Cowboys Next Move: WR Tyler Johnson & 5 Cut Players Worth Dallas Signing
The Dallas Cowboys unveiled their original 53-man roster for the 2022 season on Tuesday, but it's still likely a few tinkers away from the group that will take the field on Sept. 11 against Tampa Bay.
A blizzard of roster moves blanketed the NFL's transaction log this week, as hundreds of players, either by necessity or skill, were banished to the free agent ledgers thanks to the league's mandated cutdown to 53 men. While many are indeed faced with their professional dreams coming to an end, others will be scooped up by new employers more than willing to adjust their original 53.
Dallas is no exception: the Cowboys engaged in some curious moves on Tuesday (i.e. releasing all three of their backup quarterbacks and their sole specialists with the intention of bringing some, if not all, back) but could be further intrigued by some of the talents their rivals chose to leave behind.
Is there anyone in particular? CowboysSI.com investigates ...
OL Blake Hance, Cleveland
For the time being, Dallas is opting to throw first-round pick Tyler Smith into the proverbial fire of Week 1 starterhood, taking over for the injured Tyron Smith. Jerry Jones confirmed as much earlier this week, claiming it was "safe to say" that the younger, unrelated Smith would enter the starting five. That still hasn't stopped Dallas from nonetheless seeking help in protection: the team was reportedly interested in another Tuesday departure, Chuma Edoga of the New York Jets, before trade plans fell through.
The Cowboys still enter the season with a reasonably formidable starting front (Smith joining Tyler Biadasz, Zack Martin, Connor McGovern, and Terence Steele) but they could use some depth to help out considering medical disaster has already befallen one of their staples. Tuesday saw several notable blocking prospects hit the market (i.e. Las Vegas' 2021 first-rounder Alex Leatherwood, the Jets’ Chuma Edoga and the Lions’ Kendall Lamb) but someone like Hance could be a young, versatile veteran that could fill in whatever needs the Cowboys have on their line.
Hance is already used to filling in during a tight situation, doing so during the Browns' playoff run in January 2021, stepping up when injuries ate up the offensive line during their Wild Card win in Pittsburgh.
S Anthony Harris, Philadelphia
The Cowboys' defense stands as a trendy fantasy pick in part for its ability to create turnovers. Having lost some of its secondary depth options behind Trevon Diggs this offseason (i.e. Damontae Kazee, Reggie Robinson), they could use some veteran assistance to complement youngsters like DaRon Bland, Nahshon Wright, and Markquese Bell.
A ballhawk like Harris would work well with what Dallas has established. He tied for the league lead in interceptions in 2019 and started 15 games for the Eagles last season (earning 13 tackles in their playoff cameo in Tampa Bay). Harris was partly made expendable by the Eagles' curious trade for Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Could revenge await with a division rival?
WR Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay
Little more needs to be written or said about the Cowboys' issues at receiver. While some fringe candidates earned a spot this summer (Simi Fehoko, KaVontae Turpin, tight end Peyton Hendershot), there's no doubt they could some help on the late veteran free agent front, especially if the plan is to hold Michael Gallup out of the early portions of the season.
Enter Johnson, one of the surprise departures from the Buccaneers. It was easy to lose his name on a depth chart packed with elite talent but Johnson produced some big plays in the Tampa Tom Brady era. Johnson further impressed while Brady was on his summer sabbatical, leading the Bucs with 133 yards on 11 receptions in their preseason trio. He'd be a welcome addition packed with big-play potential to the Dallas lineup, especially in a dangerous early stretch that opens with a Sunday night tilt against his former employers.
QB Chris Streveler, NY Jets
Streveler's metropolitan departure perhaps perfectly defined the cutthroat world of being a "camp body" in the NFL preseason: a nearly perfect summer (124.0 passer rating, three game-winning drives) wasn't enough to beat out Halloween hero Mike White on the Jets' roster, putting him back on the free agent market as soon as the final seconds of the summer ticked away.
Call it recency bias for the Cowboys to potentially solve their (backup) quarterback conundrum by requesting Steveler's services (provided they don't immediately welcome back Rush or Will Grier once the roster dust clears), but one thing Dallas sorely lacked in their recent backups has been victorious experience.
Andy Dalton (and AAF legend Garrett Gilbert, for that matter) proved to be a welcome exception when Dak Prescott went down in 2020, but his prior understudies (i.e. White, Rush) were woefully low on experience. Streveler's NFL resume does leave something to be desired (25 tosses between two years in Arizona) but he's had some success up north: Streveler tied for the Canadian Football League lead in rushing touchdowns in 2019, two years after he led the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to the Grey Cup title.
LB Kemoko Turay, San Francisco
Having retained and then lost Randy Gregory, the Cowboys had to work on their edge game this offseason. The team was able to bring in Dante Fowler and there are high hopes for second-round rookie Sam Williams. Signing Anthony Barr could also allow Micah Parsons to take a more active role, but the team certainly wouldn't say no to a little more experience to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.
Enter, perhaps, the services of Turay, who spent his first four seasons in Indianapolis before joining San Francisco on an ill-fated one-year deal. While he struggled to maintain a consistent prescience in the Colts' rotation, he has shown an ability to generate pressure through 29 quarterback rushes and 12 sacks (including a career-best 5.5 in the latter category last season. As the Cowboys try to enter a new era of pass rushing, having an experienced name like Turay could help soothe the learning curve for Parsons and Williams.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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