Once again, the description of these final spots will heavily depend on the roles that the staff seeks to fill come final cuts.įor instance, if guys like Urban, Odighizuwa, and Gholston are going to play primarily on the inside, edge rushers will be the priority with these final spots.

With eight players in the prior list thanks to abilities, draft status, or the financial commitment to the team, it would seem that this team has only two or three spots available from this group. With that in mind, I won’t be shocked if Dallas targets an experienced pass rusher at some point before final cuts.įighting For a Spot | Dallas Cowboys Roster Trysten Hill, Dorance Armstrong, Quinton Bohanna, Bradlee Anae, Justin Hamilton, Ron’Dell Carter It’s more likely that those guys do more coming on the blitz than lining up on the edge and beating the tackle one-on-one. Yes, linebackers like Jaylon Smith and Micah Parsons could help, but neither is built like a prototypical edge rusher. Still, recent history would suggest that both of those notions are overly-optimistic fantasies, and the addition of Basham isn’t likely to change that. Ideally, Lawrence would return to the double-digit sack totals that earned him a lucrative extension in 2019, and Gregory would finally have that breakout season that Cowboys’ fans have been pining for since he was drafted. However, their 31 sacks last season isn’t the most impressive number either.īecause of that, I think a veteran edge rusher could be on the wish list come final cuts. Can this group get enough pressure?Ī year ago, the Cowboys’ run defense was atrocious, and the moves they’ve made this summer reflect a desire to correct that. In addition, Gallimore, Odighizuwa, and Gholston all have substantial upside with the potential to play a significant role on the line this season. Inside, Urban and Watkins were brought in specifically to improve this run defense in Dan Quinn’s system. Basham is also the most experienced rusher behind those two with 7.5 career sacks, and his two-year deal should come with a strong enough commitment to be a lock as well. Lawrence and Gregory are likely to be the top edge rushers on this team, assuming Lawrence’s back is healed before camp breaks and Gregory doesn’t get any calls from the commissioner’s office. Even then, it may turn out that the answer to every question is “maybe,” based on what we see in camp. There are many questions, and yet this staff is going to play coy until they absolutely have to show their hand. Do Gallimore and Watkins play more as a nose or three-tech, and how does that affect the other? Does this staff favor the recent additions over the ones made for Mike Nolan’s defense or the regime under Jason Garrett? Will Urban line up as a nose or a five-tech end more often? Will Lawrence play the five, a natural end position, or as a stand-up linebacker the most? The same question holds true for Gholston as well. Not only is Dan Quinn in his first year as defensive coordinator for the Cowboys, but he’s also planning on using a variety of fronts that could see many on this list playing different positions. The defensive line is one of the more challenging positions to project for this roster. Credit: Shane Roper/USA TODAY Sports Dallas Cowboys Roster Breakdown: Defensive Line The Locks | Dallas Cowboys Roster Demarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory, Brent Urban, Neville Gallimore, Carlos Watkins, Tarell Basham, Osa Odighizuwa, Chauncey Gholston With that being said, let’s take a look at the offensive linemen vying to make the 53-man Dallas Cowboys roster this year.

In addition, America’s Team will be doing this in front of the entire world, since they were chosen as the featured team on HBO’s Hard Knocks. They also drafted 11 players, meaning there will be a ton of competition for the final roster. Dallas had a lot of injuries a year ago, forcing a number of young players and reserves to step into more prominent roles. With training camp underway, it’s a good time to start breaking down the Dallas Cowboys roster position by position to see what this 2021 bunch will look like and which players are competing to make the team.

Dallas cowboys roster 2021