November 20, 2011; Baltimore, MD, USA; Cincinnati Bengals tight end Colin Cochart (81) is tackled following a catch against the Baltimore Ravens at M

Cochart is a 6-foot-4, 258 pound tight end who played 10 games for the Bengals last year.  He was an undrafted free agent out of South Dakota State in 2011. Last season, Cochart recorded just five receptions for 44 yards and one touchdown. In their final preseason game, he recorded two catches for eight yards. Both receptions were the only ones he had all preseason. On a positive note, Cochart was the only undrafted free agent to make the Bengals team last season.

After four years, the McGee project is finally over. He has been on the team since 2009, when he was drafted in the fourth round of that year’s NFL Draft. A very athletic quarterback, McGee made plays with his legs, but battled constant inconsistency.  Over his career with the Cowboys, he recorded appearances in just three regular season games, one as the starter.  McGee threw for 420 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in that span. He also had 102 rushing yards, a credit to his mobility.

After claiming Cochart, the Cowboys went to work signing former players who had passed through waivers to their practice squad. Many Cowboy fans should be happy about this list of players: DT Ben Bass, WR Tim Benford, DT Robert Callaway, WR Danny Coale, RB Lance Dunbar, OL Ronald Leary, LB Orie Lemon, and RB/FB Jamize Olawale.

Dunbar and Lemon both had big games on Wednesday night, and it appears that paid off here. Leary was thought to be talented enough to be claimed, but luckily the Cowboys can now get a return on their financial investment in him. And Dallas selected wideout Coale in the fifth round of this year’s draft, but injuries hindered his progress in camp. It will be good to find out what he can really do on the field when given the proper time to develop.

A big name not on the list is DE/LB Adrian Hamilton. The talented rusher out of Prairie View A&M passed through waivers but wasn’t signed to the Cowboys’ practice squad. Dallas opted to go with Lemon instead. Hamilton eventually landed in Baltimore and is now part of the Raven’s practice squad.

Aug 29, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Orie Lemon (58) on the line of scrimmage during the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE

Lemon had a huge game Wednesday night against the Miami Dolphins recording five tackles and an interception for a touchdown. Seeing his name on this list is somewhat of a surprise after that performance. But head coach Jason Garrett did specify that him and his coaching staff would consider the player’s entire performance from OTA’s to training camp through the preseason when making tomorrow’s cuts.

Both Carpenter and Benford tweeted about their dismissals:

Although none of the above names are a big surprise, the release of Carpenter speaks well for quarterback Stephen McGee. That is unless the Cowboys decide to only go with two quarterbacks this year. I think both fans and Dallas’ coaching staff alike hope Coale, Lemon and Hamilton pass through waivers. The Cowboys can name eight players who pass through waivers on Saturday to their practice squad.

Another noticeable missing position here is running back. The team is half back heavy right now with DeMarco Murray, Felix Jones, Phillip Tanner, Lance Dunbar and Jamize Olawale. I’d expect at least one or even two of those names waived by Friday’s 8:00 p.m. deadline.

Some of the other “bubble” names we may see on Friday include:  On Defense: – DB Teddy Williams, DE Ben Bass, DB Eddie Whitley, DE Baraka Atkins, DE Clifton Geathers, DB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, DE Robert Callaway, S Mana Silva, LB Isaiah Greenhouse, and DB Lionel Smith. On Offense -  TE Andrew Szczerba, WR Saalim Hakim, QB Stephen McGee, OT Jeff Adams, C Harland Gunn, G Ronald Leary, G Daniel Loper, T Pat McQuistan, and T Jeremy Parnell.

Also hanging in the balance is the fate of former first round pick Marcus Spears. The defensive end has been a staple of the second team for the past two years. But with names like Jason Hatcher and Kenyon Coleman out performing him and both Tyrone Crawford and Sean Lissemore knocking on the door, Spears may have already played his last game as a Dallas Cowboy.

Stay with The Landry Hat as we continue to keep you up to date with all the Cowboy roster cuts.

Unlike the 2011 season where need, youth and inexperience across the offensive line trumped all else on the Cowboys roster and barring significant injury to critical positions elsewhere on the team, this year it will likely be overall quality depth and talent that constitutes the case for the Cowboys to head into the season with a linebacker heavy roster.

From left, tight end, James Hanna (84), linebacker, Adrian Hamilton (53), cornerback, Mario Butler (31) and cornerback, Isaac Madison (30) participate in their pre-camp morning practice at Valley Ranch in Irving on July 26, 2012.

The Dallas Cowboys had two linebackers on the practice squad last season that left the team with a viable enough impression to warrant not being cut but instead kept throughout the season. Both Orie Lemon and Isiah Greenhouse may find it much harder this year to make even the practice squad with the influx of talent that the Jerry Jones and company imported onto the roster this off-season.

Could second year outside linebacker Alex Albright be on the bubble as well, when it comes to making the final 53-man roster? If not which young talented linebacker will it be that doesn’t make the squad?

It appears that the Cowboys will move Albright inside and ask him to learn the Mike position in defensive sets along with his need to contribute on special teams. It has been chronicled that Albright is a player the Cowboys defensive coaching staff is very high on.  The only logical explanation for this move is, two-part, due to the phenomenal play so far this off-season of undrafted free agent Adrian Hamilton, who is learning the in’s and out’s of the joker (outside/pass rush specialist) linebacker, and the need to thin out a log jammed position at outside linebacker.

The Cowboys drafted both linebackers Kyle Wilber and Caleb McSurdy this past April during the 2012 NFL draft and also signed UFA’s Aston Whiteside and Adrian Hamilton. Adding former Carolina Panther Dan Connor via free agency this offseason brought the total of linebackers on the current roster to thirteen. The team carried three inside linebackers and four outside linebackers on the opening day roster in 2011.

If the mainstay within the Cowboys linebacking community are most certainly DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, and Dan Connor. Then the obvious back-ups will quite assuredly be Victor Butler behind Ware, followed by the rookie Kyle Wilber in spot duty behind Anthony Spencer.

Rookie Kyle Wilber will likely make the team on the merit of draft status alone so where does this leave Adrian Hamilton? Will the Cowboys cut Adrian Hamilton? Hamilton is forcing the Cowboys to take notice. We don’t believe the former defensive end will be cut and if the team tries to slide him under the radar and onto the practice squad the UFA will without hesitation be signed by one of the twelve teams that had originally sought out the pass rushing specialist’s services once the draft was over. Hamilton, the former Prairie View A&M star broke the SWAC single season sack record, is simply too good to not receive an opportunity to play in the NFL.

Therefore it’s either Hamilton makes the roster or he is no longer a Cowboy and, as goes the luck of the Cowboys, ends up on the roster of a division foe terrorizing Dallas for years to come. Some one on the current squad is the heir apparent to Anthony Spencer. The team is too talent loaded at linebacker not to have someone capable of stepping up in Spencer’s absence after the 2012 season.

If Hamilton does land on the 53-man, equating to what is five outside linebackers then the next question is the number of middle linebackers to be carried by the team. Alex Albright made the roster last year so for him not to make the roster this year and earn a practice squad designation would seem to be a demotion of sorts that we don’t believe the player or the team will be willing to make or accept.

Therefore carrying Alex Albright along with Dan Connor to back-up both Sean Lee and Bruce Carter will leave the Dallas Cowboys holding onto a total of nine linebackers to begin the season. A move that would need to happen in order to retain the talent at linebacker the Dallas Cowboys have been stock piling the past few seasons.

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