Predicting the Dallas Cowboys' Final 2012 53-Man Roster

The Dallas Cowboys recently signed over 20 undrafted rookie free agents and the first-year players have already reported to mini-camps, but only 53 players will get to wear the star on their helmet in 2012.

While Tony Romo, Jason Witten and the usual Cowboys will obviously be suiting up for Big D this coming season, the offensive line and most of the defensive unit has seen new faces added to the team.

2011 showed that even with certain positions needing drastic attention, Dallas was almost a playoff team. In 2012, owner Jerry Jones and company will hope these 53 men will be able to bring the Cowboys deep into the NFL playoff picture.

Quarterback

• Tony Romo
• Kyle Orton
• Stephen McGee

No real surprises here. Dallas signed Orton during free agency to take over for retired backup Jon Kitna, with Stephen McGee filling out the third spot on the depth chart.

Dallas didn't do much other than sign the veteran Orton to really change things up at this position during the offseason.

Running Back

• DeMarco Murray
• Felix Jones
• Phillip Tanner
• Lawrence Vickers (Fullback)

Another position I don't see Dallas going out of their way to mess with. There were talks before the draft that Jones may be on the trading block, but after seeing this position decimated by injuries last year, Dallas decided against that notion.

While the Cowboys did sign two undrafted free agents (Lance Dunbar and Darrell Scott), Tanner played well during his short stint getting carries, logging a 3.5 yards-per-carry average in his rookie season.

The 2011 undrafted free agent should be able to hold onto his third spot on the depth chart while Jones backs up last year's breakout rusher DeMarco Murray.

Wide Receiver

• Dez Bryant
• Miles Austin
• Kevin Ogletree
• Danny Coale
• Dwayne Harris

With Laurent Robinson gone, the Cowboys will look to Ogletree to fill the shoes Robinson left on his way down to Jacksonville. This time last year, Dallas believed they had their slot receiver in Ogletree, and they can only hope this year he lives up to their earlier expectations.

Fifth-round pick Danny Coale out of Virginia Tech could give the veteran Ogletree a run for his money for the starting position, with Dwayne Harris likely making the cut due to his abilities on special teams.

Tight End

• Jason Witten
• James Hanna
• John Phillips

Witten will be the obvious starter at tight end, with rookie James Hanna likely beating out 2009's sixth-round pick John Phillips for the backup role.

Hanna was a sneaky pick by the Cowboys in the sixth round, and with his skill set and a good training camp, he could easily slide into the No. 2 spot.

Offensive Line

Center:

• Phil Costa
• Kevin Kowalski
• Bill Nagy

Left Offensive Tackle:

• Tyron Smith
• Taylor Dever

Left Guard:

• Nate Livings
• Ron Leary

Right Offensive Tackle

• Doug Free
• Jeremy Parnell

Right Guard:

• Mackenzy Bernadeau
• David Arkin

Both guard positions see new faces stepping into the starting positions, with Bernadeau and Livings coming to Big D this offseason.

Costa will likely lock down the center position, as word from the 'Boys is he's been improving all offseason. Kowalski is a name to keep your eye on, though; he could usurp the job from last year's starting center if he doesn't keep up the hard work.

Defensive Line

Left Defensive End:

• Kenyon Coleman
• Tyrone Crawford
• Sean Lissemore

Nose Tackle:

• Jay Ratliff
• Josh Brent

Right Defensive End:

• Marcus Spears
• Jason Hatcher

With almost all of the 2011 defensive line returning, only 2012 third-round draft pick Tyrone Crawford is among new arrivals to this unit.

I give the edge to Coleman to start the season at left defensive end, but Crawford was drafted to take over that job as soon as possible. Midway through the year, I wouldn't be shocked to see Coleman demoted due to stellar play by the rookie.

While many would agree Marcus Spears has yet to warrant his first-round draft pick status, he'll come to training camp motivated to get back his starting job after Hatcher outplayed him for it last season.

Linebacker

Left Outside Linebacker:

• Anthony Spencer
• Victor Butler
• Baraka Atkins

Left Inside Linebacker:

• Dan Connor
• Bruce Carter
• Kyle Wilber

Right Inside Linebacker:

• Sean Lee
• Caleb McSurdy

Right Outside Linebacker:

• DeMarcus Ware

Connor will come over from the Carolina Panthers to play alongside his Penn State teammate Sean Lee, while veterans DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer man the outside positions.

Carter is a name to keep in mind here however. He really impressed the 'Boys coaching staff towards the end of last season. I don't think he'll take the starting job from Connor, but he could prove useful in certain defensive packages.

Cornerback

Right Cornerback:

• Morris Claiborne
• Mike Jenkins

Left Cornerback:

• Brandon Carr
• Orlando Scandrick

Claiborne and Carr will take over for Jenkins and the departed Terence Newman at the two starting positions, while Scandrick and No. 21 will come in for nickel-and-dime packages.

This is a position that Dallas poured a lot of money into this offseason, and should prove to be one of the most improved positions from 2011 to 2012.

Safety

Strong Safety:

• Brodney Pool
• Matt Johnson

Free Safety:

• Gerald Sensabaugh
• Danny McCray

The strong safety position has been completely re-tooled heading into 2012, with free-agent signing Pool and fourth-round pick Johnson coming in to man up the starting and backup positions, respectively.

Sensabaugh received a contract extension during the 2011 season and will man his position at starting free safety, with McCray looking like the likeliest of backups to the former Jacksonville Jaguar.

Special Teams

Kicker:

• Dan Bailey

Punter:

• Chris Jones

Long Snapper:

• L.P. Ladouceur

With the Cowboys parting ways with Matt McBriar this offseason, Jones will take over punting duties. Bailey will continue to be Dallas' kicker, and his goal for the new season should be to wipe away any memories of the Arizona and New York Giants games from the fans' memories.