The Dallas Cowboys suffered yet another in a series of injury setbacks this week with the news that starting 3rd year cornerback Mo Claiborne had partially separated his shoulder. The injury isn't in the same shoulder as the one he dislocated against the New York Giants in the 2013 season opener, but the pattern is sufficient to be alarming that Mo could be a 1st round bust.
Now we know why this team and in particular secondary coach Jerome Henderson has been working so hard on preparing rookie 7th round cornerback Terrance Mitchell to play. However with Sterling Moore coming back from injury while Claiborne is out Moore appears to be the temporary starter opposite Brandon Carr until one of the younger DBs takes his job.
To put a different twist on the usual roster projections, I thought I'd start with the Cowboys most troubled unit, the defense. With Orlando Scandrick's four-game suspension for drug use and the serious 'day to day' shoulder injury to Claiborne, Sterling Moore, B.W. Webb, and Jakar Hamilton's prospects for making the cut Labor Day weekend have all improved. Hamilton's versatility and ability to play both free safety and slot corner will be necessary. Webb gets another year of reprieve to prove himself, while Green is the biggest candidate to be cut when Scandrick returns for Week 5 (or could be placed on the expanded 10-man practice squad along with Tyler Patmon).
Defense 26 (10 DBs, 7 LBs, 9 DL) STG = Special Teams Gunners
5 SS-J.J. Wilcox-SS, Barry Church-FS, Ahmad Dixon (R7c-Baylor) (STG), Jeff Heath (STG), Jakar Hamilton (5th CB)
5 CB Brandon Carr, Sterling Moore, B.W. Webb (slot), Terrance Mitchell (R7e-Oregon),
Morris Claiborne (OUT shoulder)
7 LB Kyle Wilber-S1/LEO/WDE3, #Ronaldo McClain-M1, Justin Durant-W1,
#Tank Carder (CLE)-S2, Anthony Hitchens (R4-Iowa)-M2, Bruce Carter-W2, Cameron Lawrence (ST)-S3
4 DE George Selvie-SDE, Jeremy Mincey#-WDE
SDE2 Tyrone Crawford, WDE2 Martez Wilson (LEO/WDE)
5 DT Terrell McClain#1t, Henry Melton#3t, Nick Hayden 1t2, Davon Coleman (R-UDFA Arizona St) 3t2
#Zach Minter 3t3 (CIN/2nd year UDFA from Montana St)
Suspended
CB Orlando Scandrick - 4 games
DT Josh Brent - ?
I didn't like going light at linebacker with only six backers, particularly from a special teams perspective. Cameron Lawrence is still the 54th best player in this projection, but I think Lawrence survives final cuts due to his special teams wedge blocking abilities shown off in these 2013 highlights. I think Rod Marinelli and the other coaches are going to have some very tough decisions to make due to all the injuries, because Morris Claiborne can't be placed on PUP nor IR Eligible to Return since that slot seems reserved for rookie WDE Demarcus Lawrence.
Speaking of the WDE spot, the Cowboys also have been making noises that Anthony Spencer won't be placed on PUP at the start of the regular season to keep him available for the second or third game of the season. With Spencer working on the resistance bands before training camp wrapped up in Oxnard, we may even see Anthony back for Week 2. This defense needs all the pass rush it can get, so I'm all for keeping Anthony on the 53 regardless of whether he plays against the San Francisco 49ers on September 7. The evidence thus far is that Spencer has a chance to avoid PUP. I think Wilber's ability to play with his hand in the dirt could cause the Cowboys to go light at WDE and only carry Martez Wilson as a true right end with Selvie occasionally seeing snaps at the spot against run heavy teams while Tyrone Crawford mans the strong side. Dartwan Bush would be the backup inactive for gamedays WDE on the practice squad and could be promoted in case of injury while Caesar Rayford could backup the SAM DE spot on the PS.
Turning to the offense, the Cowboys made some down roster moves that have received less attention than the trade with New England for CB Justin Green but are oriented towards building quality depth. The Boys picked up 3rd year guard Stephen Goodin who played on the Giants terrible offensive line last year after they signed him in 2012 to their practice squad as a UDFA from Nebraska-Kearney. Goodin reportedly graded out average last year, according to ProFootballFocus. I see him as competition for the final OL spot with rookie UDFA center Ron Patrick and free agent guard Uche Nwaneri. Despite the 30-year-old Nwaneri's veteran presence, I think the Cowboys go younger and cheaper with Ronald Patrick since they don't have anyone else but Mackenzy Bernadeau and Zach Martin to snap the football if Travis Frederick gets hurt.
I think Jermey Parnell is likely to get traded for a late round draft pick from a team in need of offensive tackle depth like the Kansas City Chiefs, leaving Weems and John Wetzel as the backup tackles. None of the young receivers have flashed enough for me to have the Cowboys carry six wideouts. Newly acquired rookie UDFA TE Asa Watson clearly intrigues the Cowboys, despite a heart condition that Watson treats with medication. Watson is the younger brother of New Orleans Saints no. 2 TE Benjamin Watson.
I don't see Scott Linehan giving up carrying 4 RBs in favor of 3 with a FB, but I could be wrong and Tyler Clutts could surprise us by sticking around another year. Ryan Williams is neither as fast as Lance Dunbar nor as good of a pass protector and special teamer as Joseph Randle. But I think he can make this roster with some hard running and improved pass protection for Brandon Weeden and Dustin Vaughan in the remaining preseason games. Speaking of everyone's new favorite rookie UDFA QB, I think he's safe on the practice squad -- at least until later this season.
Offense 24 (2 QB, 4 RB, 4 TE/FB, 5 WR, 9 OL)
2 QB Tony Romo, Brandon Weeden
4 RB Demarco Murray, Lance Dunbar, Joseph Randle, Ryan Williams#
4 TE/FB Jason Witten, Gavin Escobar, James Hanna, Tyler Clutts
5 WR Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Devin Street (R5-Pittsburgh), Cole Beasley (slot), Dwayne Harris (KR/PR)
4 OT Tyron Smith, Doug Free, Darrion Weems, John Wetzel
5 OL Ronald Leary, Travis Frederick, Zach Martin (R1-Notre Dame),
Mackenzy Bernadeau (gameday interior OL back up), Ronald Patrick (R-UDFA S. Carolina) (OC2)
Specialists - no surprises here
1 K Dan Bailey
1 P Chris Jones
1 LS L.P. Ladoceur
The practice squad is usually where good teams stock up on 'potential' players. This year it's where the Cowboys stash what little depth they have left on defense, though Asa Watson, Dustin Vaughan and Jamar Newsome are all high 'potential' guys.
Caesar Rayford and Ken Boatwright both look like decent rotation linemen but there just isn't enough room on the 53 for them right now and both are PS eligible so they get stashed. Texas Tech linebacker Will Smith is worth developing for the future and I think he joins the 53 late in the year to emerge as a special teams demon with Ahmad Dixon. As for newly acquired 2nd year DT Zach Minter I doubt he sticks around on the PS. Texas Tech rookie UDFA Dartwan Bush gets the nod there because he like Rayford can play the SAM DE spot and backup Selvie and has shown flashes in preseason. The last PS spot though probably goes to a rookie linebacker currently not on this roster.
Practice Squad UPDATED to add two more players - 4 Offense, 4 Defense (3 DL)
1 QB Dustin Vaughan (R-UDFA W. TAMU)
1 TE Asa Watson# (R-UDFA N. Carolina St) (NE)
1 WR #Jamar Newsome
2 DE Dartwan Bush (R-UDFA Texas Tech) (SDE), #Kenneth Boatwright (WDE) (SEA)
2 DL Ken Bishop (7d-N. Illinois), Caesar Rayford (3t)
1 LB Will Smith (R7b-Texas Tech)
2 CB #Justin Green (from NE) (KR/PR), Tyler Patmon (R-UDFA Oklahoma St)
PUP
DT Amobi Okoye (non-football illness)
DE Anthony Spencer (microfracture knee surgery)
Injured Reserve-Eligible to Return
DE Demarcus Lawrence (R2-Boise St) (broken foot)
Injured Reserve
RB Ben Malena (R-UDFA Texas A&M) (quad)
LB Sean Lee
DT Chris Whaley 3t (R-UDFA Texas) (ACL)
DE Ben Gardner (SDE) (R7a-Stanford) (shoulder)
Retired
LB Devonte Holloman
Trades
OT Jermey Parnell traded to KC for 2015 7th round pick ?
DT Ben Bass traded to NE for CB Justin Green
LB Rolando McClain acquired from BAL for 2015 6th conditional round pick
WR LaRon Byrd to Cleveland for backup LB Tank Carder and 2015 6th round pick
CONCLUSION: As the title of this FanPost hints, there's a lot of Doom, Gloom if not Boom at Valley Ranch on the defensive side of the ball heading into the regular season. But I don't think we should assume the Cowboys are going to go 0-4 to open the season as opposed to 2-2 or 3-1 (if they can upset the 49ers in the opener).
With all division rivals facing the dreaded NFC West this year, the rest of the NFC (L)East looks pretty shaky on either offense or defense at the moment, while the Cowboys clearly have an explosive offense and renewed running game. As long as our offense is very good and the division is very weak there's an outside shot 8-8 is enough to win the NFC East this year. Who knows, maybe the Cowboys rally with Brent, Spencer, Lawrence and Scandrick all back by mid-season to a 9-7 finish and PLAYOFFS. I happen to think this offense will kick butt and the defense will struggle but play hard to save Jason Garrett's job after 2014. That's my two cents, what's yours?
UPDATE1: The Cowboys announced that 27-year-old DT Amobi Okoye has come back from the serious illness that had him out of football for many months. If Okoye can return to the form he showed for the Chicago Bears in 2011, he could be valuable piece of the puzzle for the Cowboys D-line due to the 300-pound rushman's ability play both the 1 and 3 tech spots. Okoye signed a two-year-deal this offseason to play for his old mentor Rod Marinelli. It's possible the Cowboys were planning on Okoye being available to practice and play sometime during the regular season all along given his prior medical prognosis. If so good on Will McClay for giving Okyoe another shot to revive his career and giving this D-line another option around mid-season once Okoye is in football shape.
UPDATE2: I have added two more practice squad spots that allow the Cowboys to keep more and put Amobi Okoye on PUP, where he's likely to start the season. Carrying Anthony Spencer on the 53 with him inactive the first two games seems unlikely, so I've kept Spencer on PUP.