Archer: Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster projection (07/23/15)

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,696
Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster projection

Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer

The Dallas Cowboys open training camp on July 30 at the River Ridge Residence Inn in Oxnard, California. Here’s a 53-man roster projection:

Quarterbacks (3): Tony Romo, Brandon Weeden, Dustin Vaughan (cut: Jameill Showers)

Running backs (3): Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden, Lance Dunbar (cut: Ryan Williams, Lache Seastrunk)

Fullbacks (1): Tyler Clutts (cut: Ray Agnew)

Wide receivers (5): Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Devin Street, Lucky Whitehead (cut: Reggie Dunn, A.J. Jenkins, Nick Harwell, George Farmer, Deontay Greenberry, Antwan Goodley)

Tight ends (3): Jason Witten, James Hanna, Gavin Escobar (cut: Geoff Swaim, Ray Hamilton)

Tackles: (4): Tyron Smith, Doug Free, Darrion Weems, Laurence Gibson (PUP: Chaz Green; cut: John Wetzel, Reshod Fortenberry, R.J. Dill, Ryan Miller)

Guards (3): Zack Martin, Ronald Leary, La’el Collins

Centers (2): Travis Frederick, Mackenzy Bernadeau (cut: Shane McDermott)

Defensive tackles (4): Tyrone Crawford, Nick Hayden, Terrell McClain, Ken Bishop (cut: Chris Whaley, Davon Coleman)

Defensive ends (5*): Greg Hardy (suspended), DeMarcus Lawrence, Jeremy Mincey, Randy Gregory, Jack Crawford, Ben Gardner (cut: Efe Obada, Ken Boatright, Lavar Edwards, Ryan Russell)

Linebackers (7*): Sean Lee, Rolando McClain (suspended), Anthony Hitchens, Jasper Brinkley, Andrew Gachkar, Damien Wilson, Kyle Wilber, Keith Rivers (cut: Donnie Baggs, Mark Nzeocha, Cameron Lawrence, Justin Jackson)

Cornerbacks (6): Orlando Scandrick, Brandon Carr, Byron Jones, Morris Claiborne, Tyler Patmon, Corey White (cut: Jason Wilson, Joel Ross, Robert Steeples)

Safeties (4): Barry Church, J.J. Wilcox, Jeff Heath, Danny McCray (cut: Tim Scott, Ray Vinopal)

Specialists (3): Dan Bailey, Chris Jones, L.P. Ladouceur (cut: Tom Hornsey, Casey Kreiter)
 
Last edited:

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,453
Did he totally skip DT? 10 DBs also seems insane to me. If you keep those 6 corners you move white out to safety and dump McCray. I'd use the extra spot to keep Ryan Williams. Of course I'd probably cut Dunbar too.

Also how do you not keep the TE you just traded next years sixth for because you were so desperate to get his blocking abilities?
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,696
Did he totally skip DT?
I must have accidentally deleted it when I was removing some of the sidebar stuff that posts when you post an ESPN article. I have added it back.
 

ravidubey

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
20,162
It's a mistake to cut a RB in favor of a sixth CB. Not to pick on CB's, but six deep is extreme.

Good lord our WR's suck. Thank God for Romo.
 

Simpleton

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
17,412
If we want to keep 6 CB's, including a guy like White who we have supposedly been rotating at safety (not to mention Jones), then there is no place for some schlub like McCray who can't do anything but play ST's. Save that spot and give it to an extra DL or RB.
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,453
If we want to keep 6 CB's, including a guy like White who we have supposedly been rotating at safety (not to mention Jones), then there is no place for some schlub like McCray who can't do anything but play ST's. Save that spot and give it to an extra DL or RB.
That is exactly right. You're already keeping an extra LBer for special teams purposes basically. Jeff Heath is nothing but a special teamer at safety. I mean how many guys can you keep who have zero value except for on special teams?
 

ravidubey

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
20,162
Umm... huh?
OK, aside from the top guy being awesome and the second guy being solid enough (when he doesn't disappear for weeks at a time)... Beasley is a very limited player, Devin Street is a non-factor and someone named Lucky Whitehead actually stands to make the active roster.

We really can't handle any injuries at this position (unless it's to Whitehead or Street).
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,696
OK, aside from the top guy being awesome and the second guy being solid enough (when he doesn't disappear for weeks at a time)... Beasley is a very limited player, Devin Street is a non-factor and someone named Lucky Whitehead actually stands to make the active roster.

We really can't handle any injuries at this position (unless it's to Whitehead or Street).
So, you're saying we are like all 31 other teams except we have a superstar and the vast majority of them don't?

Agreed.
 

Rev

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
19,327
OK, aside from the top guy being awesome and the second guy being solid enough (when he doesn't disappear for weeks at a time)... Beasley is a very limited player, Devin Street is a non-factor and someone named Lucky Whitehead actually stands to make the active roster.

We really can't handle any injuries at this position (unless it's to Whitehead or Street).
Even though Beasley is limited to the slot he is very good at what he does so dont think you can count that against him. Very happy with the top 3 so dont think you can say they suck.
 

boozeman

28 Years And Counting...
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
121,730
Even though Beasley is limited to the slot he is very good at what he does so dont think you can count that against him. Very happy with the top 3 so dont think you can say they suck.
The whole idea about a "top three" is if one of the top two go down, the third guy can step up.

Sorry, Shrimp Beasley is a slot receiver only.

And I hate to think about Street or any of the remaining schlubs being asked to step up.

An injury to Bryant or even Williams would be crippling.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,696
The whole idea about a "top three" is if one of the top two go down, the third guy can step up.

Sorry, Shrimp Beasley is a slot receiver only.

And I hate to think about Street or any of the remaining schlubs being asked to step up.

An injury to Bryant or even Williams would be crippling.
So you agree, our WRs suck. So noted.
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,453
The whole idea about a "top three" is if one of the top two go down, the third guy can step up.
Not really at all. Hell most teams are running 3 receiver sets the majority of the time. The real idea is to have a top 3 that all excel at what they do. Beasley is great at his role. Dez and Williams are both great at their roles. You can bitch about the depth but our coaches were really high on Street last year. No one really know anything about him at this point. If Street has developed at all he could fill the Williams role due to an injury just fine.

Sure we are screwed with a Dez injury but he is arguably the best WR in football. Every team is basically in the same situation.
 

boozeman

28 Years And Counting...
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
121,730
Not really at all. Hell most teams are running 3 receiver sets the majority of the time.
Irrelevant. You have to have outside receivers or you change the design of the offense. Some teams run a 3-wide. This is not one of those teams. We are not the Patriots. We are not that creative. We have one way of doing things and that is it.
The real idea is to have a top 3 that all excel at what they do. Beasley is great at his role. Dez and Williams are both great at their roles.
And to the third level, this team is fine at WR. Elevate Beasley, huge issues.

You seem to be describing other offenses. This is what we have and it means an X, Y and a Z. Slot guy can't play outside, sorry. So there is what is left.
You can bitch about the depth but our coaches were really high on Street last year. No one really know anything about him at this point. If Street has developed at all he could fill the Williams role due to an injury just fine.
Eff Street. He had chances last season to make a play, it was not like he never saw the field. Even if it was something, anything. He failed. So all we have is the WR coach talking about his boy he campaigned to draft. Nothing new, nor interesting.

Sure we are screwed with a Dez injury but he is arguably the best WR in football. Every team is basically in the same situation.
We are screwed if Williams gets hurt.

It is basically like running the offense when we had Kevin Williams as a starting WR during our last SB season.

Not the best idea.

Again, it has a lot to do with this scheme and how Garrett does things.
 

townsend

Banned
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
5,377
I feel like you could have made the exact same criticism for for the 07 Patriots. We have the same all star/ deep threat/ slot white guy set up.
 

townsend

Banned
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
5,377
This also reminds me of when Terry Glenn went down at the beginning of 2007 and we were "screwed". Admittedly Crayton worked better in the slot but the offense was plenty productive.
 

boozeman

28 Years And Counting...
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
121,730
I feel like you could have made the exact same criticism for for the 07 Patriots. We have the same all star/ deep threat/ slot white guy set up.
This also reminds me of when Terry Glenn went down at the beginning of 2007 and we were "screwed". Admittedly Crayton worked better in the slot but the offense was plenty productive.
I guess if you repeat yourself it makes you feel better.

Fact is, this offense is not built to lose an outside WR. That is one big reason why the Bryant signing was so huge. It had to get done. No question.

And if the 2007 season is an achievement, well, you are just a loser who accepts poor results.
 

townsend

Banned
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
5,377
I guess if you repeat yourself it makes you feel better.

Fact is, this offense is not built to lose an outside WR. That is one big reason why the Bryant signing was so huge. It had to get done. No question.

And if the 2007 season is an achievement, well, you are just a loser who accepts poor results.
I wasn't repeating myself, I was making comparisons to the 07 Cowboys and 07 Patriots.

The post season in 07 was horrid. But that team didnt suffer from a lack of production at the WR position. We even had Glenn back for the loss against the Giants.


Devin Street isn't Williams, but I feel like we'd still have opportunities with any generic deep threat at #2 with Dez drawing so much attention.
 
Top Bottom