With preseason in the books and the regular season just two weeks away, it’s time for NFL teams to make the toughest decisions of the summer, cutting down to the final 53-man roster. For many players, the waiting game has begun. With no more practices or games to prove themselves, their fate rests solely in the hands of coaches and front offices. Some, like Shilo Sanders, already learned their outcome well before the league’s official August 26th, 4 p.m. ET deadline. For others, it’s an anxious countdown.
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Cowboys insider RJ Ochoa has shared his own projection for Dallas’s final roster, based on everything we saw through training camp and preseason. And while the Cowboys have yet to resolve Micah Parsons’ contract situation, Ochoa isn’t hesitating; he has Parsons as a lock. Dallas knows it can’t afford to move on from its defensive cornerstone.
Interestingly, Ochoa sees the Cowboys making some bold moves on special teams. In his projection, the club will cut veteran punter Bryan Anger and long snapper Trent Sieg, leaving only Brandon Aubrey, the reliable kicker, on the initial 53. Ochoa does note, however, that the club could re-sign Sieg shortly after roster cuts.
” As it relates to specialists, I would imagine the Cowboys probably cut Brian Anger, cut Trent Sieg. There are players that the Cowboys are going to cut and not have on their final 53-man roster who are absolutely going to be part of the 53-man roster. I think Trent Sieg is an example of a player who will get cut, that will ultimately be brought back. I’ve got Micah Parsons. We’re not going to waste time there.”
The bigger storyline, of course, is Parsons. His contract dispute has played out publicly, and tensions flared when cameras caught him lying on the trainer’s table during a preseason game while his teammates played on. When asked about it, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said he would need to talk with Parsons to get clarity.
Still, most expect the Cowboys and Parsons to resolve their differences before Week 1, though we can rule out the possibility of him sitting out the opener against the Eagles. Jerry Jones has a history of waiting until the final days to complete extensions, as he did with Dak Prescott last season, but this situation feels more delicate.
As for the rest of Ochoa’s roster projection: on offense, he has the Cowboys keeping three quarterbacks: Dak Prescott, Joe Milton, and Will Grier, citing the importance of depth at the position under the “49ers rule.” At running back, four make the cut: Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, Jaylon Blue, and Phil Mafah.
Five wide receivers also get in: CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Tolbert, and Ryan Flournoy, while Jonathan Mingo goes on injured reserve. The offense rounds out with four tight ends and nine offensive linemen, for a total of 26 players.
Defensively, Ochoa projects 24 roster spots, alongside three for special teams. That adds up to the Cowboys’ 53.
For players on the bubble, dreams of making an NFL roster either survive for another season or are put on hold until next year. For Dallas, though, the biggest question mark isn’t about who makes the roster. It’s whether their brightest star, Micah Parsons, will be signed, suited up, and ready when the season kicks off.
