5 open questions before the Cowboys’ final preseason game
There are still plenty of roster questions for the Cowboys as they prepare for their final preseason game this weekend.
Before the team packed their bags and hopped on the plane to Oxnard to begin training camp, there were a lot of open questions about how the Cowboys’ roster would shape out. Two preseason games are now in the rear view and some of those questions have been answered. Will Tyler Guyton be ready to start at left tackle? Yes, he has had an excellent preseason at LT and looks ready to take on that role. Will the defense be able to continue to take the ball away now that Dan Quinn is gone? Yes, the defense has had five INT’s in just two preseason games. How will Markquese Bell look moving back to safety from linebacker? He looks as though the LB experience has improved his play at safety.
While many questions have been answered, there are still plenty of open questions with one final preseason game to go. The game against the Chargers on Saturday will be the final test before the team settles in and shifts focus to the regular season; a test that could have a big impact on the team’s final roster. Here five questions that have yet to be answered.
Is there room for Royce Freeman on the final 53-man roster?
The running back room is currently filled with a lot of bodies, but of course, only a handful will make it on to the final roster. Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott are pretty set as the RB1 and RB2. Hunter Luepke is likely to take up a spot as the FB. If the Cowboys choose to only keep four RBs, that leaves just one more spot. Players like Royce Freeman, Deuce Vaughn, and Malik Davis are all vying for that last roster spot.
Unfortunately for Freeman, he suffered a groin injury that sidelined him for the first preseason game. That leaves him with only two preseason games to earn that last spot. Luckily he was good to go against the Raiders and he took advantage of the reps he was given. In his seven reps, he ran for 32 yards averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
While his strength and power stood out last weekend, the Cowboys already have two strong, powerful backs in Dowdle and Elliott. Deuce Vaughn is putting up a fight for that last spot using his size and agility as differentiators that separate him from the rest of the group. This weekend, look for both of them to get plenty of chances to prove themselves in the backfield.
What is going on at defensive tackle?
Entering training camp, one of the biggest questions defensively centered around the men in the center of the defensive line. Osa Odighizuwa is clearly their best defensive tackle, but the Cowboys also appeared to be banking on Mazi Smith having a major second-year jump, as they let veteran Johnathan Hankins go in free agency.
While Smith has generally drawn positive reviews since camp kicked off, the Cowboys have very clearly indicated they’re not satisfied with the rest of the group. They traded for veteran Jordan Phillips a week ago, who later clarified he’s going to primarily play the 3 technique role (presumably as the top backup to Odighizuwa). Then, on Wednesday, they added longtime Mike Zimmer disciple Linval Joseph.
It’s expected that Joseph will slot into the nose tackle role that he’s often played before in this scheme, offering up a nice pairing with Smith. But what does this all mean for the rest of the group? Whispers suggest that the coaching staff is still satisfied with Smith, and that these moves are just to bolster the defensive tackle depth.
But rookie Justin Rogers has also received some praise during the preseason, while Albert Huggins has flashed in games despite causing a scuffle in joint practices with the Rams. This could also spell trouble for second-year pro Viliami Fehoko, a defensive end in college who’s been cross training at defensive tackle since being drafted. One way or another, the interior of this defensive line is very much in flux.
Is there a good enough answer at swing tackle?
Cowboys fans had to hold their breath Wednesday during practice when news broke that Tyler Guyton took himself out of practice and went to the locker room. Not long after, it was confirmed that Guyton was only experiencing knee soreness and everything was fine.
Still, it begs the question of what happens if the rookie - who has had the best training camp one could have hoped for - is unable to play at any point this season. At the start of camp, the clear and obvious answer was veteran Chuma Edoga, a player with plenty of experience under his belt. But Edoga himself is injured, and seems likely to start the year on the short term injured reserve.
It looks as if the answer right now is Asim Richards, the Cowboys’ fifth-round pick from a year ago. Richards stepped in for Guyton at left tackle during practice, indicating his spot in the pecking order. Richards did see 27 of his 39 offensive snaps last year at left tackle, but he’s almost exclusively played at left guard so far in preseason games this year.
Would the Cowboys feel confident with Richards, himself a young and inexperienced player, being the primary backup for a rookie left tackle? Could Josh Ball, who exclusively played at left tackle against the Raiders, figure into the plan? Or might the Cowboys look at other players around the league during cutdowns for a potential solution? This final preseason game may loom large in making that decision.
How does the tight end room look after cuts?
The Cowboys pretty much know who their top two tight ends will be at this point - Jake Ferguson is the entrenched starter, and it’s far too early to give up on Luke Schoonmaker - but beyond that is one big question mark. Peyton Hendershot has made the roster each of the last two years, but many considered him in danger entering training camp. Hendershot, like Ferguson, hasn’t taken a single preseason snap thus far. Does that mean he’s safe?
Last year, John Stephens Jr. appeared to be a roster lock before a season-ending injury. This year, Stephen bulked up but hasn’t had the same kind of head-turning performance thus far. Undrafted rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford received the highest guaranteed money total of all the Cowboys’ undrafted free agents, but he’s mostly been quiet through the preseason too. Alec Holler and Princeton Fant have flashed more, though neither of them are considered likely to make the roster.
Then there’s fullback Hunter Luepke. The versatile player frequently worked as an additional tight end last year, offering position flex and potentially resulting in the team going lighter at the tight end spot. How many tight ends will Dallas actually keep, and who will join Ferguson and Schoonmaker in that room? This last game could be the deciding factor in answering those questions.
Will Cooper Beebe earn that starting center spot for Week 1?
When Cooper Beebe was drafted in the third round, there were high hopes that he would be able to take over the starting center role. However, there were also tempered expectations regarding when that time would come. He is a rookie and needed to transition from playing guard, which takes time and practice.
This preseason however, Beebe has shown that he is a lot closer to a starting-caliber center than we thought. While his strength and aggressiveness has always stood out in his play, there is a lot more to playing center than just that. Clean snaps, communication, and reading defenses are all aspects that he needed to work on.
In just a short amount of time, he has earned more and more snaps with the starting offense in practice. There isn’t really any doubt that he will eventually become the starter for the Cowboys. But will he be able to officially earn that spot heading into Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns? Depending on how he plays this weekend, it is looking like a real possibility.
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