MARK JOHNSTONSILSBEE, TX
Noah Brown really seems to be making a case to stay around. He shows up constantly. With Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Brice Butler and Ryan Switzer all seemingly locks, what happens to Brown? I think if we exposed him to waivers trying to get him to the practice squad, he would be claimed, yet there is probably not room for him as a sixth receiver on the 53. What gives?
Bryan: Whispers have told me that he's making a serious case for that sixth spot. Has been better in practice and that's carried over to his game. I didn't initially have him on the roster and I still am struggle for his spot especially carrying an extra QB. They could go short at offensive line so that could be his path on the roster.
Rob: The Cowboys have kept six receivers before and they could again. Of course, you have to go light somewhere else, and as we've mentioned in this space before, Cooper Rush could be a third quarterback and Rico Gathers could be a fourth tight end. There are only so many skill position players you can keep. I wonder about going thin on the offensive line, too, given the injuries they've dealt with in camp.
DAN RITCHRAMSTEIN, GERMANY
For the past several seasons we kept hearing about how the Cowboys' window was closing. I think we can safely say that is no longer the case and that they no longer have a "must win now" philosophy. Having said that, if this team again reaches the playoffs and falls short, do you see them trying to sign a big name free agent or trying to trade up in the draft to get that dominant pass rusher that they need? You have often said, you rarely find those picking at the bottom of the first round.
Bryan: I love your question but I love it more after the season. You don't know what you're going to get from this team until we play these games. I want to see what happens when they put this roster together. Problems we think they have now might not be problems in the future.
Rob: I'm just focused on the next preseason game, Dan: Cowboys-Raiders, Saturday night, 7 p.m. kickoff, AT&T Stadium. Just kidding. I don't agree that the window is closing. This isn't an aging roster. Yes, veterans like Jason Witten don't have endless chances at a Super Bowl. But there are only seven players 30 or older on the current 90-man roster. A little like the Seahawks with Russell Wilson a few years ago, there's a temporary opportunity to allocate resources elsewhere on the roster when your franchise quarterback isn't yet eligible for a major contract extension. But overall this is a young team that they're building with these recent draft classes: Dak, Zeke, etc.
