This time one week from now, the Dallas Cowboys will enter week one of the 2020 regular season. That means they'll cut down to their 53-man roster and have their 16-man practice squad set. Now is the time for players to make their push for a spot on the roster.
Though much of the wide receiver depth chart is set with Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb at the top, there are still spots to claim. While it's likely that Cedrick Wilson has already claimed one of those spots, Noah Brown looks to have grabbed the fifth one.
On Sunday night, the Dallas Cowboys hosted “Cowboys Night,” a season preview into the team while they held a practice at AT&T Stadium. Though there wasn't much football to see as the team attempted to keep football shots to a minimum, they did release this clip via their Twitter account.
QB throws 🏈 to WR for a touchdown 🙌😬 #nonumbers | #CowboysCamp pic.twitter.com/wsLiB28vTy
Though there aren't numbers or names on the jerseys, Noah Brown confirmed that this was him catching the pass from Dak Prescott last night. When asked in the post-practice press conference for his thoughts on Noah Brown, here's what Head Coach Mike McCarthy had to say.
“I think he's doing a heck of a job. Obviously coming off his injury, just the things I've heard about him in the past, I'm excited for him. Anytime you see a player go through a phase of injury and battle back like he has and the potential he showed coming out. He's doing a heck of a job. I don't think there's been a practice where he hasn't jumped up and made a play. He's playing very well.”
Mike McCarthy on Noah Brown, Dallas Cowboys on Twitter
Noah Brown is heading into the fourth and final year of his contract, and though the top of the depth chart is stacked, he has an opportunity to stick to this team because he is a versatile wide receiver with size that can help on special teams. As we've seen in the past, Brown can be utilized in the running game as a blocker. He can make plays in the passing game, though those opportunities have been limited.
Brown missed all of 2019 due to injury and has positioned himself well to make the roster. Though it's the second season in a row where he's missed significant time due to injury, his experience gives him an edge over some of the younger guys during this shortened offseason and preseason. Brown has never played fewer than 10% of the offensive snaps when available. In 2018, he played 30% of the special teams' snaps.
Noah Brown is the perfect utility player to have as your fifth wide receiver on the roster. He can play on the outside or in the “big slot” role. They can use him in the running game as a blocker, and he's proven to be an effective special teams player. That versatility and his production in training camp have more than likely secured him a spot on the Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster out of training camp.
