Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys: 5 Non-Starters To Watch Week 1
Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys: 5 Non-Starters To Watch Week 1

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

Looking at the non-starters for the Dallas Cowboys that could make an impact in Week 1 and beyond

The 53-man roster of the Dallas Cowboys seems to be set, with maybe a few changes here and there before the kickoff of their 2016 season this Sunday against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. That said only 22 will be starters on offense and defense, so who else will make an impact?

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The Dallas Cowboys having two starters from the 2015 season not in the lineup due to injuries in Tony Romo and Darren McFadden. That gives others on the roster an opportunity to take their spots on the game day roster and, more importantly, moves players from those positions up a level on the depth chart.

However, there are many players on the Cowboys’ roster who don’t start on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, but will still have an impact on the game in some way, shape, or form. There could be players entering game due to an unforeseen injury or they could make a great play on the special teams.

Non-starters will make a difference in the Cowboys’ season opener this coming Sunday when they host the New York Giants. Here are five such players to watch in the season opener as the Cowboys look to be a better team than they were one season ago.

Aug 19, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Lucky Whitehead (13) and wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) joke with running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) on the sideline during the second half of the game against the Miami Dolphins at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys defeat the Dolphins 41-14. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

5. Lucky Whitehead, Wide Receiver/Special Teams

This preseason, Lucky Whitehead earned his spot on the roster for his special teams abilities more so than his abilities as a wide receiver. Sure, Whitehead provides the depth needed by the Cowboys at wide receiver, but he also played relatively well for Dallas on special teams.

Remember, he did have the kickoff return of 101 yards for a touchdown at the start of the preseason against the Los Angeles Rams. In the second preseason game, he had a punt return of 16 yards. And in the third preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, Whitehead had two punt returns for 18 yards in addition to one kickoff return for 24 yards. 

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Whitehead also caught passes in three of the four preseason games, totaling four receptions for 43 yards. His best catch was an 18-yard gain against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2 of the preseason.

The Cowboys have a nice secret weapon of sorts with Whitehead when it comes to his speed on the special teams. Offensively, he doesn’t get a lot of hype, possibly due to the fact he had just six receptions for 16 yards in 2015.

This season should see Whitehead have more improved stats on the special teams return game if his preseason is any indication of that. In 15 games with the Cowboys last season, Whitehead had 19 punt returns for 110 yards. On kickoff returns he totaled 452 yards on 16 returns, with his longest return going for 79 yards.

Whitehead could provide the Cowboys a good spot with his kickoff return abilities. Come Week 1 this Sunday against the Giants, it would be a great time to showcase how much he’s improved his play over the past offseason.

Aug 19, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Cedric Thornton (92) returns a recovered fumble against the Miami Dolphins during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

4. Cedric Thornton, Defensive Tackle

He was one of the top free agent signings this offseason for the Cowboys. Though it doesn’t look like he’s going to be a starter for this team, Cedric Thornton will get his reps in Week 1, and with that, he’ll make an impact on this game.

I liked the signing of Thornton since it occurred and his preseason saw him total four tackles, including two vs. the Houston Texans in the preseason finale. He also had a tackle against the Rams and the Seahawks.

Thornton played for the Philadelphia Eagles last season, but as David Moore of SportsDay wrote this past week, Thornton will most likely be a backup since he played in the preseason finale:

His appearance is a clear indication that Terrell McClain has won the starting defensive tackle job at the one-technique and that Thornton isn’t as advanced in his understanding of the scheme.“

That’s fine for a player like Thornton as the Cowboys will use a rotation of players on their defensive line. Perhaps Thornton can earn the starter’s job the more he understands the defensive scheme of the Cowboys as we get into the heart of the regular season.

Let’s be honest, the Cowboys are going to need all hands on deck when it comes to having success on the defensive side of the ball this season. It is a weak point for this franchise and it hasn’t had much positive consistency in years. Thus, Thornton can still make an impact with this team from the defensive tackle spot, even if he’s not getting the most snaps during a game.

Dec 28, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed (86) has his helmet ripped of by Dallas Cowboys strong safety Jeff Heath (38) while running with the ball in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. The Cowboys won 44-17. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

3. Jeff Heath, Safety

Last season, Jeff Heath did a decent job in the secondary for the Dallas Cowboys. In fact, he led the team in interceptions and made a good enough name for himself that it helped him earn a roster spot for this season.

Heath can also be used as a blocker on special teams and can play in various formations. He may not be the best defensive back on the roster, but he plays tough. Heath dealt with concussion issues the first two weeks of the preseason, but did get to play in the final two preseason games. In those two final games, Heath totaled two tackles and got some playing time that can only help him in Week 1.

The Cowboys must think a lot of Heath as they signed him to a four-year deal this offseason, and he’s coming off a year where he totaled 25 tackles, forced two fumbles and had two interceptions.

Heath is a good depth player to have on the roster. He’s proven he can play solid football in the NFL. If teammates stay healthy, he won’t be on the field as much as last season, but he still should be able to contribute in a solid fashion for the Cowboys.

With the wide receivers the Giants will bring to Arlington for Week 1, Heath will most likely be relied upon in some fashion in the season opener. And now it will be time to see if he can produce for a second consecutive season with the Cowboys.

Aug 19, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Alfred Morris (46) runs against the Miami Dolphins during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

2. Alfred Morris, Running Back

All indications seem to point to Ezekiel Elliott being the starting running back of the Dallas Cowboys his rookie season. Subsequently, that leaves the Cowboys having a solid veteran backup in Alfred Morris able to make plays as well.

Morris came over as a free agent after playing four seasons with the Washington Redskins, with three of those seasons being 1,000-plus rushing yardage years. Morris had a pretty good preseason and seems to fit well within the Cowboys’ running back system.

With Darren McFadden (he rushed for over 1,000 yards last season with the Cowboys) out for at least six weeks, Morris has taken over the veteran running back role perfectly. Morris shared time in his final season with the Redskins last season when Matt Jones joined the team. It stands to reason that should help better prepare him for that same role this season with Elliott.

Morris proved in the preseason he can still play at a pretty high level. This preseason, he carried the football 21 times for 113 yards, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. He even scored one touchdown and had a 20-yard run. Morris will get some snaps against the Giants as well in the first week of the regular season, which is great because he’s faced them many times in the past as a member of the Redskins in NFC East matchups.

Though Morris isn’t the star of the Cowboys rushing attack, he will still be a player to keep a close eye on. After all, he does still have the abilities to make a difference and gain positive yardage when needed in tough situations.

Aug 25, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) looks to pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Dallas, 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

1. Dak Prescott, Quarterback

We all know Dak Prescott is the “official starting quarterback” of the Cowboys for the foreseeable future. But he is still the backup to Tony Romo once Romo gets healthy again. This will be Prescott’s first NFL game and start in Week 1 of the regular season. Though his preseason was outstanding, there is still a lot of raw talent with Prescott. And we all know the “plain” defenses he faced in the preseason won’t be like anything he’ll face in Week 1 against the Giants.

This preseason, Prescott passed for 454 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions in three games for the Cowboys. He sparked the Cowboys’ offense each time he took the field and seemed to play well with the likes of Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, which he’ll have to do this Sunday as well for the offense to be a success.

Prescott is still a rookie though, and he’s being thrown into the fire. It will be up to his play and the play-calling of the Cowboys to see how quickly his success will come. The question is how will the Cowboys use him? Will they make him a game manager and just make smart throws while handing off the football a lot? Or will they let him air out the football like his did this preseason and see just how good he is?

My thought is the Cowboys will ease him into this game against the Giants, but will look to catch New York off guard and let Prescott air the football out and challenge the secondary of the Giants, who have talent, but aren’t the most veteran group either.

All eyes will be on the rookie quarterback who should be backing up Romo in this game, but that isn’t how things turned out. So now Prescott is a must-watch non-starter starting Week 1 at quarterback…which somehow makes sense.

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