Seemingly every week, there is some little milestone that just gives you that goosebumpy, hair on your arms raising feeling that real football is about to happen. For the Dallas Cowboys, and every other team, the latest plateau was the “official” cut down to 53 players.
While it certainly is exciting, there are a few caveats that go with it. First and foremost, there is the unfortunate reality that a lot of guys’ dreams came to an end Tuesday. Of course, this isn’t about participation trophies, but there is still a level of humanity to the whole process. The other thing to keep in mind is that “official” is far from official.
A perfect example of this is that as of this writing, the Dallas Cowboys technically do not have a long snapper, nor a punter on the roster. Now, there are “wink, wink” deals in place that will have Jake McQuaide and Bryan Anger back at the Star sometime this weekend, but still, the roster is still not done.
For now, though, let’s break down the guys that are technically in the building and on the team. We will start with the complications of COVID as these guys don’t actually count towards the 53 until they are medically cleared. Where they would/will rank is the number in parenthesis.
Dallas Cowboys COVID-19 List
WR CeeDee Lamb (6), WR Noah Brown (27), S Damonae Kazee (14), DT Carlos Watkins (28), OL Connor Williams (13)
Enjoy these last few Dallas Cowboys moments while you can
53 – Matt Farniok – C/G
52 – Azur Kamara – DE/LB
51 – Josh Ball – T
50 – Simi Fehoko – WR
49 – Francis Bernard – LB
48 – Cooper Rush – QB
47 – Malik Turner – WR
46 – Sean McKeon – TE
45 – Will Grier – QB
44 – Luke Gifford – LB
Most of these guys are, in some form or fashion, living on borrowed time. With the five guys listed above (hopefully) coming off the COVID list, plus Anger and McQuaide, there are bound to be some guys leaving before the weekend is through. Four others (Ball, Bernard, McKeon, and Turner) are likely headed to IR for a minimum of three weeks.
Dallas Cowboys Special teams snaps and hopefully not much more
43 – Chauncey Golston – DE
42 – Terence Steele – T
41 – Brandon Knight – T
40 – Israel Mukuamu – S
39 – Bradlee Anae – DE
38 – Kelvin Joseph – CB
37 – Corey Clement – RB
36 – C.J. Goodwin – S
35 – Ty Nsekhe – T
34 – Jaylon Smith – LB
Joseph has an IR stint in his immediate future. The rest of these guys will likely all survive the “second wave” of cuts and mostly contribute on special teams. If any of them play significant snaps either offensively or defensively, that’s not a good sign for the outcome of the season.
The reliable Dallas Cowboys backups and a specialist
33 – Quinton Bohanna – DL
32 – Nahshon Wright – CB
31 – Jabril Cox – LB
30 – Tarell Basham – DL
29 – Greg Zuerlein – K
28 – Osa Odighizuma – DT
27 – Malik Hooker – S
26 – Maurice Canady – CB
25 – Connor McGovern – G
24 – Cedrick Wilson – WR
23 – Dorance Armstrong – DL
22 – Dalton Schultz – TE
21 – Tony Pollard – RB
Odighizuma will likely be the starter on Opening Night. Canady and Hooker could possibly be in a fight for starting spots all year, depending on the play of those just in front of them. The rest of these guys are all quality rotational guys likely to see snaps in 2021 with Armstrong possibly poised for a breakout season.
The quality starters of the Dallas Cowboys
20 – Anthony Brown – CB
19 – Tyler Biadasz – C
18 – Jourdan Lewis – CB
17 – Brent Urban – DL
16 – Blake Jarwin – TE
15 – Neville Gallimore – DT
14 – Donovan Wilson – S
13 – Keanu Neal – LB
12 – Randy Gregory – DE
11 – Leighton Vander Esch – LB
10 – Trevon Diggs – CB
9 – Micah Parsons – LB
8 – Michael Gallup – WR
7 – La’el Collins – T
Gallimore will start the season on IR which is easily the biggest preseason blow to the roster. The hope was that Joseph would push for a starting cornerback spot but Brown’s job was never challenged in camp. Parsons and Diggs are the bright spots from a youth standpoint, while Neal and Gregory are veterans looking for a big season.
The potential Pro Bowl or All-Pro selections of the Dallas Cowboys
6 – DeMarcus Lawrence – DE
5 – Ezekiel Elliott – RB
4 – Amari Cooper – WR
3 – Tyron Smith – T
2 – Zack Martin – G
1 – Dak Prescott – QB
Lawrence absolutely needs to be a consistent problem for opposing quarterbacks all year. Anything less than double-digit sacks will be looked at as a disappointment. Elliott is going to have a bounce-back season. I will die on that hill.
The health of Smith and Martin is vital to the success of this team. The same goes for QB1 who I expect will show the league he’s in the discussion of the top five in the league and a lock for “Comeback Player of the Year.” So there you have it. The 2021 Dallas Cowboys from the bottom to the top. Feel free to leave your comments as to where you would rank these players below.