DMN: Cowboys 53-man roster projection: A number of bubble players remain

[jobberone]

Cowboys 53-man roster projection: A number of bubble players remain
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Jon Machota Email jmachota@***BANNED-URL***
Published: August 24, 2015 8:40 pm
http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/files/2015/08/NS_13COWBOYS25SP_45462823.jpg
Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks Brandon Weeden (3), Dustin Vaughan (10) and Tony Romo (9) on the bench during the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game at Qualcomm Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015, in San Diego, Calif. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)

OXNARD, Calif. – The Cowboys have 90 players on their current roster. They have to be down to 75 by Sept. 1 and 53 by Sept. 5.

After seeing the majority or training camp and two preseason games, we have a much better idea of who are the likely locks and who has little to no chance. Bubble players like Dustin Vaughan, Ken Bishop, Davon Coleman, Ben Gardner, Ryan Russell, Geoff Swaim and James Hanna are the key factor in trying to figure out the final 53.

Here’s my latest projection.

Quarterbacks: Vaughan hasn’t met expectations during training camp and his two preseason games. But I still think the Cowboys keep a third quarterback. If they decide to only go with two, the extra spot will likely be spent on the offensive or defensive line. ***snip***

Tight ends: Swaim has been impressive throughout training camp, likely playing his way onto the roster. Hanna is banged up, but I think the Cowboys like him (20 starts over the last two seasons) enough as a blocker to keep him another year.

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Follow Jon Machota on Twitter: @jonmachota

 

[Teague31]

He's keeping McCray and Wilber over Bishop? Ugh. And no way we keep 3 QB's this year. No way. Vaughan is a dumpster fire

 

[CF74]

http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/files/2015/08/NS_13COWBOYS25SP_45462823.jpg
Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks Brandon Weeden (3), Dustin Vaughan (10) and Tony Romo (9) on the bench during the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game at Qualcomm Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015, in San Diego, Calif. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)

Romo: Wow really guys?
Vaughn: sniffles
Weeden: who/what hit me?

 

[VACowboy]

• Showers can take both Vaughan's and McCray's spots.
• Gibson over Weems.
• Swaim and Escobar make a great tandem of pass-catching TE's.
• Can they block?

 

[jobberone]

• Showers can take both Vaughan's and McCray's spots.
• Gibson over Weems.
• Swaim and Escobar make a great tandem of pass-catching TE's.
• Can they block?

I like Vaughn over Weeden but all this rides on much more than we see. The mental processes and reads which we don't know or see is very important. It has to carry over to the field of course and I'm not seeing that with Weeden enough. However we need an OL for the QBs to show us more. SF was blitzing like crazy which the OL did a pretty good job with considering they don't play together outside of practice. But that and all the defensive looks as well as backup WRs make it difficult for the fan to really know what is going on.

So this is a job for the coaching staff and film guys to address.

I agree Swaim and Escobar should be kept. Escobar needs to be resigned. Witten can't play forever and even if he does play another 3 years we play enough 12 to warrant keeping him behind Witten. I'm wondering if we keep 4 TEs. None of the other TEs block as well as Hanna. I expect more H and F back play this year from the TEs as well as motion and playing the R and H split wide. Escobar and Swaim should excel at this.

I noticed them getting isolation on the LB wide who has trouble handling them. When the LB drops them off they should be great catching between the LB and DB as well as being a mismatch on the DB.

I make Swaim more of a hybrid than the others which is fine with me.

 

[AbeBeta]

He's keeping McCray and Wilber over Bishop? Ugh. And no way we keep 3 QB's this year. No way. Vaughan is a dumpster fire

Those bottom of the roster guys better be able to play ST. You have to take that over a DL who likely doesn't dress

 

[Doomsday101]

Those bottom of the roster guys better be able to play ST. You have to take that over a DL who likely doesn't dress

somebody better be able to help in special teams because right now that unit sucks. Our coverage unit has looked horrific.

 

[conner01]

I think we keep 3 qb's
Just not sure if that 3rd guy is gonna be Vaughn. All things being equal I keep the guy who can help on special teams. And to me there is really not much difference in the two and one is in his first camp
I think swain is forcing himself onto the roster. The question become do we make a trade or carry 4
Those thinking Weems is gonna be cut are living in a fantasy world
Early on I thought lucky was the only WR worth keeping and mostly because of special teams but I think we have one now worth a ps spot at least
The dline is going to be very tough, someone who can play in this league is getting cut
Special teams is going to factor into S roster spot or two and some fans are going to melt down that one guy at a whole different position is kept over a guy they wanted because they don't see the big picture
I predict there is more than two dozen players cut that someone wants us to sign

 

[AbeBeta]

somebody better be able to help in special teams because right now that unit sucks. Our coverage unit has looked horrific.

That isn't something to worry about so early. The ST coach ends up figuring out those units based on who is left after cuts. I expect a bunch of guys playing on those now won't even make an NFL PS. Also, others, like some if the LBs and DBs who will be core guys aren't out there because they are playing more D than they will in the season

 

[Doomsday101]

That isn't something to worry about so early. The ST coach ends up figuring out those units based on who is left after cuts. I expect a bunch of guys playing on those now won't even make an NFL PS. Also, others, like some if the LBs and DBs who will be core guys aren't out there because they are playing more D than they will in the season

I hope that is the case. For me until the team goes out and shows it, it is a concern. I do agree it may end up not being one, we will find out.

 

[jobberone]

I don't understand why people think Vaughn is not at least a decent #3. You had backup WRs and OL in the game and you expect Vaughn to perform well as a pocket passer. Not only was he pressured but he had no one to throw to. He did make some unwise decisions trying to make something happen. He should have understood the staff knows a lot more than me and just protected the ball in a meaningless game. That would have been more impressive. But he's young and inexperienced. Every good player is going to try to make plays. QBs just have to know when and how.

He should talk to Romo about that. Romo should be an expert on that subject.

 

[DallasEast]

http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/files/2015/08/NS_13COWBOYS25SP_45462823.jpg
Why must I sit between these two old guys???
​

I think Vaughan is still a viable number 3 quarterback. The offensive gameplan must be stripped down if he were pressed into service but I think he still has future potential. The clock is ticking for him though.

 

[VACowboy]

I like Vaughn over Weeden but all this rides on much more than we see. The mental processes and reads which we don't know or see is very important. It has to carry over to the field of course and I'm not seeing that with Weeden enough. However we need an OL for the QBs to show us more. SF was blitzing like crazy which the OL did a pretty good job with considering they don't play together outside of practice. But that and all the defensive looks as well as backup WRs make it difficult for the fan to really know what is going on.

So this is a job for the coaching staff and film guys to address.

I agree Swaim and Escobar should be kept. Escobar needs to be resigned. Witten can't play forever and even if he does play another 3 years we play enough 12 to warrant keeping him behind Witten. I'm wondering if we keep 4 TEs. None of the other TEs block as well as Hanna. I expect more H and F back play this year from the TEs as well as motion and playing the R and H split wide. Escobar and Swaim should excel at this.

I noticed them getting isolation on the LB wide who has trouble handling them. When the LB drops them off they should be great catching between the LB and DB as well as being a mismatch on the DB.

I make Swaim more of a hybrid than the others which is fine with me.

Oh, I agree. I trust Garrett and his staff to always do whatever is best for the team. There's a reason they're on the sideline and I'm on the couch. But we're fans and this is a message board, and offering opinions on message boards is what fans do, so...

I shouldn't have specified Vaughan. You can flip a coin for backup QB, IMHO. This team is in equally bad shape if Romo can't play, regardless of whether Vaughan or Weeden is QB2. I definitely don't think we should keep both. Showers is great on special teams, which the Cowboys obviously need. Showers on the 53 opens up a roster spot if you really think you need a third QB on the roster and another one if there are players better than Rod McCray that you'd like to keep. One of those spots could be Swaim, who I think probably wouldn't clear wavers at this point. I know Garrett likes a fullback on the team, and I do too if we have one who's a great blocker and good receiver. I don't see him, though. To my eye, both Swaim and Hanna offer more to the team than Clutts, so I'd rather see Garrett keep the better player and tailor the offense accordingly. Escobar and Swaim are both down-field matchup nightmares with great hands and Hanna is a prototypical H. I can see 13 being a nasty formation for Dallas, with Hanna the offset in the I, either Escobar or Swaim in the slot and the other split wide opposite Dez.

 

[gimmesix]

I agree with him for the most part although I'm not sure about Hanna at this point. I think cutting him gives a bigger role to Escobar, which is needed, and allows us to keep Bishop or a ninth offensive lineman.

My 53 would be:

QB (3) Romo, Weeden and Vaughan: Frankly, I'd love to cut Weeden, but I don't see Dallas doing it. Vaughan could end up on PS, though, if he plays like he did the other night (or Showers could end up on PS in his place in that case)

RB/FB (4) Randle, McFadden, Dunbar, Clutts: I believe Randle is the starter because he has better vision and shiftiness than McFadden. I wish we had a more reliable second option than McFadden, though.

WR (5) Bryant, Williams, Beasley, Street, Whitehead: It would surprise me at this point if any other WR is really challenging for a role. The only way Whitehead doesn't make it is if he has ball security issues in these final two games

TE (3) Witten, Escobar, Swaim: Hanna has been a solid contributor, but it's time to get Escobar on the field more.

OL (8) Smith, Leary, Frederick, Martin, Free, Collins, Bernadeau, Weems: I'd be for cutting Weems if we had a better option. Collins might end up ultimately being the swing tackle this year or Green might be if we put him on PUP for the first part of the season, but both need work at the spot before they can be relied on. I'm going light on the line so I could see Green make it if he gets off PUP, or possibly Gibson, who I'd put on the PS.

DL (11) (Hardy), Mincey, T. Crawford, Hayden, Lawrence, Gregory, J. Crawford, Coleman, T. McClain, Bishop, Russell, Gardner: I'm heavier here than I probably need to be, but I'm having trouble cutting these guys. At this point, I'd probably cut McClain over the rest, but only because we haven't seen him this preseason. With Hardy, these means I'm keeping 12 total, which is probably unrealistic, but I like them over any of the backup offensive linemen we could add or keeping a fourth tight end.

LB (6) Lee, (McClain), Hitchens, Wilber, Wilson, Brinkley, Gachkar: If Keith Smith plays like he did Sunday, he might work himself into this conversation because I'm not exactly sold on any of the linebackers outside of Lee, McClain and Hitchens.

DB (10) Scandrick, Carr, Church, Wilcox, Jones, White, Claiborne, Patmon, Heath, McCray: McCray also could be an odd man out since Jones and White can both play safety (and McCray can't), but we brought him back for special teams not for his safety play.

ST (3) Bailey, Jones, Ladouceur

 

[erod]

Showers could give the Cowboys a way to keep Ken Bishop or one of the receivers between Harwell/Jenkins/Porter. If he continues to cover kicks well, it makes McCray expendable. That would mean Vaughn is gone.

Hard to imagine that Wilson starts against the Giants, but we'll see. I think the team will be actively looking for linebackers because Brinkley doesn't look good, and there's so little depth with Ro McClain out.

Otherwise, it's amazing how easy it is to cut the roster down. This is a good team.

 

[xwalker]

Those bottom of the roster guys better be able to play ST. You have to take that over a DL who likely doesn't dress

It does not matter if the inactive players can play special teams.

 

[AbeBeta]

It does not matter if the inactive players can play special teams.

Percentage-wise, it does. If you have a LB, DB, TE, WR, or RB guy go down, you need to have someone to take his spot. Those positions far outnumber the others and all of those bottom of the roster guys in those positions need to play ST. So %-wise you are more likely to see inactive guy as ST players

 

[xwalker]

Percentage-wise, it does. If you have a LB, DB, TE, WR, or RB guy go down, you need to have someone to take his spot. Those positions far outnumber the others and all of those bottom of the roster guys in those positions need to play ST. So %-wise you are more likely to see inactive guy as ST players

If a player is on the roster primarily because he is special teams player, then he is likely to be active. A guy like Danny McCray has no value if he is inactive.

They carried 10 and sometimes 11 DL last season but only had 8 active on game day. They normally had 2 inactive OL. The 3rd QB was inactive.

Cam Lawrence was always active as an ST only player. If they needed more Special Teams players they would promote Keith Smith from the practice squad which they did multiple times.

 

[gimmesix]

Showers could give the Cowboys a way to keep Ken Bishop or one of the receivers between Harwell/Jenkins/Porter. If he continues to cover kicks well, it makes McCray expendable. That would mean Vaughn is gone.

Hard to imagine that Wilson starts against the Giants, but we'll see. I think the team will be actively looking for linebackers because Brinkley doesn't look good, and there's so little depth with Ro McClain out.

Otherwise, it's amazing how easy it is to cut the roster down. This is a good team.

I've considered this possibility. Showers' play on special teams does give us something we can possibly take advantage of. I'd still like to keep Vaughan on the PS if that happens, but it really depends on what Dallas thinks Showers can offer as a special-teammer. If it's as much as McCray does, then I'm all for it because McCray adds little else to the team.

 

[AbeBeta]

If a player is on the roster primarily because he is special teams player, then he is likely to be active. A guy like Danny McCray has no value if he is inactive.

They carried 10 and sometimes 11 DL last season but only had 8 active on game day. They normally had 2 inactive OL. The 3rd QB was inactive.

Cam Lawrence was always active as an ST only player. If they needed more Special Teams players they would promote Keith Smith from the practice squad which they did multiple times.

Yes. And we struggled on ST last year largely because of that approach. We went out and signed Jasper Brinkley and Andrew Gachkar as well as McCray for that reason. Now, if you want to argue that we should cut McCray because White is going to be able to backup at S and play ST then you've got a decent argument.

Of course, if you need a ST player you end up cutting that 53rd guy any - why not just get that DT on your PS?