The other day, Staff Writer Jess Haynie gave you 3 Cowboys Making Cases for Roster Spots. It's right on the money and likely those players will make the roster. Today I'm going to bring you an opposite take. Let me apologize in advance if I mention your pet cat, but the reality is that the Dallas Cowboys have a long way to go before they make their 37 cuts on September 3rd.
Kellen Moore
With his poor play and the excellent play of Cooper Rush, Kellen Moore isn't giving Scott Linehan a lot to defend.
Linehan has been the biggest #KelMo proponent for as long as Moore has been in the league, yet there isn't a lot to go on in his NFL career.
He's 27 years old now and has only played in three games since coming into the league in 2012. All we have to go on is his preseason play, which has been average to below average.
With Cooper Rush playing well, it would not surprise me to see the front office move on for a younger quarterback to back up Dak Prescott. Similar to how the New England Patriots use the quarterback position.
When has Tom Brady ever had a veteran backup? Only after he took the job from Drew Bledsoe. Why do we feel the need for Dallas to have a veteran backup?
Byron Bell
With experience as a starter at tackle and guard, it was thought that Byron Bell could come in and compete with Jonathan Cooper or Chaz Green at either left guard or right tackle.
Now with the team 100% committed to La'el Collins at right tackle, that has left an open competition at left guard.
Byron Bell got the start on Saturday night, but failed to impress. On one drive alone he was called for two holding penalties. There were times as well that he struggled with movement to the outside on running plays.
Not a single player who has received snaps has really asserted themselves at left guard. At the moment, he still has a shot, but if he continues to play as poorly as he did against the Rams, it could be a short stint for Bell as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.
Robert Blanton
Signed in the offseason to be a veteran presence in the secondary and compete with Jeff Heath at strong safety, but Robert Blanton has been darn near invisible. He's been completely overshadowed by Heath who has started each game of the preseason along side Byron Jones and been outplayed by rookie Xavier Woods. Kavon Frazier has even been notable as an in-the-box safety and on special teams.
Once thought to be in the mix to start at strong safety, Blanton will now be fighting just to stay on the roster.
With the roster squeeze that is bound to happen by cut-down day, it's unlikely to me that the Dallas Cowboys will keep more than four safeties.
Little is decided after two preseason games, and these players have three more games to make their case for a roster spot. When it comes to the NFL and especially Jason Garrett's Dallas Cowboys, performance matters.
Moore, Bell, and Blanton will need to perform better if they want to keep a job.
