The Dallas Cowboys Final 53 Man Roster Projection… (Who Makes It?)

the preseason has finally come to an end at least for the Cowboys which means that rosters have to be cut down by August 27 out of 90 players the Cowboys can keep 53 and 48 will be active and dressing on game day so who's in who's out let's talk about it in today's [Music] video just for a little bit of reference before we start this video the NFL is going to allow teams to place two guys on injured reserve and then they can designate them to return on Cut Down day without them having to be a part of the 53 man roster beforehand so the two guys that I expect the Cowboys to use this on is donon Bland who suffered a foot fracture and chuma adoga who also had a foot issue as well I expect that to be Bland and adoga but I've honestly been thinking that maybe they could go another way and potentially just release adoga outright not really sure about that yet but right now he doesn't have to be on this 53 man roster so let's look at the quarterback position where I have the Cowboys keeping two guys Dak Prescott and Trey Lance a little bit of a catch here and a little bit of roster manipulation the Cowboys can cut kooper Rush resign him to the practice squad and then call him up on game day until he runs out of those and then eventually find him a spot on the 53 man roster all of this will just be a formality where Rush gets cut agrees that he's going to come back and it saves a roster Spot while the Cowboys kind of sort out the rest of these spots Rush doesn't have to clear waivers like other guys he can just sign back and everything is pretty much back to normal the Cowboys are going to keep three quarterbacks after Lance's performance in game three I seriously doubt that Mike McCarthy and the coaching staff want to rely on him alone as the backup quarterback so I fully expect that Rush will be back at least on the practice squad as a game day call up until they eventually have to put him on the 53 now let's go to the running back room where I have the Cowboys keeping five Ric da Ezekiel Elliott Hunter lipkey duvon and Royce Freeman we know for a fact that the first three on this list are set in stone dowo Elliot and lipy all three are safe on this roster but what the Cowboys decide to do after that I'm just kind of guessing based on preseason performances and what we know from training camp I think after watching deuce in the preseason he's earned a spot on this team he had the most juice he had the best vision he made the most big plays he found a way to make this roster so I would honestly guess that all four of those are kind of set in stone and maybe the Cowboys don't want to keep Freeman because of the redundancy of having a a goal line back a pass protecting back on this team you kind of have that in Hunter lipkey Ezekiel Elliott and maybe even Ric D I just think that Freeman showed he has juice as well and if d goes down at any point during the season the Cowboys running back room gets really really really thin maybe they cut Royce Freeman they know that he'll clear waivers I'm not exactly sure if he has to but maybe he's somebody that you sign back to the practice squad as insurance if Rico Dao were to go down at any point during the season but there's also an option that the Cowboys do keep five but one of the guys isn't on this roster yet maybe they pick up a waiver wire running back a team has cut maybe like the Jets with Israel abanda I know the Broncos have quite a few running backs as well maybe that fifth running back isn't on this team and Royce Freeman finds himself on the practice squad anyway but right now the way I have the roster set up I have the Cowboys keeping five running backs now let's head to the wide receivers cidd lamb Brandon Cooks Jaylen Tolbert Jaylen Brooks kavante Turpin and Ryan floro this room might feel the most set out of any of the position groups on the team the first five have been near locks ever since training camp started I thought that Jaylen Brooks would take a step forward and it seems like he has he would make theam team so in my mind the first five were set and the Cowboys keeping six was a possibility and I think that Ryan floro earned his spot over the past few weeks I always thought that the Cowboys would keep six but it would take a little bit of someone stepping up to solidify that spot and that has been Ryan flornoy he beats out the undrafted free agent from 2023 Jaylen Cropper for that Sixth and final spot now let's head to the tight ends where I have the Cowboys going with three Jake Ferguson Luke Schoonmaker and John Stevens Jr I think the Cowboys decide to go with three tight ends because of what lipkey can do as a fullback SL tight end and thankfully I see John Stevens Jr making this roster has he been perfect during the preseason no but he stood out the most amongst the group that was fighting for that third spot I think he played better than Brevin span Ford who is a potential practice squad guy pton Hendershot has seemingly disappeared since his rookie season with injuries and whatnot so he's a cut Princeton fan and maybe even Alec holler is someone that you would like to see the Cowboys bring back to the practice squad as well but overall the Cowboys go lighter there because of what lipkey can do in the back field maybe some things as a tight end and the pass catching upside of John Stevens Jr is just too much to ignore you can work on the blocking but you just can't make a player have those intangibles now on to the offensive line teren St Zack Martin Cooper BB Tyler Smith Tyler gon TJ bass Brock Hoffman awesome Richards Matt wetco and Josh ball with chuma adoga on IR Nathan Thomas fighting injury stuff throughout games and Camp Matt wetco and Josh ball find their way onto the 53 man roster for me Josh balls seemed like a complete Lost Cause during the offseason but he played surprisingly well enough to land a spot on this 53-man roster maybe the Cowboys try to stash Nathan Thomas as an IR guy for the entire season and he misses his rookie year I don't think they're going to give up on their seventh round pick just yet and maybe they try to make moves around on special teams to keep Thomas on the initial 53 and then stash him on ir and he just misses his rookie year but maybe my hopes are a little too high he was a seventh round pick he'll likely clear waivers but it was just a thought I had when I kept Nathan Thomas off the 53 really quick I want to give a shout out to the sponsor of today's video bet us if you're looking for the best odds for the NFL season Cowboys Futures live in-game betting whatever you need bet us has you covered they have huge bonuses great odds and fast payouts plus new customers get a 125% signup bonus on their first three deposits deposit $20 get $25 more to play with the link to sign up is in the description of today's video now to the defensive side of the ball and the defensive line michah Parsons Osa zua Jordan Phillips Demarcus Lawrence Marshon nean Carl Lawson Mazy Smith chony Goldston lynval Joseph and Justin Rogers Lawson Joseph Phillips all players that the Cowboys have recently acquired feel safe the Cowboys knew that they needed help along that defensive line so they went out and got bodies at the position guys that have played legit NFL snaps and maybe that pushes a guy like Justin Rogers off the team but to me he's played well enough in training camp and the preseason to to justify keeping him in 2024 having a spot on the 53 and maybe he doesn't dress for every single game but I would personally like to see him make the 53-man roster a notable cut is the Cowboys 2023 fourth round pick Junior foko who just did not have a good training camp didn't have a good preseason that 2023 class just continues to look worse and worse with every passing game training camp preseason whatever Junior f hoko is not making this team now on to the linebacker room where I have the Cowboys keeping five Eric Kendricks Deone Clark de marvan overon Maris Lal and Buddy Johnson I think much like the running back room the first four on this list have been a lock since day one but one guy has really seem to push for a spot on the 53 and that is Buddy Johnson I think you give him the nod over a guy like Damen Wilson Buddy Johnson was actually popping off the screen in the Cowboys final preseason game and he's made his case on why he should be on this team in 2024 overall I could see the Cowboys also going with four linebackers going a little bit heavier at another position but for right now buddy Johnson is on this team in my mind now let's head over to the cornerbacks where I have the Cowboys keeping six and we have to remember that donon bland is on IR Trayvon Diggs Jordan Lewis kayin Carson Andrew Booth Jr kiman Hall and Israel Mamu with the donon Bland injury it makes it possible for Andrew booth and kiman Hall to make the roster now if you're really into the Weeds on Cowboys draft picks and player notable players being cut Eric Scott Jr is not on my initial 53 man roster even with the Don Bland injury I think you bet on a guy like Andrew boo Jr and his pedigree even though he's had his ups and downs throughout preseason games and then kiman Hall is just one of those guys that made the roster because he played so well in the preseason someone we hadn't really talked about at all on this channel at least coming in making plays and making a case for the 53 I just think he's done more than Eric Scott Jr up to this point so that is my six cornerbacks now on to the safety room where the Cowboys are keeping four Malik hooker Donovan Wilson Maris Bell and W Thomas this one seems pretty set it and it has been for a long time there hasn't been a whole lot of discussion about a guy sneaking into that safety room and taking anybody's job as for the safety and quarterback numbers Israel Mamu is either or whatever you want to say I just happen to put him with the corners but I do want to make a note of one thing I'm kind of skeptical that the Cowboys are shopping Maris Bell trying to see what his trade value is maybe they want to add a running back a defensive tackle it's just very odd that Bell was playing that late into a the third preseason game even if he was a linebacker last year why would you risk injury to one of your locked in players one of your four safeties just because you wanted to because he needed the Reps I don't really think so I'm a little skeptical I'm interested to see if the Cowboys have something planned for Maris Bell because I do believe he has legitimate trade value so keep an eye on that and for our final group of the day special teams Brandon Aubrey Brian anger Trent Siege absolutely nothing out of the ordinary now this is the real question that I want to ask everyone I want your opinions Down Below in the comments if you noticed I have CJ Goodwin off the initial 53 roster but I also can't see that happening so if the Cowboys are set on keeping Goodwin guys like Royce Freeman Buddy Johnson keman Hall Andrew Booth Jr are at risk when the Cowboys trim their roster down to 53 bones fossil is going to fight for CJ Goodwin to stay on this roster and for good reason he's a special team's Ace so what position do the Cowboys trim down from to get to 52 so Goodwin can be that 53rd player are you taking Buddy Johnson keman Hall Andrew Booth Jr off this roster I can honestly see if they're going to take one it'll probably be Buddy Johnson it could be Andrew Booth Jr maybe they see him as the equivalent of Nan Wright but I want you guys to answer that down below in the comments that's all I got for you guys today that is the end of the 53 man roster what do you agree with what did you like what did you not like let me know down below I love you all and I'll see you next time bye