LB Joe Thomas  

Joe Thomas made his preseason debut Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers. He finished the game with 3 tackles and interception as took the field with the second team unit. When the Dallas Cowboys signed the sixth year linebacker from the Green Bay Packers he was meant to add quality depth to this linebacker group. With Sean Lee almost inevitably missing two to three games a year, Thomas adds a veteran presence who is not a liability in run or pass defense. He showed an opportunistic instinct with his reaction to a tipped pass by safety Kavon Frazier. The Cowboys linebackers played well all night in a game where Lee never even touched the field.

Kavon Frazier with the tip, Joe Thomas with the interception!

🎥: @NFL pic.twitter.com/Fvoue2q3Lw

— Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) August 10, 2018

Bo Scarbrough  

The rookie freight train out of Alabama pieced together a complete game in his preseason debut. Bo Scarbrough had 9 carries for 33 yards and a touchdown. He also added 2 receptions for 19 yards. At 6’1 235 the man is a nightmare coming down the hole. But what was more impressive was his ability to catch the football and breakdown linebackers in his routes. The Cowboys knew Scarbrough could be a nice short-down runner for the team when he was drafted in the 7th round, but if he continues to show improvement in catching the ball it could solidify him as the third running back on the depth chart.

BO (SCARBROUGH) KNOWS. #DALvsSF pic.twitter.com/TKIXqTHbmE

— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2018

CB Anthony Brown

The third-year pro out of Purdue has reportedly put together a solid training camp up until their game last night. However, that much talked about improvement wasn’t on display against the 49ers. Brown’s downward trajectory isn’t as much to be about his play Thursday as it is about him building his confidence heading into the season. Brown nearly led the league in defensive penalties called against him and he seemed to regress later in the season. Brown needs to make better of his opportunities going forward if he wants to exceed his level of play from 2016. If he doesn’t, he could be watching second-year cornerback Jourdan Lewis assume the role of slot corner.

WR Terrance Williams  

There is constant debate surrounding Terrance Williams to just how much he deserves to be the number 2 receiver. He only snagged 2 catches for 7 yards, but it was more about what the receivers behind him were able to do. Rookie Michael Gallup had a nice grab down the right sideline for a 30-yard touchdown. Though Lance Lenoir caught only 2 passes, his toe drag touchdown catch in the back of the end zone added to an already impressive off-season. Williams’ value as a run blocker for this team cannot be denied, but finishing last season with 0 touchdowns has to be in the back of these coaches minds if Gallup and Lenoir continue to improve.

TE Rico Gathers  

Apparently, Rico Gathers still has not garnered enough trust from this coaching staff to push for meaningful snaps. He finished with a sole reception for 9 yards. Head Coach Jason Garret has stated Gathers understanding of the run game is far from adequate. That will be a crucial factor in deciding if he deserves a roster spot come time for cuts. And if he cannot generate enough in the passing game to overshadow that deficiency then it won’t be hard for Garret to move on from the sixth-round project.

 

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