We're about one week away from cutting the roster down to 53. If you ask me, things are looking up for us.
Last year, I finally started to see enough talent on the team to make a run. And we started to do that, but then penalties killed us.
Speaking of penalties, I really didn't think that was a priority in yesterday's game. In fact, I think McCarthy is onto something when he says, "it's the preseason." Well, because it is. There's nearly 100 players out there. All the flags from the refs last week reminded me of the proverbial busy body neighborhood types.
17 flags total.
Total Karens.
That's on the refs.
But back to the point.
Here are my observations
Tight Ends
Say what you will. It's preseason, and we need to wait and see or it's too early to tell anything.
Barring injury, Jake Fergeson will play a long time in the NFL. And he will make more than one Pro Bowl. Sometimes, you can just tell when a player has it. To me, Jake Fergeson is one of those players. He's already there, and he feels comfortable playing at the NFL level.
That said, I think it's possible that Hendershot challenges unless McKeon, if we end up keeping four tight ends. And I think we may since it looks like opposing teams will see quite a bit of 12 personnel.
Tyler Smith
Tyler Smith is like Jake Fergeson. As in, the talent is obvious.
It's early. And it's his rookie year. But I think Tyler Smith is the same kind of player during his career. I can see him playing several years, and attending multiple Pro Bowls. He was simply dominating in the run game again.
That will be the Cowboys bread and butter: running and (hopefully) stopping the run.
Jalen Tolbert
Everyone is down on Tolbert. But he will be fine. I'm not going to make any certain claims about Tolbert. But I'll just say I liked what I saw last night while he was in there. I don't think you can put too much on any player in the preseason, and it'll likely be him who gets the not at #2 going into week one.
I also think he's ultimately up for the challenge.
I think several guys will compete for the 3rd spot, including Kavante Turpin.
Kevante Turpin
This should also be obvious to everyone. This guy changes the dynamic of our team. This guy helps you win games. This guy will be . . . unstoppable, at times, on kick and punt returns. I don't want to say he's the next coming of Deion Sanders, but he's the next coming of Deion Sanders in the return game.
Watch and see. This guy has what it takes. If he can somehow avoid injuries, he's going to be an effective gadget/utility guy. Great pick up by the Cowboys. I like their style, too. USFL guy, cheap contract, low risk, high reward. And, boom, the reward is there. You could see it all over McCarthy's face.
Israel Mukuamu, and Daron Bland
I liked what I saw last year from this player. And I like what I'm seeing this year. I think you have to keep he and Bland, and I think you also have to find ways to get them on the field. With both players, you can plug them in and not lose much. Both solid players, who could end up starting.
Dante Fowler and Trysten Hill
I've heard a lot of talk about cutting Hill and Fowler, but the Cowboys have no business doing that. And I don't see the Cowboys doing it either. Fowler has been a force out there. And I don't see what people are complaining about with Trysten Hill. When he's out there, he's doing just fine.
Will Grier
Cooper Rush stepped it up several notches for the preseason game. But Grier showed why he'll win the #2 spot, which makes me feel a lot better than rolling with Cooper rush. He throws a nice ball. Not quite like DiNucci, but he plays under pressure. And to me, when I look at quarterbacks, I'm peaking at things like their mentality from pre-snap, in the huddle, and under pressure. If a player can play under pressure with the right mentality, then that's what I'm looking for. Grier has that, more so than Rush and DiNucci.
Malik Davis
I liked Malik Davis last week. But I liked Shampklin slightly better in that game. Against the Chargers, I think Malik Davis has already earned the number 3 spot. You could start that guy, and have success behind our line. His running style is strong, he has a deceptively fast burst despite his 4.7 40 time.
If Zeke gets the same injury he had last year, just sit him, and give me Malik Davis. I'm smitten over this player. And he's a big reason why I like our chances at success this year. Because we're not dependent on Zeke. He's easily the 3rd best back on the team.
Final Roster
I'm interested to see how the Cowboys play the 53. And people can talk about how the Cowboys lack talent all they want. we've got depth at almost every position.
The one thing I've been critical of the Cowboys recently has been Dak's success against winning teams. Dak Prescott is your proverbial bus driver type of quarterback. To win, he has to have a good team around him. And I think the Cowboys have quietly assembled a nice team in 2022.
As a fan, I've watched this team for around 30 years. And I like our chances this year as good as any other year I've seen. The Cowboys are a strong team this year, talent wise. It will be up to them to get it done.
And I think McCarthy is just the kind of coach who can help Dak steer the bus in the right direction. We're an improved team from last year on defense, and special teams, and quite likely on offense as well. The additions of Tyler Smith and Ferguson via the draft really help the offense.
As unlikely as it would seem, I think our rookies increase our chances of a successful 2022.
