again, but Brent is the kind of prospect who might not pass through waivers. That'd be seven, a little heavy. First-year end Marcus Dixon had a terrific showing last Saturday against Houston, but numbers are tight. Same for seventh-round pick Sean Lissemore.
Defensive back. Last year, the team kept nine (four cornerbacks, five safeties). That number may very well swell to 10 this year with four cornerbacks (Terence Newman, Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick, Cletis Gordon) and six safeties (Gerald Sensabaugh, Alan Ball, Mike Hamlin and rookies Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, Church and McCray). Church and McCray have shown enough, I think. Owusu-Ansah and Ball (though you'd prefer him to stick to free safety) provide corner flexibility, and Hamlin could help in that nickel linebacker role. We'll see. Rookie corner Bryan McCann has battled the starting receivers day in, day out in practice, but there just doesn't seem to be enough room.
Wide receiver. Last year, the team kept five. All preseason, the general, unofficial consensus has been six (Miles Austin, Roy Williams, Dez Bryant, Crayton, Kevin Ogletree, Sam Hurd). The question is, does a reliable receiver/special teams veteran like Hurd become expendable if youngsters like Church and McCray have shown enough special teams prowess at a cheaper price. Hurd is one of this team's 53 best players, but keeping six isn't a guarantee. Ogletree is still a talented prospect, and Crayton has such underrated value. Can't imagine either going.
This is all excluding the possibilities created via trade or the waiver wire this weekend.
Deciding the roster will be a game of numbers this Saturday. The final 60 minutes on Thursday will be critical to this big bubble.
