It’s never too early to think ahead. Although the Dallas Cowboys are set for Oxnard, CA, in late July for training camp, you can rest assured the front office and the coaching staff are already planning their preliminary 53-man roster for the regular season. Today, in part one of a two-part series, we intend to do the same and predict the Cowboys’ 53-man roster to begin the season, starting with the offense.
Quarterbacks (2) Dak Prescott & Cooper Rush
A surprise omission to start our projection. Trey Lance has a lot of potential and upside, but he’s never gotten an extended chance to put it all together. Unfortunately, the Cowboys can’t afford him that opportunity. However, another team could. Lance will showcase his skills in the preseason, and the Cowboys realize they don’t have the resources to give him another deal in the final year of his contract, or have the ability to play him ahead of Cooper Rush. Dallas deals Lance to a team that is willing to offer a draft pick for the young quarterback. Dak Prescott remains the team’s top quarterback, with Rush as his backup.
Running backs (4) Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Hunter Leupke (Fullback) & Deuce Vaughn.
The more things change, the more things stay the same. Ezekiel Elliott returns to the Cowboys after one year away with the New England Patriots. Zeke should resume as the team’s lead back with Rico Dowdle coming into spell Elliott. Deuce Vaughn gets another chance to contribute to the roster. Failing to make the cut are veteran runners Royce Freeman and Malik Davis. Their goodbye at the end of the summer shouldn’t be seen as permanent, as either could be brought back at some point during the regular season. Hunter Leupke will again serve as the team’s fullback and is the type of versatile player Mike McCarthy favors in his version of the West Coast offense.
