Cowboys Make Final Cuts

The 2008 NFL season is finally here. Training camp is over, the pre-season games have been played and the teams are set to begin the new season of pro football. Yesterday, the Dallas Cowboys made their final cuts -- including some minor surprises.

I had figured the Cowboys were going to keep six wide receivers -- especially since three of their top five receivers are currently injured. Miles Austin, Sam Hurd and Isaiah Stanback are currently nursing minor injuries, although Stanback may possibly be ready by the season opener. I thought surely they would keep a sixth receiver with this many injuries.

I was wrong. After the Cowboys made the necessary cuts to get the squad down to 53, they had only kept five receivers -- Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, Sam Hurd and Isaiah Stanback. Danny Amendola, Mike Jefferson, Mark Bradford and Todd Lowber were all cut. Bradford had never seemed to be in the mix and Lowber was considered a project, but Amendola and Jefferson had been seen as fighting it out for the sixth receiver position.

It's possible that the Cowboys are watching the waiver wire with the idea of picking up a sixth receiver, or maybe considering a trade for another receiver. It's also possible that they don't think they need a sixth. After all, they have good receivers in tight end Jason Whitten and running back Felix Jones. Maybe they're satisfied with the offensive weapons they have.

The Cowboys also decided to go with only two quarterbacks -- Tony Romo and Brad Johnson. Third-stringer Richard Bartel was cut. One of this year's draftees was also cut -- linebacker Eric Walden. Here is a list of the players that were cut on Saturday:

WR Danny Amendola
TE Drew Atchison
NT Remi Ayodele
QB Richard Bartel
WR Mark Bradford
RB Alonzo Coleman
FB Julius Crosslin
S Dowayne Davis
DE Marcus Dixon
LB Tearrius George
T Ryan Gibbons
TE Rodney Hannah
WR Mike Jefferson
RB Keon Lattimore
T Cory Lekkerkerker
WR Todd Lowber
LB Darrell Robertson
NT Junior Siavii
DE Marcus Smith
LB Tyson Smith
LB Erik Walden

It is possible that some of these players will be signed for the practice squad if they clear waivers without being picked up by another team. But for now, the team is set. The first game will be on September 7th (3:15pm) in Cleveland against the Browns. This is a year of high expectations for the Cowboys, but expectations don't win games. We'll just have to take it one game at a time and hope for the best.

Cleveland is up first, and right now that's the only game that matters.