Dallas Cowboys Cuts: Tashard Choice and the 4 Toughest 53-Man Roster Cuts

The time is rapidly approaching for the Dallas Cowboys to cut their roster down to 53 men.

With the shortened training camp period allowing for 90-man rosters heading into the preseason, the cuts this year are going to be more difficult than ever before.

In the following slides, we examine four Cowboys who sit upon the roster bubble, their fates in the league on the line.

Tashard Choice, RB

Dallas Cowboys running back Tashard Choice may be a victim of the team's roster cuts simply due to a lack of playing time this preseason.

He participated in just one game, rushing three times for 14 yards. His production was down in 2010, having averaged only 3.7 yards per carry compared to 5.5 and 5.1 in 2009 and 2008, respectively.

With other backs emerging as alternatives to Choice, and an apparent personnel affinity for fullbacks rather than the traditional running back position, he might find himself the odd man out when the Cowboys announce their final 53-man roster by Saturday.

Jason Pociask, FB

Cowboys fullback and third-year veteran Jason Pociask may find himself also the odd man out in the stacked Dallas roster of backs.

He has been outperformed in camp and on the field by rookie Shaun Chapas, and has only one rushing attempt in the preseason—two yards in last night's game against the Miami Dolphins.

While fullback Chris Gronkowski has also been underperforming in the preseason, I anticipate that Pociask's roster spot is in significantly more jeopardy.

Igor Olshansky, DL

With two tackles in the preseason, Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Igor Olshansky is on the team's roster bubble.

The Cowboys are likely to retain only six defensive linemen on their 53-man roster, and Olshansky is one who may not make the cut.

Currently, he sits on the depth chart behind Clifton Geathers on the right and Kenyon Coleman on the left, and between the three, he has the lowest chance of staying on the team after tomorrow.

Coleman, a 10-year veteran, has only seen his sacks and tackles increase with age, and Geathers looks to have found a home on the Cowboys after bouncing around three different teams in his rookie 2010 season.

If cut, however, Olshansky will certainly have value for another team lacking depth on their defensive line.

David Buehler, K

The Dallas Cowboys had five kickers in camp, so it's clear that at least one of them will have to go once the team finalizes their 53-man roster.

It looks like veteran David Buehler will be a casualty of these cuts.

Buehler, who spent 2009 and 2010 with the Cowboys, spent much of training camp sidelined with a hip injury, allowing veterans Shayne Graham and Dave Rayner opportunities to compete for the starting position.

Last night, Buehler went 1-of-2 in his field goal attempts, and while he provided the Cowboys with their only points in their 17-3 loss against the Miami Dolphins, it was probably not enough to keep him on the roster for a third year.