FRISCO, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys have two preseason games left before the final 53-man roster is announced. Competition has been at an all time high this past week in practice at the Cowboys’ World Headquarters in Frisco, as the team prepares for Sunday’s matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Several players stood out as the week wrapped up:
Lance Lenoir: Lenoir has been through this process before. In 2017, he did not make the final cut after preseason. He has been given another shot and is doing everything he can in practices to capitalize on this opportunity. He connected with Dak Prescott on a 30-yard pass to the end zone for a touchdown, and had a nice punt return that gave the offense great field position on the next drive at the middle of the field. He is apart of the second team behind Terrance Williams at the “Y” receiver position, to primarily catch the ball as an outlet receiver, but he is a versatile player with powerful speed to be utilized in a variety of ways.
Michael Gallup: Gallup has been a favorite throughout camp. He has strong hands to high point the football and footwork to be able to adjust on routes. Gallup has made several incredible catches down the sideline during practice this past week. He is apart of the second team behind Allen Hurns at the “X” receiver position to beat cornerbacks off the jam at the line of scrimmage and make a play down the sideline. Gallup has been paired with CB Byron Jones, and has held his own paired against the veteran player.
Dak Prescott: Prescott has had great chemistry with receivers this past week. He threw several deep passes for 30 yards and hit his mark, with perfect timing releasing the ball. During the first two preseason games, he led the offense on successful drives to the end zone targeting Michael Gallup against the 49ers and Terrance Williams vs. the Bengals. Last year the Cowboys went 9-7 without a playoff appearance, but all evidence is leading to a pro-bowl caliber season from the third year quarterback.
Ezekiel Elliott and Rod Smith: During the past week, there was a lot of work on the ground game: Elliott with the first team and Smith with the second. Both were able to react and find holes at the line of scrimmage to rush for several yards. Rod Smith will get a lot of playing time during the next two preseason games, as Elliott will not play to guard against injury. Smith led the team in rushing yards against the Bengals, and will have a bigger role this season taking some of the pressure off Zeke and adding depth. These two former Ohio state teammates will be a threat to defensive lines this season.
Antwaun Woods: Woods had an incredible training camp. He continues to turn the coaches heads with his performance during one-on-one pass protection drills. This past week he made his offensive line opponents look like rag dolls with little effort. In the past two-preseason games, he had great penetration in the Cowboys defensive line and is certainly making a case for himself in the competition at defensive end. He will bring added dimension to the Cowboys’ pass rush.
