Gimme's precamp roster

[gimmesix]

With the signing of Durant, I thought I'd throw together a precamp roster just to see what it might look like.

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks (3)
STARTER Tony Romo
BACKUPS Kellen Moore, Dak Prescott
PRACTICE SQUAD Jamiell Showers
COMMENT I think it's possible that Showers outplays Prescott, but I have no doubt Dallas will keep Prescott on the 53 to develop.

Running backs (4)
STARTER Ezekiel Elliott
BACKUPS Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris, Lance Dunbar
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATE Darius Jackson
COMMENT One of the veterans could be cut for the younger back or for Dallas to only keep three at this position, but Jackson's going to have to prove it.

Fullback (1)
STARTER Rodney Smith
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATE Austin Traylor
COMMENT The hardest thing to figure out is whether Dallas will carry a fullback this year. The team is trying two conversion projects and if neither works, it could just go without one.

Tight ends (3)
STARTER Jason Witten
BACKUPS James Hanna, Gavin Escobar
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATE Rico Gathers, Geoff Swaim (not sure he's eligible)
COMMENT I'm torn between keeping the fullback or Swaim. It would be hard for Dallas to keep both unless it goes lighter at the tailback spot.

Wide receivers (5)
STARTERS Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams
BACKUPS Cole Beasley, Brice Butler, Lucky Whitehead
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATES Vince Mayle, Andy Jones, Ed Eagan
COMMENT Another player to watch out for here is Vince Mayle.

Offensive line (9)
STARTERS Tyron Smith, La'el Collins, Travis Frederick, Zach Martin, Doug Free
BACKUPS Ron Leary, Joe Looney, Chaz Green, Charles Brown
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATES Ryan Mack, Jake Brendel
COMMENT I think talentwise here the most worth keeping will be eight.

DEFENSE

Defensive ends (5)
STARTERS Benson Mayowa, David Irving (Demarcus Lawrence)
BACKUPS (Randy Gregory) Jack Crawford, Ryan Russell, Charles Tapper
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATE Mike McAdoo
COMMENT Lawrence and Gregory won't count for the first four games because of their suspensions

Defensive tackles (4)
STARTERS Tyrone Crawford, Cedric Thornton
BACKUPS Maliek Collins, Terrell McClain
PRACTICE SQUAD Rodney Coe, Casey Walker
COMMENT I could see Coe or Walker knocking McClain off the roster or Dallas keeping a fifth DT.

Linebackers (6)
STARTERS Sean Lee, Justin Durant (Rolando McClain), Anthony Hitchens
BACKUPS Damien Wilson, Kyle Wilber, Andrew Gachkar
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATES Mark Nzeocha, Deon King
PUP Jaylon Smith
COMMENT Would love to see the young guys bump Wilber and Gachkar off the roster

Cornerbacks (5)
STARTERS Orlando Scandrick, Brandon Carr
BACKUPS Morris Claiborne, Anthony Brown, Deji Olatoye
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATE Jeremiah McKinnon
COMMENT Wonder if Claiborne will be given a shot at starting over Carr?

Safeties (5)
STARTERS Barry Church, Byron Jones
BACKUPS J.J. Wilcox, Jeff Heath, Kavon Frazier
PRACTICE SQUAD Rolan Milligan
COMMENT The question here is where Dallas keeps Wilcox.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker (1)
STARTER Dan Bailey

Punter (1)
STARTER Chris Jones

Long snapper (1)
STARTER L.P. Ladouceur

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

With the signing of Durant, I thought I'd throw together a precamp roster just to see what it might look like.

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks (3)
STARTER Tony Romo
BACKUPS Kellen Moore, Dak Prescott
PRACTICE SQUAD Jamiell Showers
COMMENT I think it's possible that Showers outplays Prescott, but I have no doubt Dallas will keep Prescott on the 53 to develop.

Looks right to me. Only way Showers makes the roster is if he beats out Moore.

Running backs (4)
STARTER Ezekiel Elliott
BACKUPS Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris, Lance Dunbar
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATE Darius Jackson
COMMENT One of the veterans could be cut for the younger back or for Dallas to only keep three at this position, but Jackson's going to have to prove it.

Dunbar ruptured his patella and that still as an iffy recovery prognosis. He will likely be on PUP and I see DJ making the roster.

Fullback (1)
STARTER Rodney Smith
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATE Austin Traylor
COMMENT The hardest thing to figure out is whether Dallas will carry a fullback this year. The team is trying two conversion projects and if neither works, it could just go without one.

Maybe Smith pulls a Lousaka Polite and makes the cut but I just don't see it. He would likely stick on the PS.

Tight ends (3)
STARTER Jason Witten
BACKUPS James Hanna, Gavin Escobar
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATE Rico Gathers, Geoff Swaim (not sure he's eligible)
COMMENT I'm torn between keeping the fullback or Swaim. It would be hard for Dallas to keep both unless it goes lighter at the tailback spot.

I anticipate one of Gathers or Swaim makes the roster over the FB.

Wide receivers (5)
STARTERS Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams
BACKUPS Cole Beasley, Brice Butler, Lucky Whitehead
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATES Vince Mayle, Andy Jones, Ed Eagan
COMMENT Another player to watch out for here is Vince Mayle.

Not a lot to see here at this point. A UDFA would need to blow up for movement to happen here.

Offensive line (9)
STARTERS Tyron Smith, La'el Collins, Travis Frederick, Zach Martin, Doug Free
BACKUPS Ron Leary, Joe Looney, Chaz Green, Charles Brown
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATES Ryan Mack, Jake Brendel
COMMENT I think talentwise here the most worth keeping will be eight.

Seems right to me.

DEFENSE

Defensive ends (5)
STARTERS Benson Mayowa, David Irving (Demarcus Lawrence)
BACKUPS (Randy Gregory) Jack Crawford, Ryan Russell, Charles Tapper
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATE Mike McAdoo
COMMENT Lawrence and Gregory won't count for the first four games because of their suspensions

Gregory will start when he comes back. The longer he goes without another failed test, hes being tested constantly now, the better I feel about this notion. Irving did his best work inside last year.

Defensive tackles (4)
STARTERS Tyrone Crawford, Cedric Thornton
BACKUPS Maliek Collins, Terrell McClain
PRACTICE SQUAD Rodney Coe, Casey Walker
COMMENT I could see Coe or Walker knocking McClain off the roster or Dallas keeping a fifth DT.

Hope someone can beat out McClain but for now this seems right.

Linebackers (6)
STARTERS Sean Lee, Justin Durant (Rolando McClain), Anthony Hitchens
BACKUPS Damien Wilson, Kyle Wilber, Andrew Gachkar
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATES Mark Nzeocha, Deon King
PUP Jaylon Smith
COMMENT Would love to see the young guys bump Wilber and Gachkar off the roster

If Durant starts then I will be sick. Other than General Lee, the other two are a complete crapshoot being the best competition in camp atm.

Cornerbacks (5)
STARTERS Orlando Scandrick, Brandon Carr
BACKUPS Morris Claiborne, Anthony Brown, Deji Olatoye
PRACTICE SQUAD CANDIDATE Jeremiah McKinnon
COMMENT Wonder if Claiborne will be given a shot at starting over Carr?

Seems right to me.

Safeties (5)
STARTERS Barry Church, Byron Jones
BACKUPS J.J. Wilcox, Jeff Heath, Kavon Frazier
PRACTICE SQUAD Rolan Milligan
COMMENT The question here is where Dallas keeps Wilcox.

Not sold on Church particularly with Heath's new contract. Seems as likely as anything else though.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker (1)
STARTER Dan Bailey

Punter (1)
STARTER Chris Jones

Long snapper (1)
STARTER L.P. Ladouceur

Now that Jones has developed the kickers seem a lock indeed. Only chance of change here is if Frenchy's whells fall off and with the rules protecting the deep snapper nowadays I don't see it.

 

[gimmesix]

Dunbar ruptured his patella and that still as an iffy recovery prognosis. He will likely be on PUP and I see DJ making the roster.


I anticipate one of Gathers or Swaim makes the roster over the FB

Wouldn't hurt if both Dunbar and Escobar started out on PUP. That would give us a longer look at Jackson and Gathers/Swaim without eating up roster spots. Of course, that also shows that neither Dunbar or Escobar is vital to our plans.

I agree that the fullback spot could go to keep an extra tight end as well, but I think Garrett really values having one. We've tried going without before and tight ends never seem to work as well for us in certain situations because they aren't built low enough to get the same kind of leverage.

However, this year could be different since the conversion projects might not work out. It would not surprise me at all, though, for Clutts to end up back on the roster at some point. I just don't think we'll go without one.

 

[gimmesix]

Gregory will start when he comes back. The longer he goes without another failed test, hes being tested constantly now, the better I feel about this notion. Irving did his best work inside last year.


Not sold on Church particularly with Heath's new contract. Seems as likely as anything else though.

You're probably right on Gregory, especially if no one steps up while he's out. I'm just not sold on him yet. I saw potential in that Giants game and then he never bounced back after his injury. But that was his rookie season.

I think Irving will end up being the left defensive end starter until Lawrence and Gregory get back. I agree that he did his best work inside last year, but I think he has the ability to be a rotational piece at end ... and I want to see something from Russell before believing he can challenge for the spot. However, those end spots are really up for grabs, so who knows who is going to end up being the top guys there until the suspensions are over.

I don't think Heath's contract has anything to do with Church. I believe the Cowboys like Church far more than a lot of fans do. He's certainly a player who can be upgraded, but he's also solid in his assignments and does not get picked on in coverage. He's always going to be too slow, though, and that's going to cost him at times. Heath solidified himself as a backup and special teams ace, which is why he got a multiyear deal. I could believe that Wilcox might be in line to challenge Church for his starting job if Wilcox had the same football IQ as Church. Instead, he's a player with better skills than Church but who doesn't understand how to use them well enough to be a better player. Being out of control, out of position and taking bad angles doesn't gain you the trust of the coaching staff.

 

[Alexander]

Fullback (1)
STARTER Rodney Smith

Wait, we are converting him to fullback too?

 

[gimmesix]

Wait, we are converting him to fullback too?

Whoops. Should have put Rod Smith since we do have a Rodney Smith at receiver.

If we converted the 6-5, 220-pound Rodney Smith to fullback, that would be even more of a project than the 6-3, 231-pound Rod Smith or 6-0, 232-pound Keith Smith. (How many Smiths do we have?)

Whoever we convert needs some more sand in his pockets, so hopefully the Smiths have put on some pounds.

I really think when we settle into camp that Austin Traylor (6-3, 247) will be competing for that fullback spot as well instead of at tight end.

Here's the scouting report on him:

Strengths: Traylor possess nice size for the tight end position, and caught the ball well as a senior. He's a very dependable blocker, as it was his main responsibility with the Badgers. Lined up in a variety of different positions for Wisconsin, in-line, at fullback, as a wing and flexed out in some trips formations. Traylor possesses decent athleticism, and is a load to bring down after the catch.

Weaknesses: Traylor is a one-year producer, and wasn't all that productive. Doesn't possess above-average athleticism, and struggles to separate vs. man coverage. Traylor, while being tough to tackle after the catch, doesn't offer much as far as wiggle. His frame appears to be maxed out, which limits his in-line potential at the next level.

Overall: Traylor is a perfect example of "If you stay here, by the time you leave, you'll be happy you did." The fifth-year senior stayed long enough to work himself into a potential pro, and Traylor will definitely reap the benefits of this underwhelming tight end class. I think Traylor can stick on a team that keeps three tight ends and uses them heavily in special teams. If the NFL isn't an option, the CFL or other leagues will be interested.

 

[jazzcat22]

Seems about right on the roster as to what I have. With a few exceptions.
3 RB's, and Dunbar to PUP
They keep Swaim at TE and Escobar to PUP, but we need to wait until TC to see if Escobar is ready.

OL, possibly only keep 8, and Brown to the PS, therefore freeing up an extra spot for the defense, or if they go 6 WR's, or that extra RB or TE combo.

DL, I think they keep 10 to start until the suspended guys get back, the 10th being Coe or Walker or Okoye.
LB's, keep 7, and keep Nzeocha
DB's, possibly keep 9, with Brown going to the PS

Not sure how my numbers work out, haven't checked them to my list, just going off the top of my head. But just a few basic differences I have.

 

[Sandyf]

Forget Casey Walker, believe he got cut when we signed Durant.

 

[gimmesix]

Seems about right on the roster as to what I have. With a few exceptions.
3 RB's, and Dunbar to PUP
They keep Swaim at TE and Escobar to PUP, but we need to wait until TC to see if Escobar is ready.

OL, possibly only keep 8, and Brown to the PS, therefore freeing up an extra spot for the defense, or if they go 6 WR's, or that extra RB or TE combo.

DL, I think they keep 10 to start until the suspended guys get back, the 10th being Coe or Walker or Okoye.
LB's, keep 7, and keep Nzeocha
DB's, possibly keep 9, with Brown going to the PS

Not sure how my numbers work out, haven't checked them to my list, just going off the top of my head. But just a few basic differences I have.

I could see Dunbar starting the season on PUP, so that's certainly a possibility at this point.

I'd be surprised if we only keep eight offensive linemen. We rarely take that course, although I don't believe we really have nine worth keeping unless one of the younger players stands out. (I'm not sure we really have eight worth keeping, but the verdict's out on Green.)

I could see us only keeping nine DBs, but if we do, I think Wilcox will be the odd man out. That would allow us to keep an extra lineman or linebacker. Ten linemen (basically 12 with Lawrence and Gregory) seems like an awful lot to keep, though.

 

[gimmesix]

Forget Casey Walker, believe he got cut when we signed Durant.

I'm a little surprised by that. I thought he showed enough to at least warrant his spot through camp. He is a big man, though, and Marinelli seems to prefer his rushmen a little more on the light side for better speed.