Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys: 6 Players From March Madness Sweet 16 Schools On Roster

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:19 p.m. ET

Fansided, Stephen Forsha/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

Which current members of the Dallas Cowboys roster are invested in 2017 March Madness still as they attended one of the colleges in the Sweet 16.

Dallas Cowboys football and the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament don't really belong in the same sentence. But with this being March Madness and the NFL offseason, it's time to have some fun and see which players on the Cowboys roster have a more personal interest in the Sweet 16 starting this upcoming Thursday.

Specifically, we'll be looking at the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament the players on Dallas' roster that attended one of those schools. Some of the Cowboys players listed will see their teams face each other in the Sweet 16, including on Friday when Wisconsin plays Florida, while Baylor will face South Carolina.

The Cowboys have a variety of players at different skill levels and ultimately degrees of importance to the team as a whole, but moving ahead to the 2017 NFL season, where do each of the above players stand? As for their colleges, can any of them win the NCAA National Championship and gain bragging rights for any of the aforementioned players?

Jan 15, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrance Williams (83) stiff arms against Green Bay Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (21) in the NFC Divisional playoff game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Terrance Williams and Rico Gathers — Baylor

Terrance Williams just re-signed a new four-year contract to stay with the Cowboys. Meanwhile, Rico Gathers is a former collegiate basketball player at Baylor who is still transitioning to make himself a member of the 53-man roster for the Cowboys.

Gathers played in 141 collegiate basketball games for Baylor (and also has played in the NCAA Tournament), averaging 8.6 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game. His athleticism led him away from the basketball court following his career being complete at Baylor and has turned into him working on being a tight end for the Cowboys.

More from NFL Spin Zone

The tight end signed a futures deal this offseason with the Cowboys, as he played on the practice squad this past season when the Cowboys went 13-3 and won the NFC East championship. At 6-6 and weighing in at 290 pounds, Gathers has the frame and build to be a tight end in the NFL, but he still has to work to become a player the Cowboys can use in a game.

Watching Gathers' progression from the first year to second year will be very exciting because, if Gathers can make himself into a productive tight end, the Cowboys might have finally found the tight end they've been looking for to eventually replace Jason Witten when he decides to retire.

As for Williams, the Cowboys believe in the wide receiver, signing him to a four-year deal this offseason for $17 million, with $9.5 million guaranteed.

Williams will battle to stay the No. 2 wide receiver this offseason, and the job will most likely remain his. This past season, he finished with 44 receptions for 594 yards and four touchdowns. For his career, Williams has 177 receptions for 2,791 yards and 20 touchdowns.

As for their No. 3 seeded Baylor Bears, they will play on Friday, March 24 vs. No. 7 South Carolina. Baylor is a three-point favorite to defeat South Carolina.

Aug 25, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Chaz Green (79) defends against Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cassius Marsh (91) during a NFL football game at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks defeated the Cowboys 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Chaz Green — Florida

Since being drafted in the third round (91st overall) by the Cowboys out of the University of Florida, Chaz Green hasn't seen the playing field much, has suffered injuries, but still has a chance to become an excellent player.

Green should get a chance to play on the starting offensive line for the Cowboys, especially with Doug Free retiring from right tackle and Ronald Leary leaving via free agency to the Denver Broncos.

Green has talent, and if he recovers from all that ailed him last season, he should get an excellent opportunity to become a starter for the Cowboys. Coming out of Florida in 2015, Mike Mayock of NFL.com wrote how Green could one day start on the right side of an offensive line, saying the following:

This is an interesting pick. He played right tackle. The more I watched D.J. Humphries, the more I appreciated Chaz Green. He has a chance to start on the right side.

Entering his third season, this is the best chance for Green to become and stay a full-time starter with the Cowboys offense line, an O-line that is already one of the absolute best in the entire NFL.

Now for Green's Gators, they will be facing Travis Frederick's Wisconsin Badgers this Friday. They are favored by 1.5 points vs. Wisconsin in the Sweet 16.

Nov 24, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Anthony Brown (30) tackles Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed (86) during the game at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys defeat the Redskins 31-26. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Brown — Purdue

One of the better surprises of the 2016 NFL Draft for the Cowboys was sixth-round pick Anthony Brown from Purdue as the 189th pick last year. Brown played well for a rookie in 2016 with 55 total tackles, one forced fumble and one interception.

His lone interception came in a rare loss for the Cowboys in Week 14 against the New York Giants and Eli Manning. Brown had a forced fumble against the Green Bay Packers, and in that game, he also had his career-high in tackles with 11. Brown showed he can be a solid piece of the Cowboys defensive backfield and give them some nice depth along the way as he continue to progress in his NFL career.

This upcoming season he has the ability to maybe not be a starter, but he can play in certain game situations, plus give the Cowboys the depth they will need, especially now with the loss of Brandon Carr, Barry Church and Morris Claiborne in the defensive backfield.

The Cowboys did add Nolan Carroll via free agency, but with Brown, his second season shouldn't surprise many. He doesn't need to be a superstar in the league, but he does need to keep being a solid player, especially since he made 10 starts in '16.

Now for the college Brown attended in the NCAA Tournament, Purdue enters the Sweet 16 as a +5 underdog to Kansas for their game on Thursday night. They are playing the underdog role on a big stage, just like Brown does in the NFL each Sunday as a sixth-round selection.

Sep 1, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Shaquelle Evans (84) scores a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Shaquelle Evans — UCLA

Shaquelle Evans has yet to play a snap in the NFL, but this former three-year wide receiver at UCLA (2011-13) just signed a reserve/futures contract this year with the Cowboys.

While at UCLA, Evans totaled 126 receptions for 1,895 yards with 14 touchdowns. The wide receiver also averaged 14.7 yards per reception for his entire four-year collegiate career (he played his first season at Notre Dame). In his three seasons at UCLA, Evans averaged 16.3 yards per reception his sophomore season (309 yards), followed by 14.6 as a junior (877 yards) and 15.1 in his senior campaign (709 yards).

What is it about Evans that has held him back in the NFL since leaving UCLA following his senior season in 2013? He ran a 4.51 at the combine in 2014, plus was a two-time honorable mention for the All-Pac-12 team. At one time, Evans was projected to be a four-to-fifth-round selection, but that didn't occur.

The 6-1 Evans will never be a every-down wide receiver for the Cowboys, but maybe he can work his way to be a possession receiver in certain game situations. It will be an uphill battle for him to make the final 53-man roster this offseason.

As for his former school in the NCAA Tournament, the Bruins of UCLA are a one-point favorite over Kentucky this upcoming Friday, meaning this current Cowboys wide receiver could be a bit nervous while watching the Sweet 16.

Nov 20, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys center Travis Frederick (72) blocks against Baltimore Ravens nose tackle Brandon Williams (98) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Travis Frederick — Wisconsin

One of the top draft choices in the past few seasons for the Cowboys in the first round, the Cowboys have seen great rewards from former Wisconsin offensive lineman Travis Frederick at center.

Through four seasons starting for the Cowboys, Frederick hasn't missed a single start, playing in 64 career games in the regular season, plus making starts in the playoffs. Even the past two seasons, Frederick has at least one fumble recovery and has blocked for two different running backs—DeMarco Murray and Ezekiel Elliott—during his relatively short NFL career thus far.

Frederick has also been a three-time Associated Press All-Pro, including being named to the first-team in 2016, as he was also named to the All-Pro first-teams by the Pro Football Writers and Pro Football Focus.

Frederick is the glue that keeps the Cowboys offensive line going, and the unique aspect for Frederick is the fact he's only entering his fifth NFL season and we've not even seen his best overall play yet. Frederick is a major piece of the Cowboys' fifth-ranked total offense.

Playing at Wisconsin and in the Big Ten had to be a big help for Frederick entering the NFL, as that conference is known for its hard-nosed style of football. As for the basketball program, Frederick's Badgers are 1.5-point underdogs to Florida this Friday.