IRVING, Texas – In configuring Sunday’s 46-man roster at Cincinnati, coach Jason Garrett will have to take into account injury and scheme.
Can the Cowboys have all six wide receivers active? Can they have all five running backs active? How about all of the healthy defensive backs?
From the looks of it in practice this week Jay Ratliff will not play, and Orlando Scandrick and Charlie Peprah are out. New tackle Darrion Weems will also be inactive because he doesn’t know what’s going on yet. Nate Livings has a knee injury that could keep him out, which could mean the Cowboys go with eight offensive linemen again with Kevin Kowalski and David Arkin manning the final spot.
Cornerback Vince Agnew hasn’t earned the trust to play that much yet, but Sterling Moore, who joined the team a week ago, has. Can the Cowboys only carry four cornerbacks? Linebacker Brady Poppinga wasn’t active last week but he could be called up this week, especially for a special teams’ role.
Can you take up 13 percent of the roster with six receivers? It’s difficult, but Anthony Armstrong can help in the return game and cover some kicks. You don’t get coverage help from Kevin Ogletree or Cole Beasley, so maybe one of them could be down this week.
Here’s the guess on the inactives: Scandrick, Ratliff, Weems, Agnew, Arkin, Peprah and Livings or Kowalski depending on Livings’ health.
