Cowboys: Who is making the 53-man cut?
By Reid Hanson
Aug 13, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach
Jason Garrettlooks on in a preseason NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Cowboys are now two games through their four game preseason schedule. Here’s a look at who’s making the 53-man cut…
When all is said and done, the Cowboys must get their enormous preseason roster whittled down to 53 before the regular season begins. Tough decisions are on the way as the Cowboys try to assess their strengths and weakness of the 2015 roster
Take a tour through the Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster projection.
Quarterback (2)
Tony Romo is the unquestioned starter, and health permitting, is looking to have another MVP-level season this year. He hasn’t logged the game time, but his rhythm is right and his chemistry with Jason Witten, Dez Bryant, and Cole Beasley is impressive.
Securely behind Romo is Brandon Weeden. The big-armed signal caller from Oklahoma State is about as secure in his job as any player on this team. He poses no threat to the top spot on the QB depth chart, nor does anyone below him pose a threat to him as primary backup.
Brandon Weeden is what’s known as a “serviceable backup”. Weeden has the ability to make all the throws but he often lacks the confidence and/or vision to try much downfield. The master of check-downs also has a very nasty habit of completely ignoring the left side of the field.
Brandon Weeden can fill in for a short period of time, but if Romo is lost for a significant amount of time – the season is surely lost. Weeden just isn’t good enough.
The big question here is whether or not the Dallas Cowboys will keep two or three QBs on the roster. Camp started very poorly for Dustin Vaughan. He had a bounce-back performance against San Diego, but followed that with a stinker in San Fran.
Dustin Vaughan has been a one-man roller-coaster this preseason, and may not warrant even a roster spot in 2015. If the Cowboys decide they can find a Dustin Vaughan-caliber player on a mid-season scrap heap, they may very well opt to go deep elsewhere.
Jameill Showers is mounting a charge for the #3 spot as well. He can’t read a defense, but he has developable skills to groom, and may be a better long-term investment than Vaughan. What’s unique is that Showers can play special teams (unheard of in QBs) which could push him over the top and justify a roster spot.
Next: Running Back: Who Makes the Cut?