FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys' preseason finale is upon us, as they prepare to face the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium before the regular season begins.
Friday night, jobs will be won and lost, and players have their last opportunity to show that they belong on Dallas' 53-man roster, which must be decided by Sunday evening.
Before the preseason comes to a close, our staff writers made their picks for who they'll be keeping an eye on:
Sam Williams: With the addition of Von Miller in the outside linebacker room, a spot on the roster is taken up. That pushes players like Williams to the bubble, and he'll need to continue stacking good performances to make sure he's on the right side of it. Williams helped himself last week with a sack, and will need similar production plus a good showing on special teams to continue helping himself. Williams made some splash plays on special teams last year, but is that enough to pass a player at his position like Marist Liufau? – (Tommy Yarrish)
Phil Mafah: It was a quiet first preseason outing for Mafah, with Malik Davis and Jaydon Blue making the most waves. The same was mostly true in the follow-up against the Cardinals, until Mafah showed the burst to score a late-game touchdown that reminded everyone he deserves to be in the conversation for RB2/RB3. If he wants to stay in it, however, a great showing against the Saints will be mandatory. The potential for Mafah to make the roster is real, he just needs to make that a reality. - (Patrik Walker)
Anthony Smith – Games like this are made for the Anthony Smith-types of the world. I'm old enough to remember guys like Reggie Swinton, Stephen McGee and even Hunter Luepke a few years ago who all made the team based off the preseason finale. Smith might have a tougher road ahead of him because of the likes of Camden Brown and Jonathan Mingo who are battling for fifth and sixth on the depth chart. But Smith has something that most of the receivers can't match and that's track-speed. Smith needs a big game Friday and don't be surprised if he gets plenty of chances to shine. - ( Nick Eatman)
Jay Toia: Dallas' depth at defensive tackle is pretty strong with Otito Ogbonnia, Jonathan Bullard and rookie LT Overton. Against the Cardinals though, Toia had one of his best showing as a Cowboy. Will that paired another good game against the Saints be enough to convince Dallas he should make the team? It would likely mean the Cowboys go heavy at defensive tackle and take six players. It could be an uphill battle for Toia, but putting another good game together wouldn't hurt at all. – (Tommy Yarrish)
Caelen Carson: He made a lot of noise in the preseason opener, but mostly not in a good way. Carson was heavily penalized against the Seahawks before bouncing back with a key PBU or two, and he looked cleaner against the Cardinals — not being penalized at all. But as the Cowboys try to sort through their CB depth chart, the former Demon Deacon hopes to have one of his best games as a pro to make sure his name gets etched into the depth chart one day later. - (Patrik Walker)
Ameer Speed – While we might not know the order exactly, we should have a great idea of the top three cornerbacks on the roster in Bland, Revel and Durant. After that is a tossup and Ameer Speed is firmly in the mix. What he brings to the table is size, standing at 6-3 but still with the quickness to cover receivers all over the field. Speed has been quiet early in camp but continuously made plays. Maybe practice squad is in Speed's future but there's a pathway to make the team and if he plays well Friday, there's a shot he makes the 53. - (Nick Eatman)
