How the 2019 Dallas Cowboys roster was put together
By Richard Ball
The Dallas Cowboys announced their 53 man roster on Saturday. Here is how the team acquired each player on the roster.
Draft Picks. Not counting running back Ezekiel Elliott who remains on reserve did not report list, the Dallas Cowboys have 27 players on the roster who were drafted by the team. A total of 19 of the 35 players drafted over the last four years remain with the team.
The team has at least one draft pick each of the drafts since 2010. And we can’t forget about the 2003 third round draft pick from Tennessee, tight end Jason Witten, who is returning from his one-year sabbatical
Some notable draft pick cuts this year were quarterback Mike White, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson and linebacker Chris Covington from the 2018 draft class and corner Mike Jackson and running back Mike Weber from the 2019 draft class.
The 27 draft picks will have a 2019 salary cap hit of $103,005,085. This represents 54.7 percent of the total cap.
Free Agents. In the past two years, the Cowboys have signed thirteen of the fifteen free agents currently on the 2019 roster. Offensive lineman Joe Looney signed in 2016 and linebacker Justin March in 2017.
The 2018 free agent class includes offensive linemen Cameron Fleming, Adam Redmond and Xavier Su’a-Filo, defensive backs Darian Thompson and C.J. Goodwin, kicker Brett Maher, linebacker Joe Thomas and defensive lineman Antwaun Woods. Collectively, these free agents will count $8,542,500 or 4.5 percent of the total 2019 salary cap.
The 2019 free agent class includes wide receiver Randall Cobb and Devin Smith, defensive linemen Christian Covington and Kerry Hyder and running back Alfred Morris. These five players will count $8,517,500 or coincidentally 4.5 percent of the total 2019 salary cap.
As a total group, the fifteen free agents will cost $19,405,000. This represents 10.3 percent of the 2019 salary cap.
Trade. While defensive end Robert Quinn joined by trade this past offseason, he is not counted in the three players that were acquired this way due to his two game suspension. The three players acquired in 2018 were wide receivers Tavon Austin and Amari Cooper and fullback Jamize Olawale.
As a group, the three players will total $16,952,125 of the 2019 salary cap. This represents 9.0 percent of the total cap.
Undrafted Free Agents. There is a general feeling that the Cowboys are a team that prides itself in finding hidden gems that were not selected in the draft. Former quarterback Tony Romo heads the class of notable past undrafted free agents.
This years roster has two players not drafted in 2019 that the team hopes will make significant contributions during a long and productive career, linebacker Luke Gifford and offensive lineman Brandon Knight. The class of 2017 includes quarterback Cooper Rush and tight end Blake Jarwin.
The remaining four undrafted free agents include safety Jeff Heath, offensive lineman La’el Collins, punter Chris Jones and long snapper L.P Ladouceur. The eight players will count $18,203,952 or 9.7 percent of the 2019 salary cap.
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Former head coach Bill Parcells was always churning the bottom of the roster. You might expect the Dallas Cowboys to make a few moves on the waiver wire or via trade over the next few days.