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Analyzing Cowboys' 53-man roster: The decision that seems a bit crazy; where Dallas is awfully heavy
COWBOYS BOB STURM
By Bob Sturm , Special contributor Contact Bob Sturmon TwitterSportsSturm
Today is Labor Day. Most people will be taking off work, but in honor of the idea that the NFL most certainly will not be doing that sort of thing, I wanted to give you something to read.
This is a blog entry that will get bookmarked for historical reference as we roll out what we assume is the best example of the 2016 team picture. Yes, technically, a guy like Jameill Showers made the team (as he was a part of the 53 at the moment the final 53 was turned into the league office) and Mark Sanchez did not, but I usually allow 24 hours to pass before I declare it finally final.
But now the dust has settled and the Cowboys have not had any transactions since Saturday afternoon -- when they brought in Sanchez -- so this is what I am calling the final 53.
As you will see below, they did the normal 25 on offense, 25 on defense, and three specialists to get to their 53, but I think we can observe that based on their current situation of dealing with some suspensions and, of course, the odd Tony Romo situation, they have had to go heavy in a few spots and light in a few others.
For instance, this is the 10th year I have done this study, and we have never seen the Cowboys go with six running backs. Yes, those two fullbacks are pretty much exclusive special teams spots, but when you add in the Darren McFadden NFI list entry, you can see that this team has a logjam here and is merely putting off the eventuality of having to trim it down further. I imagine Darius Jackson will be covering every kick as if his career depends upon it, too, because for now, it likely does.
Also, since the Cowboys moved to the 4-3, they have never gone so light on the defensive and offensive lines. The chart from 2014 shows that they had 20 linemen in their final 53, but in 2016 they only have 16. Eight on the O-line is understandable because they have several who can play multiple positions: Zack Martin could play tackle, La'el Collins could play tackle and Ron Leary can play any of the inside three, as can Joe Looney. But eight on the D-line seems a bit crazy, especially with reports that Charles Tapper hasn't returned to full health. That means they plan on Sunday to be at just seven D-linemen, which hurts plans of a rotation and freshness and also leaves you so thin if someone gets hurt in the first half. I realize they have two suspended D-linemen to bring in later, but getting through September seems like a hold-your-breath scenario -- unless they have plans to rectify that today or tomorrow.
Ten defensive backs is awfully heavy, too. Dax Swanson is probably the 53rd spot on the roster, but for now, the unlikely free agent rookie has made it. Great story for him to enjoy for a few hours before he sweats every minute as he tries to hang on. J.J. Wilcox was a surprise to some, and he may be the 52nd man on the roster. Also, the Tony Romo roster-spot decision is another way to free one up, but you can understand their reluctance to do so as they would lose him until November (which may be a great idea anyway, but it hurts).
OFFENSE (25)
Position Starter Backup 3rd/4th String
QB Dak Prescott Mark Sanchez Tony Romo - INJ
RB Ezekiel Elliott Alfred Morris Lance Dunbar, Darius Jackson
FB Rod Smith Keith Smith
TE Jason Witten Gavin Escobar Geoff Swaim
WR Dez Bryant Brice Butler Lucky Whitehead
WR Terrance Williams Cole Beasley
LT Tyron Smith Chaz Green
LG La'el Collins Ron Leary
C Travis Frederick Joe Looney
RG Zack Martin
RT Doug Free
DEFENSE (25)
Position Starter Backup 3rd/4th String
LDE Benson Mayowa Charles Tapper
DT 3 Tyrone Crawford Maliek Collins
DT 1 Cedric Thornton Terrell McClain
RDE Jack Crawford David Irving
WLB Sean Lee Damien Wilson Andrew Gachkar
MLB Anthony Hitchens Mark Nzeocha
SLB Kyle Wilber Justin Durant
CB Brandon Carr Anthony Brown Dax Swanson
FS Byron Jones Jeff Heath Kevon Frazier
SS Barry Church JJ Wilcox
CB Orlando Scandrick Morris Claiborne
SPECIAL TEAMS (3)
Position
Starter
K
Dan Bailey
P
Chris Jones
LS
LP Ladouceur
And then here is the chart that demonstrates how many players the team has put at each positional group on this day over the past decade:
Position 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
QB 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3
RB 5 4 4 5 4 4 4 4 5 6
TE 3 3 3 2 4 3 4 3 4 3
WR 6 5 5 5 5 6 5 5 5 5
OL 10 11 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 8
DL 6 6 6 7 7 7 10 11 10 8
LB 7 8 9 9 7 8 6 7 6 7
DB 11 11 9 9 9 10 10 8 9 10
ST 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 3
Total 53 53 53 53 53 53 53 53 53 53
It is a better roster than last year's, in my opinion. The Cowboys have appeared to have avoided the "lost for the year" injury this preseason. In 2014, it was Sean Lee, and in 2015, it was Orlando Scandrick. The Romo thing isn't far off, but the belief that he can still make 10 starts seems alive in the front office. I am not sure how that should make you feel, given their propensity to rush him back before he is right.
Last year, they had Joseph Randle, Nick Hayden and Wilcox all starting. They have been replaced with substantial upgrades in Ezekiel Elliott, Cedric Thornton and Byron Jones. That is really impressive, if you look at it from that direction. Now, with the exception of the DeMarcus Lawrence suspension, I would argue that linebacker is the only place where you don't have enough talent in the starting lineup to be called "league average." And that gets fixed quite a bit when Jaylon Smith gets healthy.
The group doesn't look so great in the first few weeks, but if you can add Tony Romo and DeMarcus Lawrence while keeping everyone else available (tough to do), then you can see how this team can win its division if it gets a good bounce of the ball here or there.
While we are rolling here, let's examine one more chart. This one shows the building from a year-by-year perspective. In other words, how the Cowboys added to get to the spot they are now.
YEAR DRAFT PICKS FREE AGENTS/TRADES UNDRAFTED COLLEGE FAs
2016
(14) Ezekiel Elliott, Jaylon Smith, Maliek Collins, Charles Tapper, Dak Prescott, Darius Jackson, Anthony Brown, Kevon Frazier Mark Sanchez, Alfred Morris, Benson Mayowa, Cedric Thornton, Joe Looney Dax Swanson
2015
(13) Byron Jones, Randy Gregory, Chaz Green, Damien Wilson, Geoff Swaim, Mark Nzeocha Andrew Gachkar, Keith Smith, Brice Butler, David Irving, Rod Smith, Darren McFadden La'el Collins, Lucky Whitehead
2014 (5) Zack Martin, DeMarcus Lawrence, Anthony Hitchens Terrell McClain, Jack Crawford
2013 (5) Travis Frederick, Gavin Escobar, Terrance Williams, JJ Wilcox
Jeff Heath
2012 (8) Morris Claiborne, Tyrone Crawford, Kyle Wilber, James Hanna (PUP) Brandon Carr Cole Beasley, Ron Leary, Lance Dunbar
2011 (3) Tyron Smith
Chris Jones, Dan Bailey
2010 (3) Dez Bryant, Sean Lee Barry Church
2009
2008 (1) Orlando Scandrick
2007 (1) Doug Free
2006
2005 (1)
LP Ladocuer
2004
2003 (2) Jason Witten Tony Romo
53 31 15 10
I think "homegrown" is often easily linked to long-term success. As I keep this number over the years, it has been encouraging to see it grow. And here, with 31 draft picks and 10 college free agents who have never played anywhere in the NFL but Dallas, the Cowboys have 41 homegrown players, which puts them into the top third of the league.
Now, the trick is to continue to hit on picks at a higher rate, because right now, the 2011, 2012 and 2013 drafts look pretty slim in terms of keepers. Those players would hopefully be your core as their ages should range between 24 and 27 years old if they were in those drafts. And 2014's draft class already is down to just three players, too.
The 2015 and 2016 classes look better, but we must let time pass before we declare 2016 the best draft of the decade. Time usually tells us all we need to know.
So there is your look at the roster from a number of angles. Now, go enjoy your day.
We are in Week 1!!!!
Twitter: @SportsSturm
COWBOYS BOB STURM
By Bob Sturm , Special contributor Contact Bob Sturmon TwitterSportsSturm
Today is Labor Day. Most people will be taking off work, but in honor of the idea that the NFL most certainly will not be doing that sort of thing, I wanted to give you something to read.
This is a blog entry that will get bookmarked for historical reference as we roll out what we assume is the best example of the 2016 team picture. Yes, technically, a guy like Jameill Showers made the team (as he was a part of the 53 at the moment the final 53 was turned into the league office) and Mark Sanchez did not, but I usually allow 24 hours to pass before I declare it finally final.
But now the dust has settled and the Cowboys have not had any transactions since Saturday afternoon -- when they brought in Sanchez -- so this is what I am calling the final 53.
As you will see below, they did the normal 25 on offense, 25 on defense, and three specialists to get to their 53, but I think we can observe that based on their current situation of dealing with some suspensions and, of course, the odd Tony Romo situation, they have had to go heavy in a few spots and light in a few others.
For instance, this is the 10th year I have done this study, and we have never seen the Cowboys go with six running backs. Yes, those two fullbacks are pretty much exclusive special teams spots, but when you add in the Darren McFadden NFI list entry, you can see that this team has a logjam here and is merely putting off the eventuality of having to trim it down further. I imagine Darius Jackson will be covering every kick as if his career depends upon it, too, because for now, it likely does.
Also, since the Cowboys moved to the 4-3, they have never gone so light on the defensive and offensive lines. The chart from 2014 shows that they had 20 linemen in their final 53, but in 2016 they only have 16. Eight on the O-line is understandable because they have several who can play multiple positions: Zack Martin could play tackle, La'el Collins could play tackle and Ron Leary can play any of the inside three, as can Joe Looney. But eight on the D-line seems a bit crazy, especially with reports that Charles Tapper hasn't returned to full health. That means they plan on Sunday to be at just seven D-linemen, which hurts plans of a rotation and freshness and also leaves you so thin if someone gets hurt in the first half. I realize they have two suspended D-linemen to bring in later, but getting through September seems like a hold-your-breath scenario -- unless they have plans to rectify that today or tomorrow.
Ten defensive backs is awfully heavy, too. Dax Swanson is probably the 53rd spot on the roster, but for now, the unlikely free agent rookie has made it. Great story for him to enjoy for a few hours before he sweats every minute as he tries to hang on. J.J. Wilcox was a surprise to some, and he may be the 52nd man on the roster. Also, the Tony Romo roster-spot decision is another way to free one up, but you can understand their reluctance to do so as they would lose him until November (which may be a great idea anyway, but it hurts).
OFFENSE (25)
Position Starter Backup 3rd/4th String
QB Dak Prescott Mark Sanchez Tony Romo - INJ
RB Ezekiel Elliott Alfred Morris Lance Dunbar, Darius Jackson
FB Rod Smith Keith Smith
TE Jason Witten Gavin Escobar Geoff Swaim
WR Dez Bryant Brice Butler Lucky Whitehead
WR Terrance Williams Cole Beasley
LT Tyron Smith Chaz Green
LG La'el Collins Ron Leary
C Travis Frederick Joe Looney
RG Zack Martin
RT Doug Free
DEFENSE (25)
Position Starter Backup 3rd/4th String
LDE Benson Mayowa Charles Tapper
DT 3 Tyrone Crawford Maliek Collins
DT 1 Cedric Thornton Terrell McClain
RDE Jack Crawford David Irving
WLB Sean Lee Damien Wilson Andrew Gachkar
MLB Anthony Hitchens Mark Nzeocha
SLB Kyle Wilber Justin Durant
CB Brandon Carr Anthony Brown Dax Swanson
FS Byron Jones Jeff Heath Kevon Frazier
SS Barry Church JJ Wilcox
CB Orlando Scandrick Morris Claiborne
SPECIAL TEAMS (3)
Position
Starter
K
Dan Bailey
P
Chris Jones
LS
LP Ladouceur
And then here is the chart that demonstrates how many players the team has put at each positional group on this day over the past decade:
Position 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
QB 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3
RB 5 4 4 5 4 4 4 4 5 6
TE 3 3 3 2 4 3 4 3 4 3
WR 6 5 5 5 5 6 5 5 5 5
OL 10 11 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 8
DL 6 6 6 7 7 7 10 11 10 8
LB 7 8 9 9 7 8 6 7 6 7
DB 11 11 9 9 9 10 10 8 9 10
ST 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 3
Total 53 53 53 53 53 53 53 53 53 53
It is a better roster than last year's, in my opinion. The Cowboys have appeared to have avoided the "lost for the year" injury this preseason. In 2014, it was Sean Lee, and in 2015, it was Orlando Scandrick. The Romo thing isn't far off, but the belief that he can still make 10 starts seems alive in the front office. I am not sure how that should make you feel, given their propensity to rush him back before he is right.
Last year, they had Joseph Randle, Nick Hayden and Wilcox all starting. They have been replaced with substantial upgrades in Ezekiel Elliott, Cedric Thornton and Byron Jones. That is really impressive, if you look at it from that direction. Now, with the exception of the DeMarcus Lawrence suspension, I would argue that linebacker is the only place where you don't have enough talent in the starting lineup to be called "league average." And that gets fixed quite a bit when Jaylon Smith gets healthy.
The group doesn't look so great in the first few weeks, but if you can add Tony Romo and DeMarcus Lawrence while keeping everyone else available (tough to do), then you can see how this team can win its division if it gets a good bounce of the ball here or there.
While we are rolling here, let's examine one more chart. This one shows the building from a year-by-year perspective. In other words, how the Cowboys added to get to the spot they are now.
YEAR DRAFT PICKS FREE AGENTS/TRADES UNDRAFTED COLLEGE FAs
2016
(14) Ezekiel Elliott, Jaylon Smith, Maliek Collins, Charles Tapper, Dak Prescott, Darius Jackson, Anthony Brown, Kevon Frazier Mark Sanchez, Alfred Morris, Benson Mayowa, Cedric Thornton, Joe Looney Dax Swanson
2015
(13) Byron Jones, Randy Gregory, Chaz Green, Damien Wilson, Geoff Swaim, Mark Nzeocha Andrew Gachkar, Keith Smith, Brice Butler, David Irving, Rod Smith, Darren McFadden La'el Collins, Lucky Whitehead
2014 (5) Zack Martin, DeMarcus Lawrence, Anthony Hitchens Terrell McClain, Jack Crawford
2013 (5) Travis Frederick, Gavin Escobar, Terrance Williams, JJ Wilcox
Jeff Heath
2012 (8) Morris Claiborne, Tyrone Crawford, Kyle Wilber, James Hanna (PUP) Brandon Carr Cole Beasley, Ron Leary, Lance Dunbar
2011 (3) Tyron Smith
Chris Jones, Dan Bailey
2010 (3) Dez Bryant, Sean Lee Barry Church
2009
2008 (1) Orlando Scandrick
2007 (1) Doug Free
2006
2005 (1)
LP Ladocuer
2004
2003 (2) Jason Witten Tony Romo
53 31 15 10
I think "homegrown" is often easily linked to long-term success. As I keep this number over the years, it has been encouraging to see it grow. And here, with 31 draft picks and 10 college free agents who have never played anywhere in the NFL but Dallas, the Cowboys have 41 homegrown players, which puts them into the top third of the league.
Now, the trick is to continue to hit on picks at a higher rate, because right now, the 2011, 2012 and 2013 drafts look pretty slim in terms of keepers. Those players would hopefully be your core as their ages should range between 24 and 27 years old if they were in those drafts. And 2014's draft class already is down to just three players, too.
The 2015 and 2016 classes look better, but we must let time pass before we declare 2016 the best draft of the decade. Time usually tells us all we need to know.
So there is your look at the roster from a number of angles. Now, go enjoy your day.
We are in Week 1!!!!
Twitter: @SportsSturm