The Cowboys have stumbled in their first two pre-season games of 2023, dropping both to the Jaguars and Seahawks. They’ll have one final chance at righting the ship against the Raiders this coming Saturday.
As we’ve explained before, the pre-season is less about team results, and more about individual evaluations and positional competition.
With those goals in mind, here are three players on the bubble who have a lot to play for on Saturday night against Las Vegas.
CB KELVIN JOSEPH
The third year corner out of Kentucky has shown up in Dallas’ two pre-season games, despite some inconsistencies during Oxnard practices. Joseph has shown good reactionary athleticism and awareness against the Jaguars and Seahawks, breaking up three passes so far.
Talent has never been a question with Joseph. He was a top 50 pick for a reason. Questions about his football IQ, love for the game, and maturity have been the knocks on him.
With Nahshon Wright and Jourdan Lewis dealing with injuries, Joseph’s strong performances during the games might be enough to extend his time with the Cowboys.
WR JALEN BROOKS
Brooks is the opposite of Joseph, in that he’s consistently made plays in practice, while the games have been a bit more underwhelming.
The pre-season opener against Jacksonville was particularly unimpressive for Brooks, as he played much more timid than the player we had seen during training camp. Seattle didn’t feature many highlights, but he had a big catch on fourth down that appeared to showcase more of what we had become accustomed to.
The pre-season finale will be a big opportunity for Brooks to prove he belongs.
EDGE ISAIAH LAND
The chatter coming from The Star in Frisco after the draft was that Land had a real chance to make the team as an undrafted free agent out of Florida A&M.
Land started off training camp slowly, but has come on in recent weeks, and he made an impact in the game against Seattle. The question for Land is whether a crowded defensive line group becomes too heavy for his inclusion. It’s on Land to show one last time against the Raiders why he deserves a spot with the team.