The Cowboys, somewhat quietly, put together a practice squad that has several useful players who could easily see minutes in the regular season.
I don’t know if there are a bunch of future starters, that would be a crazy thing to put out into the universe, but we have guys who have actual NFL snaps, and younger players Dallas wasn’t ready to give up on.
Once injuries start happening, it’s inevitable, having these players will work out great for the Cowboys.
The player I’m most excited about is Wanya Morris because he doesn’t seem like a normal practice squad player.
Wanya Morris is More than a Stash
Wanya Morris is a 25-year-old former third round pick who has 16 NFL starts from his time in Kansas City.
The Cowboys traded for Broderick Jones. Terence Steele will be fighting for his spot at right tackle with Jones, and Tyler Guyton is at left tackle for now. Having Morris sitting behind them and learning from our coaching staff isn’t a bad position to be in.
He’s protected Patrick Mahomes and has been thrown into games knowing the defense was going to attack the backup tackle. He hasn’t always looked great, but I’d rather have somebody who has played those snaps than a developmental guy.
If Dallas gets hit with an injury up front or has a player not meeting expectations, Morris makes a lot more sense than someone off the street. I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds his way to the 53 before we ever get to that point.
The Running Back Room Got Crazy
We watched as Jaydon Blue was cut, Phil Mafah was cut, and Emari Demercado was claimed. So the running back room changed quickly over the course of about 24 hours.
Now Israel Abanikanda is back on the practice squad, and I think that is the perfect spot for him right now. After the preseason, he just didn’t seem ready for the 53 and putting him on the team to just have another running back isn’t how this team is being built now.
Abanikanda is only 23, has NFL experience and spent the offseason learning the offense. If any of the top running backs go down, it’s nice knowing the Cowboys have someone in the building who understands what they’re doing instead of scrambling to sign a guy.
Justin Barron was One Player I Wanted Back
Call me crazy, but Justin Barron will be a starter in the NFL one day.
He showed enough in the preseason that losing him to another team would have bothered me, especially since Dallas isn’t exactly swimming in linebacker depth.
With Isaiah Land and Curtis Robison also back on the practice squad, the Cowboys have a few options who know what they’re doing if something happens, and they are forced to play a few games.
Reddy Steward and Derion Kendrick also found their way back to Dallas on the practice squad and give Dallas some good defensive back depth. And some NFL experience, are you starting to see a trend?
Depth is Boring Until it Matters
Defensive tackle Elijah Garcia has played in 17 NFL games and made three starts, while Tommy Dunn and Adedayo Odeleye give Dallas more bodies to work with along the defensive line.
I don’t know if anyone else will be excited about these names, but Tommy Dunn is one of the guys I wanted on the 53. If Dallas loses a defensive lineman for a couple of weeks, having someone who can step in and not have everything fall apart is a big deal.
Not many people care about the practice squad in September, but when October or November rolls around, this depth will matter more than some people think and not having to scramble to get someone ready is a big deal.
There Are More Names Worth Watching
Jordan Hudson and Anthony Smith are still hanging around at receiver, Michael Trigg and Mitch Van Vooren are at tight end, and Marcellus Johnson and Nick Leverett give Dallas extra offensive line depth.
Most of these guys won’t become major pieces, but Dallas doesn’t need all of them to turn into something special for the practice squad to work. We just need these guys to stay ready.
If Morris ends up helping at tackle, Barron gives Dallas some reps at linebacker, Kendrick or Steward get called up to help the secondary, then I think the Cowboys got exactly what they needed out of this group of guys.
We have been watching social media waiting for all the updates on the practice squad and the team has made it to 16 with one international player spot filled by Adedayo Odeleye. One pot remains, and we all know who that is being saved for.
I still think Wanya Morris is the first name I would keep an eye on, with Justin Barron right behind him to make it to the 53 first. After that, who knows.
Give this team a few weeks of football and there’s a good chance we’ll be talking about a couple of these guys again on the active roster, not the practice squad.
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