Poll: Which of these four players gets the last spot on the Cowboys roster?

Yesterday, we published nine different 53-man rosters based on the decisions of the front page writers here on Blogging The Boys. Today, we are going to look a little closer and determine if we can come up with a consensus group of players to round out the roster. Granted, we understand that we won’t be able to nail down every player, especially because the team will always look to the outside to bring in some guys to fill out the roster. Players like Brian Price, Jayrone Elliott, and Bene Benwikere were acquired last season during roster-cut weekend via trades and waiver pickup. Nobody saw that coming. And the same will happen again this year, so it would be good to keep a couple of spots open, but for the sake of this exercise we’re going to try to predict as much as we can and shoot for the entire 53.

Based on the entries, there were 43 players listed that got all nine votes across the board from everyone on the staff. We will consider these the “roster locks” for the team. They are as follows:

QB (2): Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush

RB (3): Ezekiel Elliott, Rod Smith, and Jamize Olawale

WR (5): Allen Hurns, Cole Beasley, Terrance Williams, Michael Gallup, and Tavon Austin

TE (3): Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin, and Dalton Schultz

OL (7): Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, Travis Frederick, La’el Collins, Connor Williams, Cameron Fleming, and Joe Looney

Total amount of locks on offense = 20

DE (5): DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford, Taco Charlton, Dorance Armstrong, and Randy Gregory

DT (2): Maliek Collins and Jihad Ward

LB (6): Sean Lee, Jaylon Smith, Leighton Vander Esch, Damien Wilson, Joe Thomas, and Justin March-Lillard

CB (4): Chidobe Awuzie, Byron Jones, Anthony Brown, and Jourdan Lewis

S (3): Jeff Heath, Xavier Woods, and Kavon Frazier

Total amount of locks on defense = 20

Coincidentally, our group has an even 20 locks both on offense and defense.

SPECIALISTS (3): Dan Bailey, Chris Jones, and L.P. Ladouceur

Total amount of locks on special teams = 3

Total locks on the roster = 43

That leaves 10 spots remaining for the other players. Based on the amount of votes received, let’s start handing out roster spots to the other players.

There were four players who were almost unanimous, but fell one vote short, totaling eight votes from our staff. They have a great chance to secure one of the 10 remaining roster spots. They are as follows:

(8 votes) - RB, Bo Scarbrough

(8 votes) - WR, Lance Lenoir

(8 votes) - DT, Brian Price

(8 votes) - DT, Datone Jones

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That leaves six spots remaining. Five players received votes from the majority of writers. They are as follows:

(7 votes) - OL, Kadeem Edwards

(6 votes) - QB, Mike White

(6 votes) - DT, Antwaun Woods

(5 votes) - WR, Deonte Thompson

(5 votes) - DE, Kony Ealy

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That leaves one spot left. There were four players tied with four votes each, but before we get to them, let’s see who’s not making the cut...

The one-vote getters:

• WR, Noah Brown
• LB, Chris Covington
• CB, Marquez White
• S, Kam Kelly
• S, Marqueston Huff
• S, Jameill Showers

The two-vote guy:

• TE, Rico Gathers

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So which four players are fighting for that last spot?

DE, Charles Tapper

How he gets in: He’s been playing well in camp and he’s finally healthy. The team has waited it out this long with him, so why not give him a shot and see what he can do? He has the athleticism and his upside is intriguing.

What’s standing in his way: The depth at defensive end is stronger than it’s been in a long while. For years the team has had gaps, but it’s all of a sudden coming together at once. That makes for a crowded group and it could be tough for Rod Marinelli to find reps for him.

CB, Duke Thomas

How he gets in: The team needs at least one more corner and right now Thomas is right there up front for that last spot. He was on his way to making the team last season before an injury ended his year. He’s healthy now and he shows up in games so continued preseason success will keep Duke on this team.

What’s standing in his way: Any uptick in performance from one of the UDFA corners. With new defensive backs/passing game coordinator, Kris Richard, on staff, this is an opportunity to bring in one of his type of guys to the team.

CB, Charvarius Ward

How he gets in: There are a slew of UDFA defensive backs in camp, but so far - Ward is the one turning the most heads. If he continues to play well, he could be the surprise roster decision come final cuts.

What’s standing in his way: Duke Thomas. If the team only keeps five corners, then it’s really a two-man battle between Thomas and Ward. The leader could change weekly and every play matters. And any slight ailment that keeps one of them off the field could be the kiss of death. It’s going to come down to the wire.

S, Tyree Robinson

How he gets in: So far, nobody has impressed much when it comes to the safety position behind the main three, but Robinson is the front-runner right now. He’s a true free safety and has a history of making plays on the ball. If he can show up over the next few weeks, he can make a push for that last roster spot.

What’s standing in his way: There are a few obstacles in his way. First, despite the lack of serious competition at the position, Robinson might not be good enough. The team could also choose to go deep at corner and light at safety as they have a couple CBs who could play the safety position if needed. Finally, if the Cowboys aren’t happy enough with what they are getting from these young guys, they could always pull the trigger on acquiring that All-Pro fella out in Seattle.

Okay, so we gave you the first 52, but give us a hand with that final roster spot and see just how close BTB comes to the final outcome.