Cowboys Country

Cowboys QB Reveals 2 Surprise 53-Man Roster Candidates

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Will Grier believes receivers Jalen Cropper and Dennis Houston deserve a spot on the roster

Jon Alfano

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As the regular season gets closer and closer for the Dallas Cowboys, some tough decisions loom as well.

Namely, the Cowboys have to trim down their current roster of around 90 players down to 53, like every other team - with August 29 as the Cutdown Day. Some positions will be very tough to narrow down ... perhaps none more so than receiver.

Currently, the Cowboys 13 receivers on the roster. CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup are essentially locks, while Jalen Tolbert and Kavonte Turpin have very strong cases as well. For other receivers to make the roster, they will have to separate themselves in some way.

According to third-string quarterback Will Grier, a pair of young receivers have done just that.

“I think Jalen Cropper’s done a great job making plays,” Grier said. “Dennis Houston’s a consistent guy every day: gets separation.”

Cropper signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent earlier this offseason. In his senior season at Fresno State, he had 83 receptions for 1,086 yards and five touchdowns, earning first-team All-Mountain West Honors. Cropper has caught the attention of Cowboys fans with a few big plays in practice, including one where beat all-pro cornerback Trevon Diggs for a touchdown.

On the other hand, Houston is entering his second season with the Cowboys after signing as an undrafted free agent last year. He spent most of last season on the practice squad, but appeared in two games and had two catches for 16 yards. In his final season at Western Illinois, Houston caught 90 passes for 1,015 yards and six touchdowns.

The Cowboys close out the preseason against the Las Vegas Raiders before roster cuts take place on Tuesday. ... with COO Stephen Jones saying cutting this deep roster might be the toughest such task in the Jones era.

Cropper and Houston are still vying for roster spots ... and the numbers say they are about to be on the outside looking in. But having one of their quarterback's support is a strong vote of confidence.

You can find Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News

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Jon Alfano
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