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Matt Moore fans, kiss the young QB goodbye, the Carolina Panthers claimed him off waivers. The Cowboys miscalculated, and have lost out on a solid backup for the future. Instead the Cowboys went ahead and signed Richard Bartel to the practice squad, wow.

The Cowboys claimed two players off waivers, and its just not going to cut it. Here’s the latest (DMN Blog):

The Cowboys claimed linebacker Justin Rogers off waivers from New England and cornerback Evan Oglesby off waivers from Baltimore. To make room, they cut safety Abram Elam and Alan Ball.

Rogers played at SMU and was making a switch from college defensive end to outside linebacker in the Patriots’ 3-4 scheme. He had two sacks in the preseason and the Patriots wanted to put him on their practice squad. With Greg Ellis’ injury, he might be needed in the opener vs. the Giants.

Oglesby spent parts of the previous two seasons with Baltimore, playing in 19 games.

Cutting Elam is a difficult choice because he is an excellent special teams player. Ball could be brought back to the practice squad if he clears waivers.

Again, nothing impressive. If Rogers is better than Glymph ok, but if not, what the heck man. If anything positive at all, Rogers give some relief to Superman (Bobby Carpenter) Oglesby is a special teamers guy, don’t expect him to be any sort of cornerback of significance.

So far the practice squad consists of the following players, this can always change through the season, but here they are

QB Richard Bartel,
CB Quincy Butler,
RB Alonzo Coleman,
TE Rodney Hannah,
WR Mike Jefferson,
LB Khari Long and
DE Marcus Smith.

Alan Ball will probably fill out the last spot if he passes through waivers.

Cowboys Nation has hit its first crossroad before the season even starts. In fact, I would say 50% are unsure if we can win against the Giants with the roster we have right now. The main concern is CB and LB.

Some fans cannot believe Glenn is gone? and I ask why? Neither Glenn nor Reeves or any of the other backups have quality skills to be a #2CB in relief. Now we’re in trouble. Some people say “don’t panic”…get real. Its time to worry. And if you think we can fill some of our inadequacies from the waiver wire you’re dreaming. I’ve looked, and there’s nothing out there. Even if there was someone out there, you’re taking someone that another team had all offseason and in the end did not like for whatever reason.

No, the waiver wire is not the way to go. Unfortunately, the only way to get some help is via trade. There’s rumors swirling that Marcus Spears is on the trading block, but nothing has manifested yet.

Linebacker is also paper thin. You can’t count on Burnett, he’s injured all the time, its becoming detrimental to the team. Ellis is the great unknown, who knows anything about Ellis, anything solid on this guy? No one seems to know anything about his status. Spencer is slated to start, and Carpenter will probably relieve the MLB and OLB on opening day, and special teams…Superman or what? What the heck is going on here??

No one is going to be happy about the roster right now, but either way you slice it, if we would have kept “this guy” over “that guy” is irrelevant. We simply don’t have quality, championship depth. When you make cuts on a quality roster, it should be easy to see who you are keeping. We shouldn’t have to be sacrificing one position for another, and that’s the situation in Dallas right now. You need depth if you want to make it down the stretch. The best teams out there have quality depth at various positions.

Aaron Glenn and Martin Gramatica are packing their bags. Other players cut today are:

LB Junior Glymph,C Matt Tarullo, WR Mike Jefferson, WR Damarius Bilbo, CB Joey Thomas, RB Alonzo Coleman, RB Arliss Beach, CB Quincy Butler, FB Lousaka Polite, TE Rodney Hannah, LB Blair Phillips, G Trey Darilek, NT Remi Ayodele, DE Marcus Smith, QB Matt Moore, QB Richard Bartel, TE Adam Bergen, LB John Saldi, LB Khari Long and WR Jerheme Urban

From DMN:

In a major surprise, the Cowboys cut veteran cornerback Aaron Glenn Saturday, among the 22 players released in order to reach the 53-man limit.

Glenn started three of the four preseason games with Terence Newman out with a partially torn plantar fascia in his right foot. He played better in Thursday’s preseason finale, but evidently it was not enough to keep him on the final roster. He was scheduled to make $1.7 million this season, but he will receive $500,000 because part of the base salary was guaranteed when he signed an extension last season.

Newman’s status for the season opener remains in question. He did not take part in Saturday’s workout and it’s not clear if he will practice Monday.

Without Glenn as the No. 3 corner, the Cowboys appear ready to use Jacques Reeves, Nate Jones and XXXX, however, they could add a player via trade or waiver wire claim in the near future.

By cutting Martin Gramatica, the Cowboys are going with rookie Nick Folk as their kicker. Gramatica was done in by a strained right hamstring suffered Aug. 25 vs. Houston and by injuries at other spots that forced the Cowboys to keep extra position players.

The Cowboys gave Gramatica a $200,000 signing bonus in the off-season as part of a two-year deal.

I wasn’t surprised by the first round of cuts today; however, I hope Jackie Battle can return via the practice squad, assuming he can recover from the ankle injury. After watching training camp and the first three preseason games, the 53-man roster is becoming clearer. Here’s my latest roster projections:

QB (2): Tony Romo, Brad Johnson
RB (3): Julius Jones, Marion Barber 3, Tyson Thompson

FB (2): Oliver Hoyte, Deon Anderson

WR (6): Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd, Isaiah Stanback, Miles Austin

TE (3): Jason Witten, Anthony Fasano, Tony Curtis

OL (9): Flozell Adams, Kyle Kosier, Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo, Pat McQuistan, James Marten, Doug Free, Cory Procter

Offense (25)

DL (4): Jason Hatcher, Jay Ratliff, Chris Canty, Marcus Spears

NT (2): Jason Ferguson, Remi Ayodele

LB (8): DeMarcus Ware, Bradie James, Akin Ayodele, Greg Ellis, Bobby Carpenter, Anthony Spencer, Kevin Burnett, Junior Glymph

CB (6): Terence Newman, Anthony Henry, Aaron Glenn, Jacques Reeves, Joey Thomas, Quincy Butler
FS (3): Ken Hamlin, Patrick Watkins, Courtney Brown

SS (2): Roy Williams, Keith Davis

ST (3): Nick Folk, Mat McBriar, L.P. Ladouceur

Defense (28)

With injuries and quality depth issues, I see the Cowboys carrying just (2) QBs again this season. Matt Moore has show his ability, and should be able to run the scout team on the practice squad, he’ll continue to work with Garrett, and that will only make him a better prospect for 2008. Deon Anderson makes the team with his big hits, blocking and special teams play. Miles Austin makes the team as a return specialist, but would not be surprised if he does not make the Sept. 1st cuts. Tony Curtis has come a long way, he’s had a strong camp and solid preseason, so he’s probably in. No big surprises on the Offensive Line. Junior Glymph continues to play well and has drawn praise from Phillips several times, so he’ll be solid in rotation. Cornerbacks is where we could see some surprises. Right now I have Aaron Glenn at #3, but he hasn’t really separated himself from the other backups at all, so he’s on the bubble with the rest of the guys. If we can mount a trade to add someone solid at cornerback, this will give us some relief. The cornerbacks are not getting any props from the staff at this point, and its a concern as we draw closer to the game opener against the Giants. Courtney Brown makes the team with his good play, and his versatility as a safety and cornerback experience.

Cowboys have announced player cuts, and an injury settlement with Jackie Battle.

Cowboys | Stanley released
Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:24:20 -0700

The Dallas Cowboys have announced they have released DL Montavious Stanley.

Cowboys | Richardson released
Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:23:53 -0700

The Dallas Cowboys have announced they have released WR Jamel Richardson.

Cowboys | Rabb released
Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:23:03 -0700

The Dallas Cowboys have announced they have released WR Jerard Rabb.

Cowboys | Obomese released
Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:20:23 -0700

The Dallas Cowboys have announced they have released LB Alex Obomese.

Cowboys | Hilliard released
Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:16:39 -0700

The Dallas Cowboys have announced they have released OT Jason Hilliard.

Cowboys | Harrington released
Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:15:38 -0700

The Dallas Cowboys have announced they have released LB Dedrick Harrington.

Cowboys | Dagunduro released
Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:14:23 -0700

The Dallas Cowboys have announced they have released DL Ola Dagunduro.

Cowboys | Rector released
Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:11:37 -0700

The Dallas Cowboys have announced they have released injured WR Jamaica Rector (knee).

Cowboys | Team reaches agreement with Battle
Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:09:32 -0700

The Dallas Cowboys have announced they have reached an injury settlement with RB Jackie Battle (ankle). He is not longer on the team’s roster.

The preseason is half over, and injuries around the league are piling up at an exponential rate. The Cowboys got a few scares in our last game, but nothing too major. Here’s the latest injury reports (DMN):

Look for cornerback Quincy Butler and defensive end Jason Hatcher to return to practice this week. Coach Wade Phillips said there is nothing new on Greg Ellis’ return.

Tight end Anthony Fasano sounded more optimistic about his shoulder injury than Phillips did. Fasano said he expects to practice Tuesday but Phillips was awaiting word from the trainers.

Fasano has been bothered by this injury since last year. He re-injured it earlier in the off-season and had the shoulder driven into the turf in the second quarter vs. Denver. Not sounding too alarmed, Fasano said if it was a regular season game he would have returned.

Running back Jackie Battle is sporting a boot on his left ankle. He’s picked the wrong time to get hurt.

I expect Jason Hatcher to be fully involved once he returns to the field. In my opinion he posseses a better pash rush than Spears, but to Spears’ credit he appears to be a different player this year. So, in the end, Spears and Hatcher should both have solid numbers, and you can’t ask for a better situation than that. Jackie Battle could be out of the 53-man roster now, I doubt he makes it now. There was a chance he may have. But as I wrote in a previous post, Stanback was the key for Battle. Stanback is playing now, making plays, and looking the part in practice. In addition to Stanback looking good, he may have leap frogged Miles Austin who had a horrible game against the Broncos. So, with that being said, depending on Battle’s health outlook, he could be looking at the practice squad, which may not be a bad thing for him with his injury, we could carry him there, rehab him, and have him ready for 2008 for sure, when the RB makeup could be revamped again. We’ll see.

Miles Austin could have single handedly dropped himself out of a spot. Austin should be able to make the first cuts on the 28th, but he better make some plays at WR and not depend on his special teams skills. Tyson Thompson has re-emerged as the featured return man, so Austin is in trouble there too.

Wide Receivers that make the team are: Owens, Glenn, Crayton, Hurd, Stanback

Austin is on the bubble now, and may not make it.

Joey Thomas is playing well, and has flown past Nate Jones in the CB position battles.

Cornerbacks that make the team are: Newman, Henry, Glenn, Reeves, Thomas

Jones and Ball are climbing an uphill battle at this point

Safeties that make the team are: Williams, Hamlin, Watkins, Davis, Brown

Brown makes the team, because of his diversity, he’s been playing at safety, but can also play at CB

The Fullback position is still somewhat clouded, it appears Hoyte is the man, but I think rookie Deon Anderson may be earning his stripes on special teams, he’s laying the wood on people everytime, and that’s the type of player you want on the field come gameday.

Dude, are we getting Ayodele?

There could be some hope at the NT position, it looks like Remi Ayodele could be distancing himself from the rest of the backups, and now has a shot at making the team. The others are pretty much out. By game three, the rosters are beginning to mold into that 53-man version we’ll see for 16 games. Ayodele played a lot of snaps after Ferguson sat down for the night. That’s promising.

The Ellis watch

Supposedly Ellis was “very close” to practicing. Who knows what is going to happen here at this point. His future remains clouded, and with that, so are the linebacker rosters. If Ellis is unable to return soon, or can’t continue on, we have some questions. I know Junior Glymph makes the team as a backup, and next would probably be Alex Obomese as a potential backup to Spencer.

Basically, I’m not equating Ellis into the starting 53-man roster. Obviously, if the Cowboys keep him on, he won’t start, this is a for sure thing. Ellis has an injury that takes over a year to fully heal, and he’s not ready. He stated he still has pain that won’t go away, so that’s a red flag. Obomese is making plays, but would he be able to play a few snaps to spell Spencer in relief? This next game is big for the backup LBs.

The Cowboys have signed Arena League player, Jason Hilliard. Hilliard played for Colombus, and had brief stints in the NFL with the Packers, Giants, and Rams. Hilliard will provide some more depth through the rest of the preseason. Doug Free is expected to be out at least 2-4 weeks.

DMN Blog gives us more info on Stanback’s slow progression. Sounds like the team will be very patient, and the coaches are seeing his value as something longterm, which probably points to Stanback making the team despite his inexpirience at his new position.

That’s what WR coach Ray Sherman told me after rookie Isaiah Stanback’s second NFL practice.

Stanback made two highlight plays. Working as a gunner, he dived to kill a punt at the 1-yard line. Later, he caught a short touchdown pass with a leaping grab over Jacques Reeves on a fade route.

Sherman has no doubt that the 6-2, 213-pound Stanback, who has strong hands and excellent quickness, has the potential to be a playmaking receiver. Stanback has impressed Sherman by knowing where to line up and what routes to run despite not practicing until Saturday. But Stanback needs a lot of technical work (nuances of route running, how to get off line vs. different coverage techniques, etc).

“I expect that, but he’s going to be fine,” Sherman said. “He’s got a great attitude and great work ethic.”

Anthony Spencer is shaping up to being the opening day starter opposite DeMarcus Ware against the NY Giants. He will have a few more practices at Valley Ranch and a few more preseason games to get as many reps as possible. I’m confident Spencer will only get better with time.

Quincy Carter is back in the playoffs, the Arena2 Football playoffs that is.

Ken Hamlin is practicing and is expected to play against the Broncos this Saturday.

I want to take a peek at an intriguing story that’s developing in the back drop of training camp. At issue, Isaiah Stanback’s roster value versus Jackie Battle’s roster value. When the team plays against the Colts this Thursday night, we’re going to see Battle run over people, make plays, and finish his runs. On the other side of the coin, we will not be seeing 4th round draft pick Isaiah Stanback play. So, how does an undrafted rookie from the University of Houston get on the team? That is the question. I’ve already seen enough from Battle to know he’s the real deal at his position; however, the same cannot be said about Stanback. Stanback has not practiced since we drafted him in April. He missed all the mini-camps, all the OTAs, and all of training camp.

To top it off, Stanback was drafted to take over punt returning duties, something he hasn’t even done. He hasn’t played receiver in 4yrs. Would he better at PR than Skyler Green, who was a return specialist in college, but failed to make the team? At this point, we just do not know. His value on the roster seems bleak.

What’s the thing that’s saving Stanback’s roster spot? Nick Folk. Nick Folk is going to beat out Gramatica, and we’re only going to carry one place kicker, which leaves that roster spot for Stanback.

It’ll be interesting to see what the Cowboys do with the RB back situation. We know Julius Jones, and Marion Barber III are starting. And it sounds like Tyson Thompson will be kept around because of his game breaking speed and his value on special teams. We could see Thompson and Austin try out at the PR spot, since we’re short there. Who really wants Newman on PR, NO BODY…The Cowboys have to be thinking about the future here as well. Not having Stanback ready, is creating a butterfly effect, or in this case - Stanback effect.

If Julius runs well, and he probably will, do the Cowboys extend him or let him go elsewhere? If Julius leaves, we have Barber as the primary running back for 2008. The Cowboys will want to keep a strong stable in the backfield, so you’d be looking at Barber coupled with Thompson? or would you rather have Barber coupled with Battle? Speed vs. Power basically. Thompson has pretty much peaked and we’ve seen everything he has to offer; however, Battle has come on strong from the get go, and he has not slowed down, instead he continues to impress. And what about the Darren McFadden scenario? Some fans, already have him penciled-in as our first pick in the first round. Its quite the predicament. This is how the Cowboys will be looking at Thompson vs. Battle.

Best case scenario: Battle makes the practice squad and no one picks him up. I’m not sure that would happen, its a definite risk.

Worst case scenario: Battle makes the practice squad, and gets plucked immediately.

At what point do the Cowboys, take the hit, and put Stanback on IR? Supposedly, he was going to practice last Tuesday, that did not happen. Stanback has been injured since October 2006. I did not see the game but the injury was described as a:

“gruesom incident — and the way Stanback lay in agony on the turf — made the injury look serious.”

Stanback, has been rehabbing against the lisfranc sprain which ended his collegiate season. Since then, Stanback has developed shin splints. What the heck are shin splints, and why can’t he recover from them? Read about shin splints here. In brief, its described as painful condition that effects the shin as a result of running and jumping. They take a very long time to heal. Great…

The reality is that the Cowboys, under Phillips, are not going to cut Stanback; they’re being extremely patient with their 4th rounder.

The Cowboys placed Stanback on the Active/Non-Football Injury List at the beginning of camp, which could protect them from having to make a decision on his roster spot.

As long as Stanback remains out of practice, the Cowboys have the option of keeping him on NFI for the first six weeks of the regular season. Then, they would have three weeks to see if he could return to practice, and if he did return, three more weeks to decide whether to activate him to the roster or place him on injured reserve. In all, the Cowboys could wait 12 weeks into the regular season before deciding what to do with his roster spot. (from dc.com)

I’ll take a peek at the 53-man roster soon. Check back later.