Many UDFA's will make this roster

I'm wondering out loud here... considering the financial implications of veterans with solid production vs head to head competition with promising rookies, who wins out and takes a roster spot?

A couple of factors here.

COVID restrictions created a boom in terms of quality amongst undrafted free agents.
The Cowboys were able to secure many of the talented, "should have been drafted" players from those UDFA's.

The time is approaching quickly to pay the piper for the premium contracts of
CeeDee Lamb,
Trevon Diggs,
eventually Micah Parsons
and others.

So... does that lower the threshold for a rookie to make the team? Saving money for superstars, while rookies prove themselves on a comparably inexpensive contract... I'd say that if the performance is 90% of what an established veteran gives you, with the upside of growth to possibly be better in a year or 2... makes it very likely that players like

S Marquise Bell
OL Alec Lindstrom
LB Storey Jackson
S Juanyeh Thomas
RB Aaron Shampklin
K Jonathan Garibay
and others could very likely make this team, and the Cowboys let an established veteran go. What do you think, do you see a wave of rookies making the team??

All those will not make the 53 man roster. PS for many of them.

Garibay makes it by default, as there are no other K's as of now.
Bell has a shot, as to no 5th S is that good, I am not sold on Mukaumu. Heck I am not even sold on Wilson. He has not grabbed that spot like many thought he would. Bell could easily become the #4 S.

Jackson may at LB, since there is lack of depth there. Heck, there is lack of players there as well. But I don't see it, I see him as a fan favorite over rating him. I don't know a lot about him to say one way or the other, but did read where he was a bit slow. I seen more are higher on Hansford. Either one will need to beat out Gifford, which may not take much, but ST's is the way to do it.

Any UDFA RB will have a tough time making the team as well. But same as usual, many will pump up some unknown RB. Remember Jackson and Scarborough. Where are they now type players. Though Bo is playing in the new USFL.

The infatuation with UDFAs is like an annual event.

These guys look great in their highlight videos (as does everyone), and the pace of the game is something different once camp starts.

I do like this particular class, but I don't expect more than the typical 1-2 making the team.

Garibay doesn't really count.

These 4 will definitley make the 2022 roster.
Bell
Lindstrom
Garibay
Drummond

jazzcat22 said:

All those will not make the 53 man roster. PS for many of them.

Garibay makes it by default, as there are no other K's as of now.
Bell has a shot, as to no 5th S is that good, I am not sold on Mukaumu. Heck I am not even sold on Wilson. He has not grabbed that spot like many thought he would. Bell could easily become the #4 S.

Jackson may at LB, since there is lack of depth there. Heck, there is lack of players there as well. But I don't see it, I see him as a fan favorite over rating him. I don't know a lot about him to say one way or the other, but did read where he was a bit slow. I seen more are higher on Hansford. Either one will need to beat out Gifford, which may not take much, but ST's is the way to do it.

Any UDFA RB will have a tough time making the team as well. But same as usual, many will pump up some unknown RB. Remember Jackson and Scarborough. Where are they now type players. Though Bo is playing in the new USFL.

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I think Gifford, Makaumu and Willson(Safety) will be gone, and any vet whose production has been solid, but not spectacular. Journeymen on the Cowboys will likely be continuing their journey somewhere else, I predict.
Here's my list, I'm not sure that some of these players are already gone or not, they are listed on the current Cowboys roster.

Corey Clement, even with Super Bowl experience
Noah Brown
Jeremy Sprinkle
Francis Bernard
CJ Goodwin
Maurice Canady
Malik Hooker,
Donovan Wilson
Luke Gifford
even Dorance Armstrong if enough DL rookies show promise.

Elliott will be gone next year, not this year, for contract reasons. The cap hit is yet another reason to save money over these 2 seasons, 2022 and 2023.

fivetwos said:

The infatuation with UDFAs is like an annual event.

These guys look great in their highlight videos (as does everyone), and the pace of the game is something different once camp starts.

I do like this particular class, but I don't expect more than the typical 1-2 making the team.

Garibay doesn't really count.

Click to expand...

Agreed on Garibay... So, you don't think that this years crop of UDFA's are different than previous years that have typical hype??

Don't sleep on Aaron Hansford.

I think Hansford makes it. Harper seems like a special teams guy but Hansford looks like a future player at LB.

James Empey is another guy I am high on. I love Alec, but I feel one of them will go to the practice squad. Empey is a four year starter from BYU

We even undraft really well all of the time.

fivetwos said:

The infatuation with UDFAs is like an annual event.

These guys look great in their highlight videos (as does everyone), and the pace of the game is something different once camp starts.

I do like this particular class, but I don't expect more than the typical 1-2 making the team.

Garibay doesn't really count.

Click to expand...

A couple will have mysterious injuries and go to IR and will our new LB. A few will go to PS
But 2-3 is about the most that can make the roster unless we cut some guys from last year
There is only 53

nathanlt said:

I think Gifford, Makaumu and Willson(Safety) will be gone, and any vet whose production has been solid, but not spectacular. Journeymen on the Cowboys will likely be continuing their journey somewhere else, I predict.
Here's my list, I'm not sure that some of these players are already gone or not, they are listed on the current Cowboys roster.

Corey Clement, even with Super Bowl experience
Noah Brown
Jeremy Sprinkle
Francis Bernard
CJ Goodwin
Maurice Canady
Malik Hooker,
Donovan Wilson
Luke Gifford
even Dorance Armstrong if enough DL rookies show promise.

Elliott will be gone next year, not this year, for contract reasons. The cap hit is yet another reason to save money over these 2 seasons, 2022 and 2023.

Click to expand...

Clement was not resigned, still a FA, same for Bernard and Canady.

Armstrong will not be gone, signed to high of a contract, and was looking decent in limited plays last year. He had as many sacks as Gregory in possibly half the plays.

Brown will not be gone, unless due to injury. The last spots for Wr will be between Feheko, washer and maybe an UDFA, but only until Gallup is ready to return. Too many fans under estimate Browns worth. he is one of the players a few decided to hate on, so others follow suit.
Hooker will also make the team. None of the UDFA's are better.

Sprinkle and Goodwin to me are on the bubble and can be beat out. But I thought that of Goodwin the last few years. His ST's play keeps him around. So you may be right on them.
Wilson as I said, what has he really done. I like Bell to make the team over him. Gifford, again over rated as he has been a TC hero to some fans, but never really translated in regular season.

IMO.
Of the 10 players you listed, 3 are not on the team, 3 will be on the team. 4 probably will be replaced, or very well could be.

jazzcat22 said:

Clement was not resigned, still a FA, same for Bernard and Canady.

Armstrong will not be gone, signed to high of a contract, and was looking decent in limited plays last year. He had as many sacks as Gregory in possibly half the plays.

Brown will not be gone, unless due to injury. The last spots for Wr will be between Feheko, washer and maybe an UDFA, but only until Gallup is ready to return. Too many fans under estimate Browns worth. he is one of the players a few decided to hate on, so others follow suit.
Hooker will also make the team. None of the UDFA's are better.

Sprinkle and Goodwin to me are on the bubble and can be beat out. But I thought that of Goodwin the last few years. His ST's play keeps him around. So you may be right on them.
Wilson as I said, what has he really done. I like Bell to make the team over him. Gifford, again over rated as he has been a TC hero to some fans, but never really translated in regular season.

IMO.
Of the 10 players you listed, 3 are not on the team, 3 will be on the team. 4 probably will be replaced, or very well could be.

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Oh, I think Noah Brown is good, too.... He'll just cost way more than a rookie in his rapidly approaching contract year.

nathanlt said:

Oh, I think Noah Brown is good, too.... He'll just cost way more than a rookie in his rapidly approaching contract year.

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Brown cost $1.1 million. He’s not going anywhere

Carson said:

Brown cost $1.1 million. He’s not going anywhere

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You're probably right, but a rookie who provides 90% of the production for about 50% of the contract price is going to make it a close call as to who will stay.

nathanlt said:

Agreed on Garibay... So, you don't think that this years crop of UDFA's are different than previous years that have typical hype??

Click to expand...

Maybe, and we always hope so, but thinking these guys are going to move the needle at all is a long shot.

There's also that fine line of if they show anything in preseason, they may get poached. If not, they are buried on the depth chart here or cut.

Look at Kamara last year. Every bit of hype, exposure and opportunity. We couldn't keep him because of numbers, he was selected by another team (Carolina I think but not sure), yet still wasn't heard from there.

These guys face odds that are very long. More often than not, the speed of the NFL game is a little much for them.

Not like I don't remain hopeful though. I'm a fan of all these guys that wear this uniform.

nathanlt said:

You're probably right, but a rookie who provides 90% of the production for about 50% of the contract price is going to make it a close call as to who will stay.

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Oh I know what you’re saying.

It’s just Brown is their Jack of all trades. Receiver, tight end, special teams, blocker etc

Lol at the Mukuamu/Wilson slander. Funny stuff

stilltheguru said:

Lol at the Mukuamu/Wilson slander. Funny stuff

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I like Wilson a lot, and I'd regret seeing him go. Business decisions are lousy.... I wish there were no salary cap honestly. Then player who achieves their potential with the Cowboys could stay and provide continuity, and better team chemistry.

I expect about 3 or 4 of our FA rookies to make the final roster and another handful to make the practice squad. That's quite a haul.

Bullflop said:

I expect about 3 or 4 of these FA rookies to make the final roster and another handful to make the practice squad. That's quite a haul.

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A surplus of good rookies this year. The Cowboys are in position to cash in with the 9 draft picks and the UDFAs. This is going to help in the upcoming years. They will have a bunch of players on rookie contracts.