The Dallas Cowboys had just two Organized Team Activity (OTAs) sessions this offseason, concluding the voluntary nature of the return to football activities. Next up is the mandatory minicamp, where attendance is no longer optional. This is where things get interesting for players who have stayed away for all or most of the recent work. Defensive end Micah Parsons did show up, albeit for one day, during the second OTA session last week. WR CeeDee Lamb has not shown up at all.
This week is when they can actually be punished financially if they continue to work out on their own instead of with the team. A player who misses all three days will be fined over $100,000; which is a lot of money for most but a drop in the bucket for a player angling to receive over $100,000,000 in contract commitments.
Regardless of what the stars do, the real thrust of minicamp is to increase the execution speed for the group as a whole, specifically looking at the guys at the bottom half of the offseason roster. This is the last chance for many to set the coaches’ expectations for what they will be asked to show come training camp when the team fully immerses itself in preparation for the regular season. As such, a roster projection is in order.
Here is our best guess as to whom will be around once the smoke clears and the 90-man roster is whittled down to 53 players before Week 1, as well as a best guess at the 16-man practice squad. Every player predicted to make the roster is classified as a Lock, Secure, or “Think he makes it”.
Roster Locks
QB1: Dak Prescott
QB2: Trey Lance
Practice Squad
Cooper Rush
Roster Locks
RB1: Rico Dowdle
RB2: Ezekiel Elliott
Pretty Secure
RB3: Deuce Vaughn
Practice Squad
Malik Davis, Nathaniel Peat
Pretty Secure
Hunter Luepke
Roster Locks
TE1: Jake Ferguson
TE2: Luke Schoonmaker
Think he makes it
TE3: Brevyn Spann-Ford
Practice Squad
Princeton Fant
Roster Locks
WR1: CeeDee Lamb
WR2: Brandin Cooks
WR3: Jalen Tolbert
WR4: Kavontae Turpin
Think he makes it
WR5: Jalen Brooks
WR6: John Stephens
WR7: Ryan Flournoy
Practice Squad
David Durden
Roster Locks
LT1: Tyler Guyton
LT2: Asim Richards
Practice Squad
Chuma Edoga
Roster Locks
LG1: Tyler Smith
LG2: TJ Bass
Roster Locks
OC1: Cooper Beebe
OC2: Brock Hoffman
Practice Squad
Dakoda Shepley
Roster Locks
RG1: Zack Martin
Roster Locks
RT1: Terence Steele
Think he makes it
RT2: Matt Waletzko
Roster Locks
RE1: Micah Parsons
LE1: DeMarcus Lawrence
RE2: Sam Williams
LE2: Marshawn Kneeland
Practice Squad
Tyrus Wheat
Roster Locks
NT1: Mazi Smith
Think he makes it
NT2: Carl Davis
Practice Squad
Justin Rogers
Roster Locks
DT1: Osa Odighizuwa
Think he makes it
DT2: Junior Fehoko
Practice Squad
Chauncey Golstron
Roster Locks
WLB1: DeMarvion Overshown
MLB1: Eric Kendricks
SLB1: Damone Clark
SLB2: Marist Liufau
Think he makes it
MLB2: Damien Wilson
Practice Squad
Brock Mogenson
Buddy Johnson
Roster Locks
RCB1: Trevon Diggs
LCB1: DaRon Bland
LCB2: Caelen Carson
Think he makes it
RCB2: Nahshon Wright
Practice Squad
Josh Butler
Roster Locks
SCB1: Jourdan Lewis
SCB2: Eric Scott, Jr.
Roster Locks
FS1: Malik Hooker
SS1: Donovan Wilson
SS2: Markquese Bell
Pretty Secure
FS2: Juanyeh Thomas
Think he makes it
SS3: Israel Mukuamu
Practice Squad
Emany Thomas
Julius Wood
K: Brandon Aubrey
P: Bryan Anger
LS: Trent Sieg
ST: CJ Goodwin