He missed 2013 after fracturing the navicular bone in his left foot in the summer of 2013. And in the first padded practice of training camp he hurt his hamstring again.

Here is a look at all 13 moves made:
Waived:
WR Chris Boyd (Vanderbilt)
P Tom Hornsey (Memphis)
LS Casey Kreiter (Iowa)
DE Adewale Ojomo (Miami)
G Wayne Tribue (Temple)

Released:
QB Caleb Hanie (Colorado State)

Waived/Injured:
TE Jordan Najvar (Baylor)
S Matt Johnson (Eastern Washington)
CB Justin Green (Illinois)
LB DeVonte Holloman (South Carolina)
CB Johnny Thomas (Oklahoma State)

Reserve/Injured:
DE Ben Gardner (Stanford)

Reserve/NFI:
DT Amobi Okoye (Louisville)

I really liked Ojomo and thought the guy had a chance to be a pass rusher. Mistake.

Johnson will go on IR after he clears waivers. Watch.

didnt we JUST trade for Justin Green?

Nice that we already dumped the who gives a shit corner we traded Bass for.

GForce78NJ said:

didnt we JUST trade for Justin Green?

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Yep. Another guy that they can put on IR after he clears waivers.

Boyd is pretty much the only surprise. He was on ST duty the other night.

Deuce said:

We will rue the day.

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I haven't been this torn up over a release since Emmitt's back 2003.

This one stings.

BTW...what was his total contribution to the Cowboys? 20 minutes of one preseason game?