Blogging The Boys
With one more preseason game to go and roster cuts due by Tuesday, we wanted to run through the Dallas Cowboys roster and look at how different players compare to others in perceived job security. Some will be fighting for their lives on Friday night, but many won’t even have a helmet because their spot on the 53-man roster is already decided.
Our first list shows the guys who absolutely, without a doubt, will be on the team in 2025. They may not debut until later in the year due to injury designations, but we’re confident that they won’t be waived injured and will get their chance once medically cleared. We’ll give you the names first, then dig into things below.
QB Dak Prescott
RB Javonte Williams
RB Jaydon Blue
FB Hunter Luepke
WR CeeDee Lamb
WR George Pickens
WR KaVontae Turpin
WR Jalen Tolbert
WR Jonathan Mingo (IR/PUP)
TE Jake Ferguson
TE Luke Schoonmaker
TE Brevyn Spann-Ford
OT Tyler Guyton
OT Terence Steele
G Tyler Booker
G Tyler Smith
C Cooper Beebe
OL Brock Hoffman
OL Asim Richards
OL Hakeem Adeniji
DE Dante Fowler
DE Donovan Ezeiruaku
DE Marshawn Kneeland
DT Osa Odighizuwa
DT Solomon Thomas
LB DeMarvion Overshown (IR/PUP)
LB Marist Liufau
LB Jack Sanborn
LB Kenneth Murray
CB Trevon Diggs (IR/PUP)
CB DaRon Bland
CB Shavon Revel Jr. (IR/PUP)
CB Kaiir Elam
CB Caelen Carson (IR/PUP)
S Malik Hooker
S Donovan Wilson
S Juanyeh Thomas
S Markquese Bell
K Brandon Aubrey
P Bryan Anger
LS Trent Sieg
And with just that top tier, the roster is filling up fast. There are 41 names on that list, 36 if all of the IR/PUP guys don’t count against the 53 in Week 1. Assuming those four aren’t returning soon, that still only leaves 17 spots for the rest of our roster hopefuls.
This group offers a wide range of potential roles and importance to the team, but they all fit the criteria of having seemingly guaranteed roster spots. There’s obviously a huge difference between the likes of Prescott and Lamb and a backup like Markquese Bell. But with a fresh, new three-year contract and a clear role in the safety rotation, Bell shouldn’t feel any less secure.
A few other names merit explanation. Rookie RB Jaydon Blue may only be a fifth-round pick, but there’s no conceivable way he’s not on the roster. It’s not like he has any real competition, and a fifth for a RB in Dallas is no small commitment. We also see Javonte Williams as a lock given that he’s received starter treatment for several weeks, running mainly with the first-team offense in practice and being kept out of preseason games. Even if the Cowboys were to swing an eleventh-hour trade for a potential starter, Williams would still be around as a third-down back given his exceptional pass blocking.
Staying in the backfield, Hunter Luepke may seem like an odd choice as a roster lock, but his versatility makes him valuable....
