Typically, roster predictions are pretty cut and dried. There are always surprises, but for an established team like the Cowboys, most debates are settled before the final cutdown day. Such does not appear to be the case in Dallas this season.
The 2023 Cowboys are a loaded roster. The problem isn’t “not enough good players” but rather, “too many good players.” Which specific players stay and which go depends largely on how many players the Cowboys intend to keep at each position.
Keeping six WRs?
Then Jalen Brooks will likely make the team alongside CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin.
Keeping four RBs?
Then Hunter Luepke may have a shot at joining Tony Pollard, Deuce Vaughn and Rico Dowdle in the backfield.
How many DBs?
The Cowboys have over a dozen worthy DBs on their roster with players like Kelvin Joseph, Nahshon Wright, Juanyeh Thomas and Markquese Bell all on the fringe.
Is Josh Ball going on IR? Is Bell a LB now since he replaced the injured DeMarvion Overshown in most packages? Is Jourdan Lewis ready to come back from PUP?
These are just some of the questions whose answers will have a tremendous impact on the Cowboys’ final roster decisions.
Insiders are even torn. Two of the most plugged-in reporters from the Dallas Morning News are at odds in their projections. David Moore and Michael Gehlkin are some of the most respected reporters around the team today and their predictions differ dramatically.
Moore has Dallas only keeping three true LBs (Damone Clark, Devin Harper and Leighton Vander Esch) and populating Micah Parsons (predominantly an EDGE) and Bell (a career safety) as the other two LBs on his roster projection.
Moore also has Dallas keeping Joseph, Wright, and the rookie Eric Scott as CBs. K.D. Drummond from Cowboys Wire has Joseph and Scott but sends Wright to the practice squad. Gehlkin has the Cowboys parting with both Joseph and Wright.
All three have Jabril Cox missing the cut, which means Dallas will likely be searching for an outside answer at LB this week.
Drummond has the Cowboys only keeping three TEs on the 53 with Sean McKeon heading to the practice squad. Moore thinks McKeon is too important to cut loose.
Starting positions are locked down. Majority of the reserve roles seem to be set as well. But a few bottom roster spots are still up in the air, and they appear to be about special teams and positional depth as much as anything.
On Tuesday, August 29 at 4 p.m. ET, all will be revealed.
Yet only temporarily.
The Cowboys love to tinker with their initial 53 in the days following cut-down day. Players they know they can re-sign (who don’t have to go through waivers) will get cut at the deadline but re-signed soon after, making this a week-long affair that may even include trades.
Stay close to Cowboys Wire for all your updates and instant analysis throughout the process. This is going to be a very important week.
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