The 2017 training camp for the Dallas Cowboys is shaping up to be the most competitive that I can remember of in at least the last decade, possibly longer. There will be plenty of battles to keep a close watchful eye on, but one Cowboys roster battle that I think has a lot of fans excited is between wide receivers Brice Butler and Noah Brown.
When it comes to getting down to their 53 man roster, the Dallas Cowboys usually just carry five WRs on the team. With the top three pretty much set in stone in Dez Bryant, Cole Beasley, and Terrance Williams, that leaves only two available spots.
I completely understand that it's a little premature right now to speculate who claims the final two spots, but I think we can all pretty much agree that Ryan Switzer is probably at least fourth on the depth chart right now. The Cowboys likely wouldn't have drafted him in the fourth round without having an understanding of how he would fit in otherwise.
So, that leaves Brice Butler fighting for his job and I think his main competition will be with rookie Noah Brown. Although, Andy Jones and the rest of the WRs might have something to say about that. But, for now I'm going to go with my gut and stick with the idea it will come down between Brown and Butler.
Keep reading below to see why this particular Dallas Cowboys roster battle could possibly be the most interesting to watch.
Will Brice Butler win?
When you draw up the dream prototypical wide receiver teams like on the outside, Brice Butler would fit that criteria perfectly. He is 6'3″, 220 and has legitimate 4.3 speed. What more do you really need?
Unfortunately, the answer to that is the reason why Butler could be competing for the final WR spot when the Dallas Cowboys start getting down to their 53 man roster. Consistency.
Consistency has been Butler's biggest enemy since entering the NFL. He shows the flashes of becoming a reliable outside receiver, but as of yet hasn't been able to do it on a continual basis. That could be his undoing with the Cowboys, but he does have things going in his favor.
Butler has a head start on the competition and is entering the third-year in the Cowboys offensive scheme. He has the knowledge in the system and had moments last year where he was a game changer when Dez Bryant was out of the lineup.
Butler also has a year under his belt working with quarterback Dak Prescott. This might just be the biggest advantage of all. They already have an established working bond, which should only get better once off-season practices start.
So, this Dallas Cowboys roster battle could be over with before it even got started, but not if Noah Brown has anything to say about it.
Will Noah Brown win?
Former Ohio State Buckeye wide receiver Noah Brown was one of my favorite WRs in the entire 2017 NFL Draft. I actually had a fourth-round great on him, so you can imagine I was absolutely ecstatic when the Dallas Cowboys were able to draft him in the seventh round.
Brown was underutilized for some reason at Ohio State, but he has the skill set to make it in the NFL and seriously push Brice Butler for one of those final remaining WR roster spots.
At 6'2″, 222, Brown has the prototypical size the Dallas Cowboys like in their outside WRs. He doesn't have Butler's deep speed, but he more than makes up for it with the variety of ways he can contribute to the team.
As a wide receiver, Brown is still pretty raw, but has a skill set similar in many ways to Dez Bryant. He has a large catching radius and understands how to use his body to shield defenders to go up and catch the ball at the highest point. He also plays the game with the physicality and attitude much like Bryant.
Where Noah Brown has the advantage over Brice Butler is on special teams and more importantly blocking in the running game. Butler doesn't really play special teams, but that's an area where Brown will contribute right away. Teams like to have that in their wide receivers, especially those at the bottom of the depth chart.
Brown's ability to block in the running game is what will get him on the field early on offense. Defensive backs around the league will learn to keep their head on a swivel when they know Brown is on their side of the field. He takes pride in completely demolishing defenders and I think that is something the Cowboys coaching staff will absolutely fall in love with.
Oh, let's not forget that it was Ezekiel Elliott campaigning the Cowboys to draft Noah Brown in the first place. It's always good to have one of the star players in your corner.
✭✭✭✭✭
While there will be plenty of different Dallas Cowboys roster battles to keep track of, I think there will be a lot of eyes on Brice Butler and Noah Brown. Fans have seem to grow a little bit tired of Butler's inconsistency and are ready for a change.
I for one like both WRs, but my gut is telling me that Noah Brown not only has more upside, but has more to offer because of his special-teams ability. So, even though Brown hasn't put on a Cowboy's uniform as yet, I give him the slight advantage.
