Gimme's very early roster predictions

[Sandyf]

Great early discussion

OFFENSE
Quarterback (3)
STARTER Tony Romo
BACKUP Brad Johnson, Matt Moore
PRACTICE SQUAD Brock Berlin
CUT Matt Baker
ANALYSIS Moore had a chance to sign with a few teams (12), and if he is just partially as good as Jaws and Kiper think then he will be hard to get to the practice squad much less keep him there. Pre-season games will determine but feeling is that he makes the squad with a decent showing.

Fullback (2)
STARTER Deon Anderson
BACKUP Jackie Battle
PRACTICE SQUAD None
CUT Lousaka Polite
ANALYSIS Upside of Battle is that he can be a FB or a RB. If the potential is correct then it won't be a surprise to see him on the roster. Believe Phillips would like to have more options and keeping 5 spots for RB/FB is definitely possible.

Tailback (3)
STARTER Julius Jones
BACKUPS Marion Barber III, Alonzo Coleman
TRADED Tyson Thompson
ANALYSIS Thompson could be trade bait if he is healthy. Speed guy but Coleman has a better toughness to him. Will be a battle for that spot. I still wonder about Julius Jones and the comments made by Jerry Jones that players like Julius are worth far more after the draft and before the season than during the draft. Just a thought but if someone like a Green Bay finds that they really need a RB, would they offer their first in 2008 since Jones was worth a second during the draft? Just a thought.

Wide receiver (6)
STARTERS Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn
BACKUPS Patrick Crayton, Isaiah Stanback, Sam Hurd, Miles Austin
PRACTICE SQUAD Jamel Richardson, Mike Jefferson
CUT Jamaica Rector, Jerheme Urban, Jerard Rabb
ANALYSIS Fairly easy call on this but Richardson may be interesting.

Tight end (3)
STARTER Jason Witten
BACKUPS Anthony Fasano, Rodney Hannah
PRACTICE SQUAD Andy Thorn
CUT Tony Curtis
ANALYSIS Phillips and Garrett have already said they are going with three TEs. Hannah has the most upside and could be a real steal. Curtis isn't doing anything in Europe which doesn't bode well for him. If it comes down at a roster spot then I believe that Hannah and Thorn will go to the practice squad.

Center (1)
STARTER Andre Gurode
Traded Joe Berger
PRACTICE SQUAD Steve Rissler
CUT Trey Darilek
ANALYSIS The only thing that could change here is that Berger could be traded for a low round choice. If as some say Free could be a backup center it would free up the spot plus Proctor has also been practicing at center.

Guard (4)
STARTERS Pat McQuistan, Leonard Davis
BACKUPS Kyle Kosier, Cory Proctor
CUT Marco Rivera, Robert Turner
ANALYSIS Could see Berger here as a guard and Turner to the PS. Kosier will be difficult to justify as a backup but may have to for one season.

Tackle (4)
STARTERS Flozell Adams, Marc Colombo
BACKUPS James Marten, Doug Free
CUT Jim Molinaro
ANALYSIS Molinaro will be an interesting case but depending on if Free could also be a backup center, I could see Molinaro stay as the vet backup.

DEFENSE
End (5)
STARTERS Jason Hatcher, Marcus Spears
BACKUPS Chris Canty, Jeremiah Ratliff, Stephen Bowen
ANALYSIS A fifth spot here may come down to Bowen or Stanley who I think gets moved to DE. Ratliff currently is the backup NT which is interesting.

Nose tackle (1)
STARTER Jason Ferguson
PRACTICE SQUAD Montavious Stanley
CUT Remi Ayodele, Ola Dagunduro
ANALYSIS Depending on what happens with Stanley and Bowen, I could see Dagunduro or another pick up that is cut make the PS.

Linebacker (8)
STARTERS DeMarcus Ware, Akin Ayodele, Bradie James, Anthony Spencer
BACKUPS Greg Ellis, Kevin Burnett, Oliver Hoyte, Bobby Carpenter
PRACTICE SQUAD Dedrick Harrington, Jay Saldi
CUT Junior Glymph, Blair Phillips
ANALYSIS The only thing that could happen that might change anything is the status of Ellis. If healthy then he will be an asset but with the lack of quality DE and several teams not filling that need, it will be interesting if someone calls Jerry about Ellis. I don't think we would part with him although with Jerry and the right price, it makes me nervous.

Cornerbacks (6)
STARTERS Anthony Henry, Terence Newman
BACKUPS Aaron Glenn, Jacques Reeves, Quincy Butler, Courtney Brown
PRACTICE SQUAD Alan Ball
CUT Nate Jones, Joey Thomas
ANALYSIS Depending on how Reeves, Butler and Brown show in training camp could very well make Aaron Glenn expendable. Nate Jones is an excellent ST guy. Honestly Brown reminds me of Everson Walls but with speed and if he should beat out Henry, it just wouldn't surprise me.

Safeties (4)
STARTERS Roy Williams, Ken Hamlin
BACKUPS Abram Elam, Patrick Watkins
PRACTICE SQUAD Jasper Johnson
CUT Keith Davis, Damarius Bilbo
ANALYSIS Really think Davis gets traded to Atlanta. Rest is a no brainer at this point

SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker (1)
STARTER Nick Folk
BACKUP
CUT Carlos Martinez, Martin Gramatica
ANALYSIS Phillips will keep one kicker. Folk has shown to be getting better each year. Our new ST coach will make him shine.

Punter (1)
STARTER Mat McBriar
ANALYSIS Field position is what he gives us everytime he punts and he has been working at the coffin corner stuff.

Long snapper (1)
STARTER L.P. Ladouceur
ANALYSIS Somehow I just don't believe that Jerry or Wade have given up getting Zach DeOssie. It just wouldn't surprise me to see him end up in Dallas especially with the lack of OL depth in New York. I could see Dallas trading Berger and Darliek early in camp for DeOssie. DeOssie would be a backup ILB and our long snapper.

 

[YosemiteSam]

cowboyjoe,

No way Anderson goes to the practice squad. He will probably the top ST player on the team. If he was on the PS, teams would be lining up to sign him. It's not happening. I think Polite is gone in favor of Hoyte and Anderson. Polite had man-love from Parcells. With Parcells gone, I think Polite will follow.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Sandyf,

Folk has accuracy problems, but a big leg. I don't think we are going to cut Gramatica for an inaccurate rookie kicker. Folk is a project at best.

 

[carphalen5150]

No way does McQuistan start for Kosier. Kosier was our most consistent lineman we had last year...I don't see this happening at all.

 

[Pabst]

I'm curious as to why everyone thinks Ferguson can play every defensive snap at NT this entire year. I think he's a great player, but that's pretty unhead of. You need someone behind him on the roster. Are one of the backup DE's being carried also a backup NT?

 

[carphalen5150]

I'm curious as to why everyone thinks Ferguson can play every defensive snap at NT this entire year. I think he's a great player, but that's pretty unhead of. You need someone behind him on the roster. Are one of the backup DE's being carried also a backup NT?

Stanley, Ratliff, and Bowen all will play some NT...there is also some talk of Spears getting some time at NT.

 

[jobberone]

I definitely don't want to rule Battle out. If he shows something as a running back and potential as a fullback that definitely increases his value. He is the type of fullback prospect I wanted Dallas to look at in the draft, one who could run, catch and potentially block.

As far as Stanback goes, it sounds like Dallas wants him to be a receiver and it might be a bit much to ask him to learn to be a running back also at this time. But there might be a lot of slashes by his name before it's over.

If they keep one blocking FB like Hoyte and one more versatile FB like Anderson was only a better blocker, I'd be very happy. I'm pulling for Battle to be a versatile RB who can play some FB. We'll need to see what he can do.

Stanback is not a RB and won't be asked to learn a true RBs role. Not now. I see him as being used for a few special running and WR plays a game along with STs. Teams would have to worry about option plays including screen options, reverses, goal line play, yada. Our they wanting a Reggie Bush type player?