3 surprises from the Cowboys' initial 53-man roster: Struggling players make the cut
The Dallas Cowboys' initial 53-man roster is set and although more moves are left to be made, there are already surprises to break down. We'll be dissecting the moves more in-depth throughout the week but for now, here are the three biggest surprises from the initial makeup of the team the Cowboys will keep ahead of […]
The Dallas Cowboys' initial 53-man roster is set and although more moves are left to be made, there are already surprises to break down.
We'll be dissecting the moves more in-depth throughout the week but for now, here are the three biggest surprises from the initial makeup of the team the Cowboys will keep ahead of the 2024 NFL season.
Let's dive in.
1) Carl Lawson released
The Cowboys signed Lawson this very month, so it was definitely a surprise to see him be released on cutdown day. Now granted, the team could be hoping to get him back on practice squad for an eventual promotion but we'll see if that is indeed what takes place. Before Lawson's release was reported, it was also revealed the Cowboys were hosting DE Tyus Bowser on a free agency visit.
If the Cowboys go through with the latter, it certainly feels like he'd take up the role we expected Lawson to. Both are productive players whose careers have been riddled with injuries. One thing is for certain: There's a need for defensive end depth ahead of the regular season.
2) Josh Ball out of the picture over Matt Waletzko
Although Ball hasn't been great in the last few years, he appeared to be on the rise this preseason. With Chuma Edoga hitting Injured Reserve, it seemed like it was going to be who backed up Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele at tackle. Instead, Matt Waletzko, who struggled in the preseason gets the nod.
Ball, meanwhile, far outperformed Waletzko in August, making this a big surprise. Asim Richards should also be in the mix for the swing tackle role as he's provided position flexibility between guard and tackle.
3) Andrew Booth Jr. gets a spot
I gotta be honest: I don't get the Andrew Booth Jr. hype. He was bad in coverage during the preseason, including giving up to deep passes and it could've been three had a Raiders receiver not dropped one pass. He did stand out as a tackler but part of that had to do with the number of catches allowed in the first place
To make room for him, the Cowboys cut Kemon Hall, who Mike McCarthy described as a player who couldn't stop making plays in practice.
