6 high-key questions Cowboys must answer vs Chargers on Saturday night
The Dallas Cowboys have a ton of question marks heading into the season. With the second of three preseason matchups happening on Saturday night, they must get some answers from the players on their roster. If those answers come back in the negative, then Stephen Jones and the front office will need to formalize alternative plans.
That is, of course, of they are truly all in on the 2022 season, something we’ve posited on several occasions may not entirely be the case. Here’s a look at several areas where questions remain, that will need at least some hints at solutions to arise out of their exhibition game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Who is the team trying to hide so they can be cut and make it to the practice squad?
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Fans often wring their hands over how clubs release young prospects who they’ve adopted as their pet cats over the years. The fear is that if any of the other 31 clubs is as enamored with a player’s potential as that fan is, they’d swoop in and claim the rookie contract on waivers.
That does happen, but hardly as much as fans worry about. However that doesn’t mean that teams aren’t cautious. Often times a team knows it has a prospect who could become something down the line even if not ready to contribute right away. They have two options.
Nowadays, some teams in some situations find a reason to place said player on injured reserve. It rules them out for the entire year (when done before cuts) but it keeps them with the organization. The other method is riskier; the club doesn’t showcase them in the final two preseason games, where they could have been getting meaningful developmental reps.
The thought is that teams scour the film of the last two preseason games for players at positions where they feel they are weak. Hiding their own players is an attempt to keep them from getting discovered.
Truthfully, most clubs have enough of their own young guys with potential they wouldn’t look to other team’s rosters for that WR6 or WR7, but all it takes is one lower-level club with an opportunity that could mean the difference in several hundred thousand dollars for a young player, a couple grand on a practice squad salary.
Check out the snap counts after the game to see if that promising camp performance led to a lot, or very few in-game snaps.
Is there a viable swing tackle?
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While news hit that fifth-round rookie Matt Waletzko might not need season-ending shoulder surgery, that doesn’t mean the Cowboys don’t have concerns for the tackle position.
Josh Ball had a hideous game against Denver, which Mike McCarthy tried to explain away as a function of being in for a crazy load of work between last Thursday’s joint practice and the game, all in high altitude.
OK, then Ball should show up much cleaner against the Chargers this week. Behind him are Aviante Collins. Amon Simon and Isaac Alarcon. The latter just shifted back to tackle in the last two weeks after being a guard for the last two years.
If there’s no solution there, Dallas has to be heavily considering finding a vet tackle on the open market to backup Tyron Smith and Terence Steele.
How many corners are worthy of making the 53-man roster
(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Fresno State’s DaRon Bland has been a name on everyone’s lips for the last two weeks. Nahshon Wright disappointed in the game against Denver after having a strong camp until that point.
The Cowboys’ top three positions are locked in; nobody is unseating Anthony Brown at CB2 and while Jourdan Lewis hurt his hamstring recently, he’s the starting slot when healthy. Trevon Diggs is Trevon Diggs.
So how many corners make the 53? Saturday night will go a long way in that determination. The man not yet mentioned is 2021 second-round pick Kelvin Joseph, who has had a bad offseason which has turned in to a bad training camp. But can Dallas really be on the verge of cutting him as some rumbles suggest? My take… no.
Let's keep it a buck for a sec…
if Joseph wasn't the shooter I don't care how bad of a camp he's having, it'd be dumb to cut him.
Carry 6. He's dealt with a lot, and yes it's mostly of his own doing, but his head's likely swimming. U already made the investment knowing risk.
— KD Drummond (@KDDrummondNFL) August 19, 2022
This doesn’t even include special teams star CJ Goodwin, who by definition is a corner, making the count as high as seven.
Are the veteran DEs worth their salary/spot on the roster?
Who do you think played better last night, Dante Fowler or Tarell Basham?
I have a feeling both don't make the 53…
— KD Drummond (@KDDrummondNFL) August 14, 2022
The answer was Fowler, but the conversation continues. Do the Cowboys have a need for six DEs that doesn’t include Micah Parsons? Dallas has DeMarcus Lawrence and Dorance Armstrong as their starters, with Chauncey Golston and Sam Williams as Day 2 draft picks from the last two drafts. Are Fowler and Basham (who play on opposite sides) competing for one spot because Dallas needs the numbers at another position, like corner? Or do both make the club?
Both guys had bone-headed penalties in the game last week against Denver that infuriated head coach Mike McCarthy. Saturday night will be interesting to see if either stand out for positive, or negative reasons.
Who could emerge as potential trade bait?
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Trades are becoming more en vogue in the NFL, so players are not just trying to impress the Cowboys’ coaching staff on the field. They are auditioning for the other 31 teams, both if they eventually get released but also as potential trade bait.
The Cowboys have two such players who come to mind in Trysten Hill and Kelvin Joseph. Both second-round picks may be on the block for different reasons.
However, it’s not often that it’s the bigger name guys who get shipped. Lower tier players could also bring back something in return; a draft pick or a player at another position. Most recently Dallas sent off corner Charvarious Ward, who at the time was CB8 on their depth chart. The Cowboys got back an OL player named Parker Ehringer, who never played a down for them while Ward became an integral corner for a Super Bowl champion in Kansas City.
Hopefully, if the Cowboys make any trades over the next two weeks, they’ll be on the other end of the deal this time.
Who will win the 3rd-string RB battle?
(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Fans often think the third-string running back, or any RB competition really, is about who looks the best in between the tackles or getting to the edge. The real question is whether or not that backup is going to get the quarterback killed because of inept pass protection.
With Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas has an elite pass protector. Tony Pollard is relatively good at that part of his job as he enters his fourth season. But the battle for third-string back, especially now that Ryan Nall was released, is about more than he looks the smoothest with the rock.
Rico Dowdle, Aaron Shampklin and Malik Davis are in a fight to make the 53-man roster and it will come down to special teams prowess and pass-blocking ability more than their yards per carry.
