Unanswered Preseason Questions About the 2018 Dallas Cowboys
Midway through the preseason, we've learned tons about the 2018
Dallas Cowboys. Some good, like the fact that Jaylon Smith is a very
different player than last year's version of himself. And some bad, like
the team's lack of depth at quite a few positions. However, there are
questions that we haven't gotten an answer to.
There are two games left to be played, including the so-called "dress
rehearsal" week 3 game which will take place in Arlington, Texas versus
the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday night. Even thought Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and other injured players will not be on the field, there are still some important questions that we want answers to.
What does WR Cole Beasley's "new role" looks like?
All offseason we've been hearing about Cole Beasley emerging as the
team's new #1 wide receiver. Even though Michael Gallup has stolen the
show in the preseason, Dak's comments throughout the offseason point to
Beasley. There are many ways to define a WR1 in the NFL, but comments
about Cole Beasley taking a new role on this offense have been discussed
a lot among fans and analysts.
We've heard about Beasley playing on the outside more than before and
it's tough to imagine that. However, Cole is a versatile player and
could prove all doubters wrong. Since he's been dealing with a groin
injury, we haven't been able to watch him during the preseason but that
could change since he's gotten back to practice this week.
I'm sure I am not the only waiting dying to see Beasley play in a way
we haven't really seen before. Hopefully, this works out for the
offense.
Who is the Cowboys' starting TE, if any?
Blake Jarwin and Geoff Swaim have been fighting for the starting
position and even though Jarwin has seemingly getting ahead of Swaim, he
really hasn't done enough to put a final period to the tight end
position battle.
Forget about filling Jason Witten's shoes, the Cowboys do not have a
clear-cut starter for week 1 yet. Will that change? If things keep going
the way they are, I expect to see the same rotation we've seen in
August continue all the way into the regular season.
We could see one of these guys earn the starting spot at some point
over the next two weeks, though. But hey, at least we know it won't be
Rico Gathers, right?
Will WR Terrance Williams make the cut?
There are wide receivers in Dallas that deserve to be on the roster,
but will be cut because there won't be enough spots available. That's
the truth. We're bound to be disappointed about one of our many "pet
cats" in this position. Veteran Terrance Williams has experience and has
had a good training camp performance so far.
But his roster spot isn't guaranteed. There is too much young talent on the team. Many in Cowboys Nation
don't want T-Will to be one of the 53 guys on the roster, but the team
seems higher on him than most fans, including myself. He's been getting
snaps with the first-team offense and could very well be locking up a
roster spot.
I'm not buying it, yet. Williams should be fighting for his job
against the younger guys with higher upside, such as Lance Lenoir.
What's up with CB Jourdan Lewis?
One of the players Cowboys Nation has been most disappointed with is
sophomore Jourdan Lewis. After an impressive rookie performance in 2017,
the team has pushed him down to the back end of the depth chart and
we've barely seen him in the preseason.
He's struggled a bit, but has it been enough for Anthony Brown to be
getting more playing time than him? The entire Lewis situation seems
odd. Could it be that the team tries him out at safety? Or simply give
him more playing time? We might get an answer before the regular season
comes around.
Is Randy Gregory ready for primary role in week 1?
We know about his talents. We know that Randy Gregory is a defensive
end with double-digit sacks potential. But will he be ready for a
primary role when the Cowboys travel to Carolina to play the Panthers?
He definitely might. He looked fine versus the Bengals last Saturday and
didn't seem to have any conditioning issues.
This might happen. It's even more likely if Tyrone Crawford is getting time at DT due to Maliek Collin's injury and David Irving's suspension. There could be even more rotation at RDE, giving Randy Gregory the perfect chance to earn a starting role.
Unanswered Preseason Questions About the 2018 Dallas Cowboys
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