Dallas Cowboys: Immediate 53-Man Roster-Cut Predictions Post-Broncos Game

The Cowboys fell to 0-4 during the preseason with a 27-3 loss to the Denver Broncos. The Cowboys will now turn their attention to cutting the roster down to its final 53. 

Even when the Cowboys get down to the 53-man roster limit by the 4 p.m. ET deadline on Saturday, the team will likely still make moves, whether it be on the waiver wire or through trades. 

If you remember, last year the Cowboys claimed Kyle Bosworth and traded for Caesar Rayford and Edgar Jones after the deadline. 

This year should be no different as the Cowboys will be actively looking for players along the offensive and defensive lines and in the secondary, per ESPN Dallas' Todd Archer. 

With all that said, here is a projection for the 53 players who will make up the roster, along with 10 practice-squad candidates. 

Quarterback (2)

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1. Tony Romo
2. Brandon Weeden

Practice Squad: Dustin Vaughan

There are no surprises here; Tony Romo and Brandon Weeden have been the obvious choices as the Cowboys' two quarterbacks since training camp began. 

Romo is a fantastic quarterback who gives his team a chance to win every game he is in. The question will be if he can stay healthy for the whole season. He has been plagued with an injury in the last three Week 17 games, which has been a big reason why the Cowboys lost all three of those games. 

Brandon Weeden has been average in the preseason but has shown the ability to be a decent option at quarterback should Romo get injured. 

Dustin Vaughan has shown a little bit of promise and warrants a spot on the practice squad. He could be developed into a solid backup quarterback in a couple of years if he is not poached or claimed after he is waived. 

Running Back (4)

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1. DeMarco Murray
2. Lance Dunbar
3. Joseph Randle
4. Ryan Williams

Practice Squad: J.C. Copeland 

DeMarco Murray, Lance Dunbar and Joseph Randle's spots are basically guaranteed at this point. Murray should be the workhorse back who sets the tone for the Cowboys.

Dunbar should be the jack-of-all-trades back who will be utilized in a variety of ways. 

Randle will be the backup to Murray and special teams juggernaut in this group. 

The last spot in the position group will likely come down to Tyler Clutts and Ryan Williams. While Williams has been the most impressive running back in the preseason, his inability to thrive on special teams makes him expendable.

Clutts' biggest positive is that he is the only viable fullback on the roster. 

In the end, Williams' ability to be the best pure running back on the roster, outside of Murray, will be enough to give him the nod over Clutts. 

Wide Receiver (5)

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1. Dez Bryant
2. Terrance Williams
3. Cole Beasley
4. Dwayne Harris
5. Devin Street

Practice Squad: LaRon Byrd and Jamar Newsome  

Wide receiver is another position that has been set since the beginning of training camp. Some people think the Cowboys might keep a sixth receiver, but with the injuries on defense, they can't be afforded that luxury. 

Dez Bryant is one of the most dominant wide receivers in the NFL, and Terrance Williams should prove to be a solid No. 2 receiver. 

Cole Beasley is a man with a distinct skill set who will be utilized throughout the regular season. He will be one of the main targets for Romo on third down. 

Dwayne Harris has not had a great preseason as a receiver, but what he brings on special teams is invaluable. 

Devin Street has proved to be a solid rookie receiver with his crisp routes and reliable hands. 

Altogether, the wide receiver position is one of the deepest on the squad and should prove to be one of the most productive as well. 

Tight End (3)

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1. Jason Witten
2. Gavin Escobar 
3. James Hanna

As was the case with the wide receivers and quarterbacks, the tight ends who will end up making the roster have been known for quite some time. 

Some people wondered if the Cowboys would bring in a blocking tight end in the event they don't keep a fullback. However, the injuries to the defense once again make this difficult to do. 

Jason Witten is one of the leaders of the team and will have another productive, Pro Bowl-type season. He is not only a master at creating space in the passing game, but he is also a solid blocker in the run game as well. 

Gavin Escobar should break out this season with play-caller Scott Linehan at the helm of the offense. He could be utilized in the red zone as well as a security blanket for Romo. Escobar's 6'6", 260-pound size, athleticism and hands should lead to him becoming a great player for the offense. 

James Hanna's biggest improvement this offseason wasn't his pass catching or route running but his blocking. Save for a missed block in the first preseason game, Hanna has been extremely solid as a blocker. The Cowboys should consider playing Hanna as an H-back. 

The tight end, like most of the offense, is a position that fans should not worry about one bit. 

Offensive Line (9)

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1. Tyron Smith (OT)
2. Ronald Leary (OG)
3. Travis Frederick (OC)
4. Zack Martin (OG)
5. Doug Free (OT)
6. Jermey Parnell (OT)
7. Uche Nwaneri (OG)
8. Mackenzy Bernadeau (OG/OC)
9. Player to be Named Later (OT)

Practice Squad: John Wetzel (OT), Ronald Patrick (OG/OC)

The starting offensive line is one of the strongest in the league, regardless of how bad the unit was against the Dolphins.

The Cowboys have one of the most dominant left tackles in Tyron Smith, along with two young impactful interior linemen with Travis Frederick and Zack Martin. 

Ronald Leary is the weak link, but even so he is still a young player with a ton of potential. 

Doug Free is the veteran among the offensive line and should have another year as a solid right tackle. 

Outside of Bernadeau and Nwaneri, the backup offensive line is unproven. Jermey Parnell has been average at best throughout the preseason and has the potential to lose his job to John Wetzel. 

However, the Cowboys should go with the experience of Parnell and let Wetzel develop on the practice squad for one more year. 

After that, it gets a little cloudy as to where the Cowboys may go. At the moment, the Cowboys only have about eight offensive linemen worthy of a roster spot, but Stephen Jones has said that eight is too light.

"

Interesting that Stephen Jones believes carrying only 8 offensive linemen would be too light. For those putting together a 53 take note

— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) August 26, 2014"

This means the Cowboys can do a couple of things. First, they can just keep Wetzel or Darrion Weems on the 53-man roster, or they can claim someone off waivers who gets cut by another team. The latter seems much more likely since Stephen Jones said the Cowboys would be very active on the waiver wire, per ESPN Dallas' Todd Archer. 

With the Cowboys going a little light on offensive linemen, expect them to keep at least two offensive linemen on the practice squad. 

Defensive Line (11)

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1. George Selvie (DE)
2. Tyrone Crawford (DE)
3. Henry Melton (DT)
4. Terrell McClain (DT)
5. Davon Coleman (DT)
6. Anthony Spencer (DE)
7. Demarcus Lawrence (DE)
8. Ken Bishop (DT)
9. Jeremy Mincey (DE)
10. Nick Hayden (DT)
11. A Player to be Named Later (DE)

Practice Squad: Dartwan Bush (DE) and Kenneth Boatright (DE)

NFI List: Amobi Okoye (DT)

Suspension: Josh Brent

The injury to Terrell McClain has opened the door to the much-maligned Nick Hayden making the final roster. Hayden doesn't bring much value to the defensive line, but because McClain's status for Week 1 is up in the air, the Cowboys need a veteran to go with Ken Bishop at the 1-technique defensive tackle spot. 

George Selvie will likely receive time at both defensive end positions, while Tyrone Crawford should see time at the strong-side defensive end and defensive tackle positions.

The Cowboys have the opportunity to open up a roster spot by putting Demarcus Lawrence on the injured reserve/designated to return, but it seems as though they are holding onto that designation in case someone else gets injured.

Davon Coleman will be Henry Melton's primary backup and should see a ton of time in the defensive line rotation.

The last roster spot on the defensive line comes down to Dartwan Bush, Kenneth Boatright and a player the Cowboys trade for or claim on the waiver wire.

This all comes down to who will give the Cowboys the most immediate production, and that player will likely be one claimed or traded for. Some players the Cowboys could trade for or claim on the waiver wire include Rams defensive ends Michael Sam and Ethan Westbrooks, Seahawks defensive ends O'Brian Schofield and Benson Mayowa and Bengals defensive end Dontay Moch.

While Boatright and Bush showed a ton of potential, it would be best for the Cowboys to allow them to sit and develop on the practice squad.  

Linebacker (6)

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1. Bruce Carter (WLB/SLB)
2. Anthony Hitchens (WLB/MLB)
3. Rolando McClain (MLB)
4. Justin Durant (WLB/MLB)
5. Kyle Wilber (SLB/Nickel DE)
6. Cameron Lawrence (SLB)

Practice Squad: Will Smith (WLB/SLB)

Rolando McClain is the big X-factor for the defense this season. If he can play up to what his enormous talent suggests, then the Cowboys defense will be much improved this season; however, that is a huge "if."

It looks as though Bruce Carter will remain a starter going into the season, whether that is at the "Will" or "Sam" linebacker position. 

Justin Durant has had a good offseason and should figure into the starting spot at the "Mike" or "Will" linebacker spot, depending on if McClain can get in good enough shape to start. 

Kyle Wilber will likely split time at the "Sam" linebacker as well as a nickel pass-rusher at weak-side defensive end. 

Anthony Hitchens will get a lot of snaps throughout the season as a nickel linebacker along with the "Will" and "Sam" positions. 

The sixth linebacker spot comes down to Will Smith, Cameron Lawrence and any linebacker who gets cut from another team. At this point, Smith hasn't been impressive enough to make the 53-man roster, and Lawrence is a below-average linebacker who has some special teams value.

It seems as though the Cowboys really value Lawrence's special teams value since he was a healthy scratch from the fourth preseason game, which points to him making the team.

Secondary (10)

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1. Brandon Carr (CB)
2. Morris Claiborne (CB)
3. Sterling Moore (CB)
4. Tyler Patmon (CB)
5. Terrance Mitchell (CB)
6. Barry Church (S)
7. J.J. Wilcox (S)
8. Jeff Heath (S)
9. Ahmad Dixon (S)
10. Jemea Thomas (S/CB)

Practice Squad: Ryan Smith (S)

PED Suspension: Orlando Scandrick

Substance Abuse Suspension: Jakar Hamilton

Orlando Scandrick's PED suspension and Jakar Hamilton's substance abuse suspension have opened up a couple of roster spots in the secondary.

The players who should capitalize on the suspensions are newly acquired Jemea Thomas and Terrance Mitchell.

Thomas has the versatility to play either safety or slot cornerback. He has good instincts and is not afraid to stick his nose in the run game.

Mitchell was very impressive during training camp, but his play has leveled off as of late. He is an extremely physical—sometimes too physical—and confident player who has a ton of potential. While he hasn't played well during the preseason, his potential alone should warrant a roster spot. 

The player who has made the most out of the preseason is cornerback Tyler Patmon, who was the standout against the Miami Dolphins. He has been impressive throughout the preseason and likely made the 53-man roster with his performance against the Dolphins.

Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne should be the starters against the San Francisco 49ers, and Sterling Moore should get the first look as the slot cornerback.

Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox have held down their starting spots since the beginning of training camp and should improve on their 2013 campaigns.

Jeff Heath and Ahmad Dixon's biggest impact will likely come on special teams where they are both productive.  

Overall, the Cowboys secondary is likely the strongest positional unit on defense. 

Special Teams (3)

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1. Dan Bailey (K)
2. Chris Jones (P)
3. L.P. Ladouceur (LS)

Nothing has changed here since last season. 

Dan Bailey is one of the best kickers in the NFL and should have another incredible year. 

L.P. Ladouceur is a consistent player who never makes any drastic mistakes. 

Chris Jones had some competition throughout training camp, but his work as a holder for Bailey and not his actual punting led to him outlasting everyone else. 

Come tell me how wrong I am on Twitter.