Dallas Cowboys roster: Where to go long and where to go short

The Dallas Cowboys are getting ready for preseason game two and there are already discussions on what the final 53 roster will be. As the predictions are being made, some players quietly make a case to stick around, making cuts a difficult decision. This could mean the Cowboys could decide to go long at some positions and short at others.

One of those players is Maurice Canady, a corner who opted out last season due to COVID. Canady has been making some noise lately and with the young players on the roster, Canady, Anthony Brown, and Jourdan Lewis are the elder statesmen so to speak. With Trevon Diggs already entrenched as the number one corner, just about every other corner spot is up for grabs. Realistically the Cowboys could keep seven corners.

Going long at one position group will make the Dallas Cowboys go short at a position elsewhere

Usually, teams go a little long on the offensive line, but other positions the Cowboys could decide to keep more at would be safety and wide receiver. Safety is currently still a question without having seen where Malik Hooker is at. Wide receiver has a ton of talent and trying to sneak a player through to the practice squad could force their hand at keeping more active. Another position is running back, should the Cowboys keep three and a fullback.

So if the Cowboys decide to go deep at some of these positions, then where they go short is another matter altogether. There are a lot of people who think the Cowboys will keep only two quarterbacks on the active roster and will try to keep either Ben DiNucci or another cut for the practice squad. DiNucci has not helped himself with his play, and while Cooper Rush is the better player, many believe he will not be kept.

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The other position the Cowboys could go short at is tight end. WIth Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz far and away the top two options, should the Cowboys go with a fullback, that play could find themselves in a more traditional H-back role with being able to play fullback and tight end. They could keep some tight ends on the practice squad in case injury strikes.

There will be some hard decisions as well at other positions, with a potential need at defensive end depth for pass rushers, the Cowboys could go a little thinner at defensive tackle than previously expected. However, if the Cowboys decide to keep some guys who can play defensive end in a 3-4, they could rely on their linebackers to do more pass-rushing and allow themselves a little flexibility.

Some positions will cause dominoes to fall at other positions, and there could be some surprises with regard to cuts. A load of talent at one position could force their hand at others, or a lack of talent at other positions could cause some worry and force more to be kept. Cornerback and wide receiver will be huge decisions that will have a ripple effect.

However, we still have a few weeks before decisions will need to be made. First game two of the preseason will need to happen, and health could make decisions easier or harder.