5 camp battles

[gimmesix]

Ball is their most talented backup tackle and he's been kept this long without IR so he's probably making the 53 at least for one day.

In theory. He hasn't proven anything.

It is possible that we cut some vet, though, for a day so that Ball doesn't have to go through the waiver process since he was a fourth-round pick.

 

[kumizi]

Some very tough decisions
And that’s a great thing

I dont see how it's a great thing. Out of those 5 battles, 4 of them have guys that dont belong in those positions in the NFL. It shows how top heavy our roster is.

 

[conner01]

I dont see how it's a great thing. Out of those 5 battles, 4 of them have guys that dont belong in those positions in the NFL. It shows how top heavy our roster is.

So you’d rather not have competition at any position
It’s not just about those 5
It’s the WR battles for those spots
LB battles
And it’s not just about this year
A guy like Cox may not get a ton of reps this year but may replace a guy like Jaylon next year
Some of them listed aren’t real battle
We know who the rb’s are gonna be

 

[jterrell]

In order to go on IR-Return-Eligible the player must be on the 53 for 24 hours.
- After the 1 day of being on the 53 the player can be moved to IR-Return-Eligible.
- I don't think there is an IR numbers limit otherwise.

And this year you have guys in COVID reserve so can borrow those spots to get dudes to IR.
Pretty convenient tbh.
Basically can IR 3 guys for free with "to-return" designation because we have 3 on COVID list last I saw.

 

[jterrell]

Here's hoping we cut Jaylon. The plus side is we're *already* stuck with his salary, so him making the season doesn't mean they've just given up. If he makes the season because Bernard is hurt, we can still just cut him. Zeke's restructuring gives us the cap room this year.

Not the way it works.
Zero reason for anyone to not understand how it works given this a topic every 5 minutes.
Cutting Jaylon costs you a lot of money.

There's zero reason not to just keep him as an emergency option even if you don't activate him weekly.

They almost certainly will cut him next year with more options for spreading out his money.

 

[xwalker]

All I'm saying is if they want to hang on to Thompson initially as insurance against two achillies and the covid thing w the safeties, would hate to lose the potential of Mookie in order to keep Goodwin.

Maybe he is slightly better on ST than most, but is it worth exposing a guy you really like?

Last year they cut Goodwin at the cut to 53, then moved some players to IR-DFR, then re-signed Goodwin.

 

[speedkilz88]

Stephen Jones just said on the pregame that those on the covid list do not count against the 53. Mentioned something about that makes things easier.

 

[xwalker]

Stephen Jones just said on the pregame that those on the covid list do not count against the 53. Mentioned something about that makes things easier.

I was looking for clarification on that topic.

I know during the season that they don't count but for the cut to 53 it was not 100% clear to me.

It basically over-rides all other rules that impact the cut to 53 if they can just IR-DFR players without counting against the initial cut to 53.
- They can just put all players that won't play in the first 3 weeks on the Covid-IR list.

The downside (for some teams) is that less players from other teams will be available after the cut to 53.

 

[McKDaddy]

I would puke if they cut Mukuamu and kept Thompson.

absolutely.

 

[Dak_Attack_09]

@xwalker
What about the battle at DE with Anae? Does that mean he made the team? Anae vs Armstrong would be a tough call for me right now. Would like to keep both if I could.

In my opinion, Kamara needs to practice as an all-around LB. He is too light to play just a 3-4 OLB rushing the passer only.

'Farniok is the 3rd option at OC and maybe the 2nd backup at OG' - Farniok is the backup center in my opinion. No one else is practicing there in the games so far. Williams is the emergency in-game center only. But Williams is the starting OG. He will not be practicing C much when the season begins. Farniok will likely be the official backup to Biadasz and getting all the backup center reps in practice. Farniok has played center and OT in camp and in games, not G from what I can remember.

I doubt they will keep Bernard or Gifford on the 53-man roster. No one wants those two players. Why waste a roster spot for either of those two?

I agree with Mukuamu. I hope he has already made the team. No way I am keeping Kearse or Thompson over Mukuamu.

Coyle has a shot at safety in my opinion. He just needs a little more time. I hope he makes it to the PS. I think he will be good next year or later this year.

Anae making the team!

 

[TwoCentPlain]

Anae making the team!

Not after today's showing. He did not look good.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Not the way it works.
Zero reason for anyone to not understand how it works given this a topic every 5 minutes.
Cutting Jaylon costs you a lot of money.

There's zero reason not to just keep him as an emergency option even if you don't activate him weekly.

They almost certainly will cut him next year with more options for spreading out his money.

I don't know how adults don't understand how sunk costs work, but you demonstrate that some still don't.

For your edification:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_cost

Cutting Jaylon costs you nothing *more*. All his money this year is already guaranteed. All it does is free up a roster spot. You may think that roster spots have zero value, and there is "zero reason" not to spend one on Jaylon, but you're just flat out wrong in that too.

 

[Verdict]

• The 5 "position" battles.
  • Safety: Darian Thompson vs. Jayron Kearse vs. Israel Mukuamu
  • RB: Brenden Knox vs. JaQuan Hardy vs. Nick Ralston
  • LB: Azur Kamara vs. Luke Gifford vs. Francis Bernard
  • OL: Brandon Knight vs. Terence Steele vs. Matt Farniok vs. Ty Nsekhe vs. Isaac Alarcon
  • QB: Cooper Rush vs. Garrett Gilbert vs. Ben DiNucci

• Safety: Darian Thompson vs. Jayron Kearse vs. Israel Mukuamu
  • Kearse played played in the Big Nickel package as the 3rd Safety.
    • This included some snaps in all series when the starters were playing in the Texans game.
  • I would puke if they cut Mukuamu and kept Thompson.
  • They can cut Thompson and re-sign him after other players are moved to IR
    • If they want to keep him.
    • He is not subject to waivers as a veteran.

• RB: Brenden Knox vs. JaQuan Hardy vs. Nick Ralston
  • They can all be retained for the practice squad.
  • There just aren't enough teams that carry a FB. The ones that do likely already have their guy.
  • Know/Hardy are too slow to get much interest from other teams.

• LB: Azur Kamara vs. Luke Gifford vs. Francis Bernard
  • Kamara does not play the same position as the other 2.
    • He is a DE or 3-4 OLB type, not an off-ball LB.
  • Bernard is injured.
    • If they keep him on the 53, it would be for 1 day and then he would be moved to IR.
  • Off-Ball LB depth chart (They keep 6 or 7 most years):
    • Parsons
    • Neal
    • LVE
    • Jaylon
    • Cox
    • Gifford (Maybe Bernard over Gifford if he was healthy)

• OL: Brandon Knight vs. Terence Steele vs. Matt Farniok vs. Ty Nsekhe vs. Isaac Alarcon
  • They don't all play the same position but I guess it is a question of the last 2 OL spots.
  • Alarcon has not played a snap at OT and I don't think he has practiced there in camp.
  • Farniok is the 3rd option at OC and maybe the 2nd backup at OG.

• QB: Cooper Rush vs. Garrett Gilbert vs. Ben DiNucci
  • Does it matter? The Cowboys won't win much with any backup QB.
  • It's either Rush or Gilbert for backup. No need to keep both.
  • DiNucci is competing with players at other positions for the 53rd roster spot.
    • DiNucci has more upside but it too raw to have a chance at the #2 spot.
    • If he had been around the NFL as long as the other 2 he would be ahead of them.

It is possible that NONE of the Kamala/Bernard/Gifford make the initial 53. I could see all of them being cut and any or all going to practice squad.

 

[Verdict]

In the past Goodwin has been on of the players they cut during the initial cut to 53 then they re-sign him after other players are moved to IR-Return-Eligible.

Wasn't it Goodwin that won the Atlanta game last year with the amazing on-side kick recovery?

I have in mind that he had another ST play with a similar level of impact last year.

Sometimes players are like coaches on the field and we as fans don't see all of their contributions in that regard.

I'm certain that Quinn wanted Neal and Kazee for their scheme knowledge (coach on the field) abilities as much as for their actual abilities as players.

Whether it’s Goodwin or another player you can bet that there will be a couple of vested veterans who will be cut and brought back once players go to IR.

 

[Verdict]

• Mukuamu highly likely to get claimed.
• Ralston unlikely to be claimed.
• Farniok likely to be claimed (Draft picks always more likely to be claimed than UDFAs even if the UDFA did more in the preseason)
• Alarcon unlikely to be claimed.
• For IR-Return-Eligible, Ball & Bernard would have to be on the 53 for 1 day.

I don’t think they will cut Farniok or Makuamu.