
Cowboys 53-man projection after voluntary OTAs, before mandatory minicamp
The Dallas Cowboys have a strong idea of what they plan to work with in the upcoming season and the recently completed Organized Training Activities helped solidify some things heading into the mandatory phase of things. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer had a relatively strong attendance record, minus the teams two biggest defensive stars.
While there's the possibility Dallas looks outside the organization to bring in additional veteran help, for now the Cowboys have a 91-man roster (thanks to the International Player Pathway exemption) that they'll take into next week's minicamp. There could be some shuffling after that, and to help identify where help may be heading, a projection of the 53-man roster is in order.
Here, a look at which players should be roster locks, pretty secure, possibles, cut and PUP/NFI candidates is a must projection.
Quarterbacks (2 on roster, 1 on practice squad)
Roster Locks
Dak Prescott
Joe Milton III
Pretty Secure
None
Think They Make It
None
Practice Squad
Will Grier
Cut or Trade Candidate
None
PUP/NFI/IR Stash
None
Running Backs (4 + 1)
Roster Locks
Javonte Williams
Jaydon Blue (R)
Pretty Secure
Hunter Luepke
Think They Make It
Phil Mafah (R)
Practice Squad
Miles Sanders
PUP/NFI/IR Stash
None
Cut or Trade Candidate
Deuce Vaughn
Tight Ends (3 + 1)
Roster Locks
Jake Ferguson
Luke Schoonmaker
Brevyn Spann-Ford
Pretty Secure
None
Think They Make It
None
Practice Squad
Tyler Neville (UDFA Rookie)
PUP/NFI/IR Stash
John Stephens (knee)
Cut or Trade Candidate
Princeton Fant
Rivaldo Fairweather (UDFA)
Wide Receivers (6 + 3)
Roster Locks
CeeDee Lamb
George Pickens
Jalen Tolbert
Jonathan Mingo
Kavontae Turpin
Pretty Secure
Ryan Flournoy
Think They Make It
None
Practice Squad
Parris Campbell
Jalen Brooks
Traeshon Holden (UDFA)
PUP/NFI/IR Stash
None
Cut or Trade Candidate
Kelvin Harmon
Jalen Moreno
Josh Kelly (UDFA)
Offensive Linemen (9 + 4)
Roster Locks
Tyler Guyton
Tyler Smith
Cooper Beebe
Tyler Booker (R)
Terence Steele
Asim Richards
Pretty Secure
Robert Jones
Brock Hoffman
Think They Make It
Saahdiq Charles
Practice Squad
Hakeem Adeniji
TJ Bass
Nathan Thomas
Anaji Cornelius (R)
PUP/NFI/IR Stash
None
Cut or Trade Candidate
Matt Waletzko
Dakoda Shepley
Jack Anderson
Defensive Ends (6 + 1)
Roster Locks
Micah Parsons
Dante Fowler
Donovan Ezeiruaku (R)
Marshawn Kneeland
Pretty Secure
Sam Williams
Payton Turner
Think They Make It
None
Practice Squad
Luigi Vilain
PUP/NFI/IR Stash
None
Cut or Trade Candidate
Tyrus Wheat
Defensive Tackles (4 + 3)
Roster Locks
Osa Odighizuwa
Mazi Smith
Pretty Secure
Solomon Thomas
Think They Make It
Jay Toia (R)
Practice Squad
Denzel Daxon (IPP)
Justin Rogers
Tommy Akingbesote (R)
PUP/NFI/IR Stash
None
Cut or Trade Candidate
Earnest Brown
Linebackers (6 + 1)
Roster Locks
Kenneth Murray
Marist Liufau
Shemar James (R)
Pretty Secure
Jack Sanborn
Think They Make It
Damone Clark
Darius Harris
Practice Squad
Justin Barron (UDFA)
PUP/NFI/IR Stash
DeMarvion Overshown (knee)
Cut or Trade Candidate
Buddy Johnson
Brock Mogensen
Cornerbacks (6 + 3)
Roster Locks
DaRon Bland
Kaiir Elam
Shavon Revel (R)
Pretty Secure
Israel Mukuamu
Think They Make It
Caelen Carson
Alijah Clark (UDFA)
Practice Squad
Bruce Harmon (UDFA)
Josh Butler
Kemon Hall
PUP/NFI/IR Stash
Trevon Diggs (knee)
Cut or Trade Candidate
Andrew Booth
Troy Pride, Jr.
Luq Barcoo
Safeties (4)
Roster Locks
Malik Hooker
Markqueese Bell
Juanyeh Thomas
Pretty Secure
Donovan Wilson
Think They Make It
None
Practice Squad
None
PUP/NFI/IR Stash
None
Cut or Trade Candidate
Mike Smith, Jr. (UDFA)
Zion Childress (UDFA)
Special Teams (4)
Roster Locks
Brandon Aubrey
Trent Sieg
Pretty Secure
Bryan Anger
Think They Make It
CJ Goodwin
Practice Squad
None
PUP/NFI/IR Stash
None
Cut or Trade Candidate
None
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Are Brian Schottenheimer's Cowboys Sneaking Under The Offseason Radar?
Are Brian Schottenheimer's Cowboys Sneaking Under The Offseason Radar? originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Brian Schottenheimer era for the Dallas Cowboys has gotten off to a steady start, with the energy and vibes in the building being noticed. Advertisement Plus, the free agency and draft hauls have, for the most part, been lauded with holes being plugged and a handful of starters coming with George Pickens, the pick of the bunch when it comes to the franchise's moves. Still, many are unsure of precisely what the expectations should be for Schottenheimer's first season. Some have playoffs, others have Dallas missing altogether. Fox Sports' Henry McKenna predicts that Dallas will finish with a 10-7 record and secure the seventh seed in the NFC. "For all the criticism surrounding Jerry Jones, he has put together a nice offseason, addressing the help the Cowboys needed at premium positions," McKenna wrote. "They actually have the fifth-hardest strength of schedule. But if you look at their depth chart from top to bottom, they are absurdly talented. Dallas has looked foolish in headlines this offseason, but this team is way more dangerous than we think." Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer on the field before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at AT&T Stadium.© Tim Heitman-Imagn Images If we offered fans a 10-7 season and playoff football right now, we imagine the majority would take it. Advertisement If we are being truthful, that would be a relatively successful season for Schotty in Year 1. Yes, it isn't what this franchise or fan base wants. They want a Super Bowl, but as Schottenheimer stated this week, it's a process. Winning 10 games and making the playoffs would be validation that Dallas is on the right track under Schotty. Plus, that means the franchise takes it up to both the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders, two teams considered to be at the top of the NFC pecking order. And that would constitute a very good season for the Cowboys. Related: Cowboys Take A Stand With Trevon Diggs Minicamp Prediction Related: Cowboys Urged Toward Micah Contract With Stunning Ware Comparison This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cowboys And 'NFL's Best' George Pickens Have Glorious Contract Chance
Cowboys And 'NFL's Best' George Pickens Have Glorious Contract Chance originally appeared on Athlon Sports. When the Dallas Cowboys traded for Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens, there was a collective sigh of relief with the franchise finally getting Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb help. Advertisement However, upon closer examination, we discovered that Pickens would be playing on the final year of his rookie deal, meaning a payday is coming in 12 months' time. Granted, that is great for Dallas. Why? Because Brian Schottenheimer gets a motivated player, and the hope is that he can continue his trajectory towards being a top receiver in football, with the Cowboys benefiting from it. And for senior researcher Anthony Holzman-Escareno, he's picked George to be one player who could reset the market next offseason. "Pickens has averaged an NFL-best 16.3 yards per reception since entering the NFL in 2022 (minimum 150 catches)," Holzman-Escareno writes. "His 515 deep receiving yards (throws of 20-plus air yards) ranked second in the league last season. Pickens could play his way into a huge contract next offseason with a big year after being dealt from the Steelers to the Cowboys." George Pickens At AttBy Tony Fisher For Pickens to command nearly $30 million APY, he will have to, we expect, surpass 1,000 yards and have a handful of touchdowns opposite Lamb. Advertisement Is that doable? Absolutely. But he will be sharing targets; in fact, CeeDee will be the lion's share of them. Plus, Schottenheimer wants to be a run-first football team, meaning plays will also get eaten up by the run game. Still, Pickens has the talent to make it work with the best quarterback he's had in his NFL career, and an offense that feels more pass-happy than Pittsburgh's. It's all on George in 2025. Play well, and you'll be handsomely rewarded ... but we aren't sure he'll reset the receiver market. Related: Cowboys' Dak $60 Million Salary In Danger of Lamar Leapfrog with Ravens Related: Cowboys' Diggs Decision Could Cost Him Massive Payday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
New $3 million addition could put Cowboys ahead of curve in revolutionizing red-zone play
It's not common practice to develop a specialist role for a key position such as quarterback in today's NFL. A starter is a starter and removing said player tips off intensions and frankly comes off as a little disrespectful. For the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott, replacing the QB in select goal-line packages could be seen as both, even if it seems like a smart course of action for all parties involved. The Cowboys touchdown scoring percentage in the red zone was just 46 percent in 2024. That was second to last in the NFL, ranking only above the lowly Giants. The Cowboys' inability to get into the endzone was a season-long issue, dating back before Prescott's season-ending injury. It left points on the board and ultimately demoralized an already fragile unit. Advertisement Prescott is scheduled to return in 2025 with a full bill of health. In previous seasons, he's been an assassin from the red zone, guiding the Cowboys to a No. 12 ranking in 2023 and to No. 1 overall ranking in 2022. Given his past proficiency, it's not preposterous to think he can bounce back to those levels again in 2025, but is the risk worth it? A major part of Prescott's redzone efficiency lies in his ability to run the ball. As a ball carrier Prescott operated at a 0.40 EPA/play with a 100 percent success rate on two attempts in 2024. The season before he was at 0.16 EPA/play with a 71.43% success rate on 14 attempts. QBs are universally a highly efficient rushing option from the red zone; the only downside is such plays open them up to hits and potential injury. The Cowboys can ill afford to suffer and injury of Prescott's magnitude so alternatives need to be explored. Prescott, 32, is the highest paid player in the NFL and an irreplaceable part on the Cowboys' machine. He's not injury prone, per say, but having missed five or more games in three of the last five seasons, he's not exactly made of metal either. Using him as a runner might be more risk than the Cowboys want to take on and finding a replacement option may not be as crazy as it sounds when all factors are under consideration. After adding Joe Milton in an offseason trade, the Cowboys have an intriguing option as a situational replacement to Prescott. The highly gifted, yet severely underdeveloped, quarterback prospect is sure to drive headlines throughout the summer with dazzling throws and highlight runs. Milton, who has three years and $3 million remaining on his rookie deal, could be the answer in the red zone based on his skillset and dispensability. If Prescott gets hurt tucking and running the season might be over for the Cowboys. If Milton gets hurt running the rock, it's unlikely to have any impact on the success or failure of the season, and the financial investment in him is already minimal. At 6-foot-5, 246-pounds, Milton is built for the part. Coming from an RPO-rich offense in college, Milton is an ideal dual-threat inside the redzone. His reads downfield and accuracy as a passer leave something to be desired, but if cast into zone-read role where he can either handoff or run it himself, he offers something Prescott does not. Incorporating a single read as a passer is a great way to take that zone-read attack into a simple, but multifaceted, RPO. Advertisement Once upon a time the idea of having a dedicated closer in baseball seemed absurd. It wasn't until the late 1970s when teams started to designate specialists and from there it took years before it became the norm. In much the same way an occasional red-zone specialist could be normalized on early downs in the NFL. For teams with veteran QBs who are too important to risk and somewhat susceptible to injury, bringing in a dual-threat QB on early downs (non-obvious passing downs) could be a great way to take advantage of the game's highest leverage situations. QB runs are an important part of an efficient redzone offense but with a QB1 who's too important to risk, situational alternatives should be explored. Can Milton be that alternative? You can follow Reid on X @ReidDHanson and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans! This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Joe Milton could give Cowboys creative advantage in red-zone scenarios