ARLINGTON, Texas – This is becoming a yearly tradition. And that's a good thing because it's one of the few fun things that come out of the final preseason game.
Not to be that guy who dismisses a football game because it's usually filled with players who aren't going to be around, but we all know how difficult it is to evaluate anything when 75 percent of the starting lineup is with players who are fighting for a roster spot.
That's why these games are less about the team – and more about individuals. And that sentence is actually the opposite of what we're taught about sports like this.
But that's what Saturday's game against the Chargers was – a chance for individuals to prove to the coaches, scouts and front-office staff that they deserve to be here Tuesday when the Cowboys trim their roster down to 53 players.
So who did that? Who made the most of their chance to play on Saturday?
I've got about five guys who could fit in this category. Some might have already been on the team, but some of them needed to do a little more. Either way, here's a handful of players who helped themselves:
Trey Lance – Yeah, I know he threw five interceptions and three of them were either in the end zone or finished up in the end zone. All that being said, Jerry Jones actually told reporters after the game that Lance is on the team – he's on the 53-man roster. So there is no speculating here. That also means to me he was already on the team after his game last week. I think you saw some good traits and also some others that got him in trouble. While you can make the argument that he didn't have first-team blockers in front of him, he wasn't getting picked off by a lot of starters for the Chargers. Either way, his running ability is exciting enough to keep him around while he continues to develop his passing. But I don't think Lance is anything but the No. 3 QB on this team.
Deuce Vaughn – He's on the team. And unlike Lance, I don't know if he was before the game. But he went out and averaged nearly 6 yards a carry in this game and his average for the preseason is 6.2 yards. That's quite a difference from the 1.7 he averaged in limited carries last year during the regular season. Obviously, it's a different story when you're in the season that counts, but I think we saw enough improvement from Vaughn – in his vision and open-field running – to carve out a roster spot. Personally, I'd stick him and KaVontae Turpin back on kick returns and let them decide where to kick it. You might be starting at the 30-yard line every time with a touchback.
Ryan Flournoy – That's a touchdown for the rookie in each of the last two games. For me, I had him right on the edge of the roster coming into this game. If they keep five receivers, then he'd be out, but six receivers has him on the team. And considering that CeeDee Lamb is still unsigned, it's probably a position where you need to go long. If that's the case, and they keep six, they'll keep Flournoy. Good luck trying to get him back on the practice squad after he's caught two touchdowns in consecutive weeks.
Asim Richards – OK, so Richards was probably on the team, but here's what might have happened Saturday. Richards played well enough at left tackle that he could be your game-day swing tackle against Cleveland. The Cowboys could still be banking on Matt Waletzko as the first backup, but Richards has played better, in my opinion. Also, Richards might help them with roster-cutting decisions because he can play guard as well. He's on the team for sure, but he's probably also a lock for the 46-player game-day roster.
Buddy Johnson – This one is close. I almost went with Josh Ball for this last spot, but wanted to address the defense. Johnson was right there on the edge of the bubble with other linebackers Nick Vigil, Willie Harvey and maybe even Darius Harris, who keeps playing well. But Johnson has made plays every chance he gets and did the same on Saturday in the first half. I like the way he plays the run and the pass, and he will be a valuable asset on special teams. This is a hunch, but I'm going to say Johnson did enough to make the team from this game.
