Cowboys’ big roster gamble could pay huge dividends
As you probably know, the Dallas Cowboys won't have James Washington to start the season as they hoped to after he suffered a foot injury early in training camp. But does that mean the Cowboys are moving on from one of their very few free agent signings? By the sounds of it, no. It doesn't. […]
As you probably know, the Dallas Cowboys won't have James Washington to start the season as they hoped to after he suffered a foot injury early in training camp.
But does that mean the Cowboys are moving on from one of their very few free agent signings? By the sounds of it, no. It doesn't. According to DallasCowboys.com's Mike Spagnola, the team is aiming to keep the former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver.
In order to be able to do that, Washington has to make the team's initial 53-man roster. After that, he can be placed on Injured Reserve and be designated to return when he's ready to go (probably at some point midseason). Otherwise, if the Cowboys place him on IR today, Washington would miss the full season.
Finding a way to keep Washington is smart if you ask me.
The Cowboys have no experience at all at the position beyond CeeDee Lamb. Although some younger players have promising upside, the depth of the group is overwhelmingly unproven. The former Steeler doesn't provide plenty of ceiling but his fit with the Cowboys might be the best one he's seen in his career.
Can the Cowboys really be that confident in inexperienced guys like Simi Fehoko, Dennis Houston, and even Noah Brown heading to the season? Despite the latter's experience in the NFL, he has never been asked to step into a legit WR role. For the most part, he's been important in run blocking but has not been targeted over 25 times in a single season.
And it's not that I'm not buying into their talent. They're all young and have traits that have us excited about their development. All of them have had strong camps. But there's so little we know about them. Keeping Washington gives the Cowboys a Plan B in case the young ones don't pan out.
Not to mention, this group is one injury away from potential chaos.
By sneaking Washington into IR, the team will keep him available later in the year. And if you don't end up needing him? Well, that means things are going well with your young receivers. But having the option is valuable enough to find a way to get him into IR in the first place.
However, there's a caveat. The Cowboys will have to run a significant risk in order to pull this off.
Given Michael Gallup is also expected to make the roster (without being placed on IR since Dallas expects him back before Week 5), that leaves the Cowboys dealing with a very tough decision.
How do you fit these two wideouts without losing other key players at the position? The easy answer is executing a "cut-and-sign" tactic.
The Cowboys could make one cut at WR with the goal of bringing him back as soon as Washington is placed on the reserve list. But even if you agree with a player to be brought back, there's some risk involved.
Chances are the Cowboys' decision will come down to just two players:
- Noah Brown
- Dennis Houston (UDFA)
The biggest difference between the two is that as a veteran, Brown can be released without having to go through the waiver wire. Instead, his contract is terminated and he becomes an unrestricted free agent able to sign with whoever he prefers. In other words, the Cowboys know they can get him back unless he pulls off a sneaky move and decides to sign up elsewhere.
On the other hand, if the Cowboys waive Houston, they risk losing him to any other team that claims him in the wire.
This decision will likely come down to whether or not the Cowboys believe the undrafted rookie can clear waivers. But one of these is likely to be put at risk unless the Cowboys carry eight wideouts on Tuesday's initial roster.
You can check out my own 53-man roster projection here. Also, you can keep track of every Cowboys' cut here.
Featured image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
