* Vol. III : 53-man roster projection

We tried not to knee-jerk too much after a 3-0 preseason win, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

This week's 53-man roster projection, where we went a little lighter at QB and OL and beefed up at DL and S:

QUARTERBACKS (2)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Why keep [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]? That roster spot can be used for a young player with some potential at another position. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] or another QB can be signed to the practice squad.

RUNNING BACKS (3)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
There aren’t any running backs who are really taking advantage of Tanner’s absence due to a broken hand. The bigger concern with the backs: Can Felix Jones still be a dynamic threat in a change-of-pace role?

FULLBACKS (1)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Jason Garrett would love to have 53 guys with Vickers’ toughness and attitude.

TIGHT ENDS (3)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Hanna’s blocking has been better than anticipated while Phillips nurses a sprained ankle. It’s a stretch to say Hanna is pushing for the No. 2 role, but he can create a niche for himself as a rookie.



[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]


Who should be the Cowboys' No. 3 receiver?

• 
  
  13% Cole Beasley
  
• 
  
  6% Danny Coale
  
• 
  
  47% Andre Holmes
  
• 
  
  8% Kevin Ogletree
  
• 
  
  26% Somebody not yet on the roster
  

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] (Total votes: 7,363)
WIDE RECEIVERS (6)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Veteran TBD
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Asked if he was confident the third receiver was already on the roster, receivers coach [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] paused for several seconds and suggested that “hopeful” was a better word. Enough said. Just don’t hold your breath for a big name.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (9)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
It’s safe to assume the Cowboys will scour the waiver wire searching for a center and/or guard. Just don’t expect them to find a starter.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (7)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Spears and fellow veteran [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] are probably fighting for a roster spot. Spears is well aware of that and played like a motivated man against the Raiders.

INSIDE LINEBACKERS (4)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Lemon opened a lot of eyes during the first two weeks of training camp, but that didn’t carry over to his performance in Oakland.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (5)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] could make himself really tough to cut. The Cowboys could opt to go with only three true inside linebackers since Albright is working at that spot to make room for the pass rusher from Prairie View A&M.

CORNERBACKS (5)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
The decision probably comes down to Butler or [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], who has elite track speed but lacks cornerback quickness and football instincts.

SAFETIES (5)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Silva has enough special teams potential to justify keeping five safeties, especially considering that Johnson has practiced a grand total of once during training camp.

SPECIALISTS (3)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
The Cowboys let [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] go because of about $300,000. They’ll save roughly twice as much if Hughlett, who did all the long snapping against the Raiders, replaces veteran L.P. Ladouceur.