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Which obscure, down-roster Cowboys player is your pet cat to make the roster this year?
Did you know that if you mention the term "Pet Cat" to fans of other teams you'll probably draw nothing more than a blank stare? Yet among Cowboys fans, almost everybody knows what a pet cat is. Why is that?
"Pet Cat" is a Parcells-ism, a term Bill Parcells popularized among Cowboys fans during his tenure as head coach in Dallas. The term initially referred to a prospect a coach, scout or owner had taken a particular liking to, often based on little more than a whim, and whom they would then try to draft, regardless of what the scouting consensus was.
Among Cowboys fans, pet cat has since come to refer to a player who is a bubble player (even making the practice squad is often considered pet cat success) and is commonly selected from the very bottom of the roster where you'll find late-round draft picks, undrafted free agents or even street free agents. The pet cat is often - and preferably - chosen without the slightest factual or quantifiable basis. In fact, some would argue that you do not choose your pet cat, your pet cat chooses you.
Some might consider a fourth-round pick like Ryan Switzer pet cat-eligible, but selecting fourth-rounder or higher is considered a Patriots move in the land of honorable pet cat selectors.
Every year after rookie minicamp, we ask our members to commit to their pet cats for the season. And we kick it off by having the front page writers select their pet cats. Here's who nine of us picked:
Danny Phantom: Jahad Thomas, RB, Temple
When you have Ezekiel Elliott as your workhorse running back, you want the ball in his hands as much as possible. That doesn't leave a lot of opportunities for other running backs, especially an undrafted free agent. But Thomas' skill set fits real well with what the Cowboys need. With no Lance Dunbar around, the team could use another receiving back to fill this role. Thomas is an excellent receiver, catching 33 passes for 418 yards with six touchdowns in 2016. And while he doesn't have that elite speed, his footwork is outstanding and makes him look faster than he really is. He's got excellent vision, and when you take into account the blocking he'll have in Dallas, he makes for an elusive runner. With another rookie, Ryan Switzer stealing half of Lucky Whitehead's return responsibilities, it would be easy to just plug Thomas in for the kick return part. He's played special teams all four years in college so he has that appeal as well.
Last year I selected Anthony Brown as my pet cat and besides his raw ability, I touched on his high character to max out his potential, as he had a degree in Organized Leadership and Supervision. For Thomas, it's his iron fortitude that impresses me. He was voted by his teammates to wear a single-digit number which is a sign of toughness inside the Temple program. And that's something Mr. Dunbar didn't have.
Cole Patterson: Jahad Thomas, RB, Temple
Ezekiel Elliott is the best running back in the NFL, but even he needs a break or two during a game. Jahad Thomas has the potential to become a reliable reserve back that can help in both the run game and with Dak through the air. Like Dan alluded to, Thomas has the ability to hurt defenses by lining up in the slot and catching underneath passes out of the back field. Thomas also returned kicks for over 1,000 yards and a score during his Temple career, which can only him make the roster.
VAfan: Jordan Carrell, DT, Colorado
The Cowboys' last pick in the seventh round, Carrell is a long shot to make the team, but there is something about him that I like. In my post on the defensive line, I put together a little table comparing Jay Ratliff, a 7th rounder when he was selected, Joey Ivie, and Jordan Carrell. Carrell wasn't up to Ratliff's numbers, but he was better than Ivie at the 3 cone, 20-yard shuttle, broad jump, vertical jump, and 40-yard dash, suggesting he may have a little quickness to him. At Colorado as a senior, he had 51 tackles (the most on their D-line) and 5.5 sacks, which is nice from the interior. Plus, he appears to have a great upbeat attitude. He's easy to root for.
Dawn Macelli: Jordan Carrell, DT, Colorado
I have been waiting for OCC's annual pet cat post ever since I did my interview piece with Colorado blog Ralphie Report that gave us a chance to know what the big defensive tackle was all about. Jordan might not be ready for prime time yet, but he is the player who will spare no effort in getting to that point. The effort that he put into transitioning from the JUCO level to major college football gives us a look at the type of effort he will put in for the Cowboys. He is dedicated to improving himself both physically and mentally. Carrell is one of those guys one needs in the locker room. He may not have the pedigree or even talent of some other players but he more than makes up for that with his work ethic.
Dave Halprin: Noah Brown, WR, Ohio State
A big-bodied receiver with great potential, you also got to love the way the kid will throw a block. The Cowboys like their receivers big and they like them to block in the running game, and Brown might make his name initially as a physical player willing to mix it up. Don't sleep on his skills though, he's shown he can be a big-play guy, he just needs to be consistent. The rook has a high ceiling, if he can manage to hang on in his first year, he could blossom into a true contributor.
Michael Sisemore: Xavier Woods, SS, LA Tech
Woods to the Cowboys made too much sense and it happened two rounds later than they graded him. Woods will need to refine his tackling skills and has to show he belongs in the NFL. However, this cat had 14 interceptions in three seasons. If there is a play to be made, he's usually a catalyst. Woods has coverage abilities, he made a ton of tackles, a ton of plays, and he's a leader. Jeff Heath may be getting his opportunity to shine but Woods is the future. Time waits for no man and Woods doesn't either. There are a few rookies that could unseat some veterans during the course of this season. Xavier Woods should recognize this opportunity and take advantage of open competition. Seize your moment, Mr. Kitty.
One Cool Customer: Joe Jones, LB, Northwestern
I've been banging the SPARQ drum so hard the last three years, I simply have to go with the sparqiest guy the Cowboys picked up as a UDFA this year. Jones has a SPARQ in the 77th percentile, the highest value of any UDFA the Cowboys brought in, and the second highest of this entire rookie class (behind only Chidobe Awuzie, 98th percentile), so he is my natural choice.
Simply making the practice squad would already be a success for Jones, though there's a chance he could move up to te 53-man roster first as a special teams ace, and then maybe as a contributor on defense at some point. His pass coverage skills saw him lining up in the slot frequently in Northwestern’s pass defense last year, and his athleticism (he ran a 4.49 at his pro day, which would have made him the second fastest LB at the Combine behind Jabrill Peppers) give him the type of versatility the Cowboys like.
Tom Ryle: Cooper Rush, QB, Central Michigan
It's time for the Cowboys to correct the missed opportunity they had last season. I'm referring, of course, to how they tried to find the backup quarterback of the future, but overshot the mark and got their starter in Dak Prescott. Now, UDFA Cooper Rush has a chance to do the nearly impossible: Get Scott Linehan to move on from Kellen Moore as the QB2.
Moore is regularly praised by the staff and Prescott for being like an extra coach or offensive coordinator on the sideline. That's all great, but the idea of the backup quarterback is for them to play competently on the field. Moore has had limited opportunities, and really hasn't displayed any particularly convincing ability. And there is no getting around the fact he is listed (perhaps generously) as being 6-0 and 200 lbs, which is just kinda small for a quarterback, especially if they are not exceptionally mobile. Rush has a much more typical size for an NFL passer at 6-3 and 228 lbs. Otherwise, he is described almost exactly like Moore, right down to the suspect arm strength. For a team that probably needs to upgrade at QB2, Rush offers a better version of what they have already. He may be fated for the practice squad, at least his rookie year, but that would be a win for now and allow him to come back and fight for the job next season.
Joseph.Hatz: Lewis Neal, DL LSU
Led LSU in sacks with eight in 2015 when playing as a 4-3 defensive end, although he struggled adjusting to the 3-4 the Tigers switched to during his senior season. He was still able to finish fourth on the team in sacks though, despite playing out of position. He's a tweener, not really athletic enough to play full-time on the edge and not big enough to play full-time inside but he fits the profile of an overlooked, undersized, low center of gravity, slower DE type that Marinelli can pack a few lbs on and attempt to convert to a 3-technique who can also play some on the edge on occasion. He shouldn't make the roster this year given the depth on the line but I think he's a strong candidate for the practice squad who could make the roster in Year two given his work ethic and passion for the game.
Now that you've seen which players the BTB writers have picked as their pet cats, check out the up-to-the-minute Cowboys roster below and tell us:
Who is your pet cat to make the roster this year?
Name
POS
Name
POS
Opening Day Roster 2016
Opening Day Roster 2016
2016 Practice squad
1
Bailey, Dan 1
PK
46
DeBord, Clay OT
2
Beasley, Cole 2
WR
47
Edwards, Kadeem OG
3
Brown, Anthony 3
CB
48
Gathers, Rico TE
4
Bryant, Dez 4
WR
49
Jones, Andy WR
5
Butler, Brice 5
WR
50
Seamster, Sammy CB
6
Collins, La'el 6
OG
51
Showers, Jameill S
7
Collins, Maliek 7
DT
52
Smith, Rod RB
8
Crawford, Tyrone 8
DE
2017 Free Agent acquisitions
9
Elliott, Ezekiel 9
RB
53
Bell, Byron OT
10
Frazier, Kavon 10
S
54
Blanton, Robert S
11
Frederick, Travis 11
OC
55
Carroll, Nolan CB
12
Green, Chaz 12
OG
56
Irwin-Hill, Sam P
13
Heath, Jeff 13
S
57
Moore, Damontre DE
14
Hitchens, Anthony 14
LB
58
Paea, Stephen DT
15
Irving, David 15
DT
2017 Reserve/Future signings
16
Jones, Byron 16
S
59
Hamlett, Connor TE
17
Jones, Chris 17
P
60
Jones, Lenny DE
18
Ladouceur, LP 18
LS
61
Lotulelei, John LB
19
Lee, Sean 19
LB
62
McKinnon, Jeremiah CB
20
Looney, Joe 20
OG
63
Nwachukwu, Uzoma WR
21
Martin, Zack 21
OG
64
Thomas, Duke CB
22
Mayowa, Benson 22
DE
65
Wood, Zach DE
23
Morris, Alfred 23
RB
2017 Draft picks
24
Nzeocha, Mark 24
LB
66
Awuzie, Chidobe CB
25
Prescott, Dak 25
QB
67
Brown, Noah WR
26
Scandrick, Orlando 26
CB
68
Carrell, Jordan DT
27
Smith, Keith 27
FB
69
Charlton, Taco DE
28
Smith, Tyron 28
OT
70
Ivie, Joey DT
29
Swaim, Geoff 29
TE
71
Lewis, Jourdan CB
30
Tapper, Charles 30
DE
72
Switzer, Ryan WR
31
Thornton, Cedric 31
DT
73
White, Marquez CB
32
Whitehead, Lucky 32
WR
74
Woods, Xavier S
33
Wilber, Kyle 33
LB
2017 Undrafted Free Agents
34
Williams, Terrance 34
WR
75
Baron, Woody DT
35
Wilson, Damien 35
LB
76
Blake Jarwin TE
36
Witten, Jason 36
TE
77
Brown, Brian WR
2016 IR/PUP/NFI
2016 IR/PUP/NFI
78
Gilchrist, Kennan LB
37
Hanna, James 37
TE
79
Jones, Joe LB
38
Lawrence, Demarcus 38
DE
80
Neal, Lewis DE
39
McFadden, Darren 39
RB
81
Rush, Cooper QB
40
Moore, Kellen 40
QB
82
Skipper, Dan OT
41
Smith, Jaylon 41
LB
83
Theaker, Nate OG
2016 In-season signings
2016 In-season signings
84
Thomas, Jahad RB
42
Ash, Richard 42
DT
85
Wacha, Lucas LB
43
Cleary, Emmett 43
OT
2017 Post-draft free agent signing
44
Cooper, Jonathan 44
OG
86
Burbank, Ross OL
45
McFadden, Leon 45
CB
87
Carter, Ruben OL
88
Dysert, Zac 88
QB
89
Lenoir, Lance 89
WR
90
Leslie, Darnell 90
LB
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