Preseason action hasn’t been the place for the Cowboys to prepare their starters for the regular season since Mike McCarthy arrived, Rather it’s used to evaluate the bottom of the roster to find the 53 guys they want on it. Dallas is unlikely to play stars like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, or Micah Parsons much across the three-game slate, but especially on Saturday against Jacksonville.
Instead, Cowboys coaches are trying to figure out are who are going to be the running backs behind Tony Pollard, the fifth and sixth receivers, the fifth linebacker, and the defensive backs spots from eight on up.
A key to those battles could come down to compromises between special teams coach John Fassel and the coordinators. Here are some key players looking to go from special teams contributors to impact players on offense and defense.