Breaking Down Dallas Cowboys' Deepest, Thinnest Roster Spots
Over the course of the past few seasons, one area that the Dallas Cowboys have tried to improve is their overall depth. In years past, the Cowboys were too top heavy as a team. One injury to a starter would cripple them.
A great example of this was in 2013 against the New Orleans Saints. The team lost Sean Lee in the first quarter and the team proceeded to surrender 49 points and 625 yards. The Cowboys relied so much on Lee that whenever he left the game, there was a massive talent gap between him and the rest of the linebackers.
Dallas has added more depth across all position groups, and it is no longer dependent on one player. However, there are still positions on the roster that are awfully thin and could use some added depth before the season begins.
Here are the deepest and thinnest spots on the Cowboys' roster heading into 2017.
Deep: Defensive End
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If you were to just look at the team's depth chart, it's pretty easy to see that defensive end is one of the deepest positions on the roster.
However, don't confuse the word "deep" with "best." While there are a lot of decent players at the position, most of the names are similar to one another. The unit lacks the one true difference-maker, and that lowers the ceiling of the unit.
At defensive end, the projected starters are Demarcus Lawrence and Tyrone Crawford. But the team added first-round pick Taco Charlton this year via the draft, and returning will be David Irving and Benson Mayowa, who led the team in sacks in 2016.
Charles Tapper, a fourth-round pick from 2016, will compete with free agent acquisition Damontre Moore for a spot on the 53-man roster.
The Cowboys would love to see one of the young defensive ends take the next step and become a double-digit sack player, but Dallas rotates their linemen so frequently that it's unlikely to happen in 2017.
Thin: Right Tackle
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Right tackle is one of the weaker spots on the entire Cowboys roster. Once Doug Free retired, it left a gaping hole on the right side of the offensive line. As of now, third-year player Chaz Green will be given every opportunity to start at right tackle (we will get to La'el Collins shortly).
The book is out on Green, and it's been the same story ever since he was in college. When he's healthy, he has the potential to be one of the better right tackles in the NFL. He has the movement skills to play left or right tackle, but also the natural power to drive defenders off the ball with ease. Whenever Green is on the field, you can expect high-quality play from him.
However, his availability is a problem. In two years in the NFL, Green has missed 29 of a possible 33 games. Even in college, Green dealt with multiple injuries, including a torn labrum that caused him to miss the entire 2013 season. It will be awfully tough for the Cowboys to put much faith in him heading into 2017.
Behind Green is recently signed Byron Bell. While he has experience playing right tackle, his best spot is inside as a guard. Even at guard, Bell isn't much more than a journeyman who isn't a lock to be on the 53-man roster.
Because of their lack of depth, the Cowboys have been tinkering with the idea of moving Collins to right tackle. While that may be the best move for Collins' future, his best play comes at left guard. Moving him creates another hole at left guard, a spot where they are already shallow. If Green can't prove to be a reliable option at right tackle, look for the Cowboys to explore the market for a veteran tackle.
Deep: Running Back
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From top to bottom, running back is one of the deepest positions on the roster. The Cowboys have one of the best running backs in the NFL in Ezekiel Elliott, but they also have two capable starters sitting behind him in Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris.
In 2016, the three rushed for a combined 1,961 yards on 415 carries (4.72 yards per carry) and scored 17 touchdowns on the ground. While most of the heavy lifting was done by Elliott, it was advantageous for Dallas to have such capable backups behind him that could fill in when he came off the field.
A great example of why this group worked so well together is that the backups could come right off the bench and produce. In Week 1 of the NFL season, Elliott struggled to get going. Dallas decided to use more of Morris in the second half and he was productive, carrying the ball seven times for 35 yards. Being able to insert a proven veteran into the lineup was valuable to the Cowboys throughout the season.
Neither Morris nor McFadden are flashy players, and they are both at the tail-end of their careers, but as backups to Elliott, they are perfect fits. The Cowboys have one of the best running back stables in the entire NFL.
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Thin: Quarterback
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Last year, the Cowboys had the best quarterback group in the entire league. With Dak Prescott and Tony Romo as the team's starter and backup, no other team was able to rival the talent level of the two.
But in 2017, Prescott won't see the same competition behind him. The only other quarterback on the roster (outside of a few tryout and undrafted free agents) is Kellen Moore. He missed all of 2016 with a broken leg that he suffered in training camp.
Even when Moore is healthy, he's nothing more than an average backup who doesn't have the physical tools to scare defenses down the field. He's a dink-and-dunk passer who relies on intelligence and a quick release. He makes for an average third quarterback, let alone a true backup.
If Prescott were to go down for any length of time, the Cowboys would be in serious trouble. If he were to be lost for the season and the team was still in contention for the playoffs, they would surely call Tony Romo to see if he could come out of the booth to save their season. While that's not a bad scenario, it just shows how weak their backup quarterback situation is.
Deep: Slot Cornerback
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The Cowboys play in one of the most pass-happy divisions in football, as the Giants, Redskins and Eagles all primarily use a West Coast offense. All three teams inside the division heavily use three-receiver sets, and that has forced the Cowboys to find more cornerbacks who can play in the slot.
Dallas used the 2017 draft to shore up their secondary by adding two of the better slot cornerbacks in Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis. Along with Awuzie and Lewis, both Anthony Brown and Orlando Scandrick are better fits in the slot rather than outside.
With those four players, the Cowboys will be able to rotate their slot corners if they so choose based off of matchup. If the Eagles decide to use Jordan Matthews in the slot, the Cowboys could use Awuzie, who has a little bit more size than the others. Or if they are going against Sterling Shepard from New York, Lewis' quick feet may be the best match.
Their depth will allow them to be flexible and multiple on defense. They may just try to find the three best cornerbacks and keep them on the field at all times, or they may mix and match depending on the matchup.
Thin: Outside Cornerback
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As previously mentioned, the Cowboys are loaded with slot cornerbacks, but they lack true outside cornerbacks.
Apart from Nolan Carroll, every cornerback on the roster is a better fit inside. That is going to be a problem when the team has to face players like Odell Beckham Jr, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery.
Carroll has the size and skill set to be a true outside cornerback, but he hasn't played particularly well over the past few seasons. Carroll ranked 86th out of 133 graded cornerbacks in the NFL1000 in 2016. Despite his poor play last season, the Cowboys are expecting him to be the team's No. 1 cornerback and match up with the opposing team's best receiver.
Opposite Carroll, there will be a competition to see who will start on the outside. The job will likely be Scandrick's, but he hasn't played well since tearing his ACL in 2015.
Scandrick turned 30 in February, and he may just not be quick enough to handle top receivers any longer. Dallas will ask Awuzie and Brown to play the spots if the two starters struggle.
Deep: Slot Receiver
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Outside of New England (Julian Edelman, Brandin Cooks, and Danny Amendola), the Cowboys have the deepest slot receiver group in the entire league.
Dallas already had one of the best slot receivers in the league in Cole Beasley, and the team added Ryan Switzer in the draft. Lucky Whitehead made the roster in each of the past two seasons, but he may be on the outside looking in with the selection of Switzer.
In 2016, Beasley was the league's most reliable slot receiver, according to Pro Football Focus. He caught 78.9 of his intended targets, and it led to him having his most receptions in a year (75). Beasley finished as the 26th best receiver in the NFL1000 in 2016.
The Cowboys know how important he is to their offense, so they selected Switzer in the fourth round as an insurance policy.
The challenge for the Cowboys will be finding snaps for both players at the same time. Beasley will be the team's full-time slot receiver, but if he were to ever go down, the Cowboys would feel confident that Switzer could step in and give them high-quality snaps.
It's not often a team has a slot receiver as dynamic as Beasley, but adding a similar player in Switzer is a rarity in the NFL.
Thin: Middle Linebacker
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While there is a lot of excitement about what Jaylon Smith might become for the Cowboys, the fact remains he is still recovering from a major knee injury in which he suffered significant nerve damage. Smith will be on the field for training camp, but he will likely need the use of an AFO brace in order to help lift his foot.
If Smith isn't ready to take the job, the Cowboys could be in trouble, as they don't have another true middle linebacker on their roster. Behind Smith are two young linebackers in Anthony Hitchens and Damien Wilson. Both are undersized linebackers who are better fits as weakside players but could be forced to fill the role during the season.
A veteran like Justin Durant could be signed if Smith just isn't physically ready to take the job. The Cowboys have a lot of capable linebackers on their roster, but they lack the true physically dominant player in the middle. Dallas really needs Smith to stay healthy, or else linebacker could be a problem for the team all year long.
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