Who will Cowboys ride out with?
By TODD ARCHER
The Dallas Morning News
IRVING – With two preseason games to go, the Cowboys could put together their final 53-man roster with some ease right now and feel OK.
There is no rush, of course. The first cuts to 75 are Aug. 28, followed by the final cuts on Sept. 1.
Through two victories, the Cowboys have showed their No. 1s can compete with two of the best teams in the AFC (Indianapolis and Denver) and their backups can make plays, too.
"The depth and talent on this team is endless," receiver Terrell Owens said.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, executive vice president Stephen Jones, vice president of college and pro scouting Jeff Ireland and head coach Wade Phillips might appreciate Owens' comments, but there are pieces to the puzzle that still need to be put together.
Who's the kicker? What will they do at backup nose tackle and fullback? Do they need cornerback help? There's also a question of how many players to keep at each position. Some of those decisions will be affected by injuries (Greg Ellis) and economics.
Quarterback (2)
Tony Romo has showed signs that last year's late-season fade won't be a problem. His decision making has been better and he seems to like the changes made to the offense. Backup Brad Johnson does not have top-end arm strength, but his touchdown pass Saturday to Isaiah Stanback was an example of perfect placement based on experience. If the Cowboys keep a third quarterback on the roster, it would be Matt Moore, but they might go with two if they can get Moore on the practice squad.
Running back (5)
At tailback, they are rich with Julius Jones, Marion Barber and Tyson Thompson, but fullback remains clouded.
Oliver Hoyte has been slowed the last week by a neck injury. Lousaka Polite has the most experience. Rookie Deon Anderson worked with the top kick return unit vs. Denver, so that's a sign they are looking at him for the long term. In all likelihood, the Cowboys will keep two fullbacks, but it's not out of the question they could go with one.
Tight ends (3)
Jason Witten and Anthony Fasano have had great training camps, but Fasano's shoulder injury raises concern even if he said he expects to practice Tuesday. Tony Curtis has flashed the skill the Cowboys thought they were going to see last year. Adam Bergen is a smart player who can be an effective outlet. How many tight ends they keep will be determined by the fullback position. It will be difficult to keep four, but if Fasano's shoulder is troublesome, they might have to at least early in the season.
Wide receiver (6)
Five or six? Heading into camp the answer was six. The top three are certainties: Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn and Patrick Crayton. Nos. 4-6 were/are Sam Hurd, Miles Austin and Stanback.
Keeping six makes sense given the ages of Glenn and Owens. Glenn continues his rehab from right knee surgery and hopes to play in the preseason finale at Minnesota. Against Denver, Hurd fumbled and Austin didn't help Romo by slipping on an interception, but both second-year receivers have been consistent since practices started in San Antonio. Stanback has only practiced for a week, but his transition to receiver has been pretty smooth.
Offensive line (10)
The front five is set with Flozell Adams, Kyle Kosier, Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis and Marc Colombo.
The depth is something the Cowboys have not had in recent years. Cory Procter and Pat McQuistan will be the backups on game days. Assistant head coach Tony Sparano calls rookie Doug Free the best athlete in the unit, but Free is out with a sprained knee for at least another week. Fellow rookie James Marten has been up and down but competed nicely vs. Denver. Guard/center Joe Berger finds himself on the bubble but has done enough to make some NFL roster.
Defensive line (6)
In the off-season, Wade Phillips said he had more talent here than he thought, and the players have kept it up in training camp. Chris Canty, Marcus Spears, Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher (before a hamstring injury) and Stephen Bowen can mix solid run play with a pass rush.
Nose tackle Jason Ferguson's importance to the defense grows daily because of uncertainty behind him. Remi Ayodele took the backup snaps vs. Denver, but the feeling is that Ratliff will end up as the backup. Ratliff does not have Ferguson's bulk, but the scheme can be tweaked some for him to be successful. The Cowboys could troll the waiver wire for help here.
Linebacker (8)
With Greg Ellis questionable for the season-opener, first-round pick Anthony Spencer is on pace to start. He is learning the nuances of the position and has adapted quickly. Bobby Carpenter and Kevin Burnett have outside linebacker experience, but they've spent most of the preseason inside. Junior Glymph has impressed Phillips, but can he contribute enough on special teams to make it over rookies Alex Obomese, Dedrick Harrington or Blair Phillips? There's also an economic issue with Glymph scheduled to make $535,000 compared with $285,000 for the rookies.
Defensive back (10)
The Cowboys have been looking for an extra cornerback and had brief talks with Chicago about Dante Wesley before he was dealt to New England. Terence Newman and Anthony Henry are set as starters. Veteran Aaron Glenn has had good and bad moments during camp, but the Cowboys don't have a player on the roster to take his spot. Jacques Reeves has improved recently, but Nate Jones might be caught up in economics with an $855,000 base salary. Joey Thomas has made plays – although at times with poor technique – and comes in cheaper.
After Ken Hamlin, Roy Williams, Keith Davis and Pat Watkins, can the Cowboys keep two more safeties? If so, Abram Elam and rookie Courtney Brown are safe. Brown can also play corner, helping his cause.
Specialists (3 roster spots)
The biggest number crunch comes here with the kickers. Rookie Nick Folk helped himself with a 52-yarder vs. the Broncos, but Martin Gramatica has had a strong camp, too. Gramatica's kickoffs have been better than Folk's. Phillips has gone with rookie kickers in previous stops, but it's a gamble with a team built to win now.
Cowboys (2-0) at Houston (1-1), 7 p.m. Saturday (Ch. 11); KTCK-AM (1310), KFZO-FM (99.1 in Spanish)
The Dallas Morning News
IRVING – With two preseason games to go, the Cowboys could put together their final 53-man roster with some ease right now and feel OK.
There is no rush, of course. The first cuts to 75 are Aug. 28, followed by the final cuts on Sept. 1.
Through two victories, the Cowboys have showed their No. 1s can compete with two of the best teams in the AFC (Indianapolis and Denver) and their backups can make plays, too.
"The depth and talent on this team is endless," receiver Terrell Owens said.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, executive vice president Stephen Jones, vice president of college and pro scouting Jeff Ireland and head coach Wade Phillips might appreciate Owens' comments, but there are pieces to the puzzle that still need to be put together.
Who's the kicker? What will they do at backup nose tackle and fullback? Do they need cornerback help? There's also a question of how many players to keep at each position. Some of those decisions will be affected by injuries (Greg Ellis) and economics.
Quarterback (2)
Tony Romo has showed signs that last year's late-season fade won't be a problem. His decision making has been better and he seems to like the changes made to the offense. Backup Brad Johnson does not have top-end arm strength, but his touchdown pass Saturday to Isaiah Stanback was an example of perfect placement based on experience. If the Cowboys keep a third quarterback on the roster, it would be Matt Moore, but they might go with two if they can get Moore on the practice squad.
Running back (5)
At tailback, they are rich with Julius Jones, Marion Barber and Tyson Thompson, but fullback remains clouded.
Oliver Hoyte has been slowed the last week by a neck injury. Lousaka Polite has the most experience. Rookie Deon Anderson worked with the top kick return unit vs. Denver, so that's a sign they are looking at him for the long term. In all likelihood, the Cowboys will keep two fullbacks, but it's not out of the question they could go with one.
Tight ends (3)
Jason Witten and Anthony Fasano have had great training camps, but Fasano's shoulder injury raises concern even if he said he expects to practice Tuesday. Tony Curtis has flashed the skill the Cowboys thought they were going to see last year. Adam Bergen is a smart player who can be an effective outlet. How many tight ends they keep will be determined by the fullback position. It will be difficult to keep four, but if Fasano's shoulder is troublesome, they might have to at least early in the season.
Wide receiver (6)
Five or six? Heading into camp the answer was six. The top three are certainties: Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn and Patrick Crayton. Nos. 4-6 were/are Sam Hurd, Miles Austin and Stanback.
Keeping six makes sense given the ages of Glenn and Owens. Glenn continues his rehab from right knee surgery and hopes to play in the preseason finale at Minnesota. Against Denver, Hurd fumbled and Austin didn't help Romo by slipping on an interception, but both second-year receivers have been consistent since practices started in San Antonio. Stanback has only practiced for a week, but his transition to receiver has been pretty smooth.
Offensive line (10)
The front five is set with Flozell Adams, Kyle Kosier, Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis and Marc Colombo.
The depth is something the Cowboys have not had in recent years. Cory Procter and Pat McQuistan will be the backups on game days. Assistant head coach Tony Sparano calls rookie Doug Free the best athlete in the unit, but Free is out with a sprained knee for at least another week. Fellow rookie James Marten has been up and down but competed nicely vs. Denver. Guard/center Joe Berger finds himself on the bubble but has done enough to make some NFL roster.
Defensive line (6)
In the off-season, Wade Phillips said he had more talent here than he thought, and the players have kept it up in training camp. Chris Canty, Marcus Spears, Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher (before a hamstring injury) and Stephen Bowen can mix solid run play with a pass rush.
Nose tackle Jason Ferguson's importance to the defense grows daily because of uncertainty behind him. Remi Ayodele took the backup snaps vs. Denver, but the feeling is that Ratliff will end up as the backup. Ratliff does not have Ferguson's bulk, but the scheme can be tweaked some for him to be successful. The Cowboys could troll the waiver wire for help here.
Linebacker (8)
With Greg Ellis questionable for the season-opener, first-round pick Anthony Spencer is on pace to start. He is learning the nuances of the position and has adapted quickly. Bobby Carpenter and Kevin Burnett have outside linebacker experience, but they've spent most of the preseason inside. Junior Glymph has impressed Phillips, but can he contribute enough on special teams to make it over rookies Alex Obomese, Dedrick Harrington or Blair Phillips? There's also an economic issue with Glymph scheduled to make $535,000 compared with $285,000 for the rookies.
Defensive back (10)
The Cowboys have been looking for an extra cornerback and had brief talks with Chicago about Dante Wesley before he was dealt to New England. Terence Newman and Anthony Henry are set as starters. Veteran Aaron Glenn has had good and bad moments during camp, but the Cowboys don't have a player on the roster to take his spot. Jacques Reeves has improved recently, but Nate Jones might be caught up in economics with an $855,000 base salary. Joey Thomas has made plays – although at times with poor technique – and comes in cheaper.
After Ken Hamlin, Roy Williams, Keith Davis and Pat Watkins, can the Cowboys keep two more safeties? If so, Abram Elam and rookie Courtney Brown are safe. Brown can also play corner, helping his cause.
Specialists (3 roster spots)
The biggest number crunch comes here with the kickers. Rookie Nick Folk helped himself with a 52-yarder vs. the Broncos, but Martin Gramatica has had a strong camp, too. Gramatica's kickoffs have been better than Folk's. Phillips has gone with rookie kickers in previous stops, but it's a gamble with a team built to win now.
Cowboys (2-0) at Houston (1-1), 7 p.m. Saturday (Ch. 11); KTCK-AM (1310), KFZO-FM (99.1 in Spanish)
posted by The Gryphon at 10:07 AM
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