ARLINGTON, Texas — In the preseason finale, the Dallas Cowboys' second-half rally came up short against the Los Angeles Chargers, 26-19, at AT&T Stadium despite 413 total yards from Trey Lance.
Roster cutdown day awaits on Tuesday, as the Cowboys will need to find 53 players to carry over into the regular season. As a result, there was a lot to take away from the team's final exhibition outing. Here are the 5 Takes, presented by Take 5 Oil Change.
1. Deuce Vaughn not only deserves a roster spot. He deserves a role on this offense.
I think it's clear that Deuce Vaughn did enough to earn a spot on the 53-man roster on Saturday after carrying the ball nine times for 53 yards and showing the juice that the team has been seeking in the running back room. But when the team cuts down to 48 players on game day, Vaughn will need to have an established enough role on offense to warrant his activation. That is deserved, in my eyes. Whether it's in the running game or receiving game, getting the ball in his hands has only yielded results in the preseason. It's worth seeking out if that will translate to when the games matter.
2. It's Caelen Carson's time to shine in DaRon Bland's absence.
The big blow from today's events came before the game when the team announced that All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland would miss 6-8 weeks with a stress fracture in his foot. In his absence, the Cowboys have two current options to turn to on the outside: rookie Caelen Carson and newly acquired via trade Andrew Booth. Booth had his opportunity to shine today and can be credited for allowing two long touchdowns from the Chargers: a 70-yard end-around that he was blocked out of on the boundary and a 78-yard grab from former Cowboy Simi Fehoko over Booth's shoulders. With the training camp performance that Caelen Carson put forth, the expectation is that the Cowboys will turn to another fifth-round cornerback to fill Bland's absence in the beginning of the season.
3. Buddy Johnson may have found his way onto the roster in the 11th hour.
In Mike Zimmer's defense, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Cowboys take the extra safety spot vacated by Jayron Kearse and use it at the linebacker position. With that in mind, I have my eyes squarely set on Buddy Johnson after finishing training camp on a strong run and pairing it with a performance on Saturday that saw him make big stops in the run game and bat down a surefire touchdown lob on the goal line that forced the Chargers to settle for three. Given his special teams praise as well, the Dallas native may have leapt into the 53-man roster at the last possible second.
4. Ryan Flournoy secured the final wide receiver spot – if it's there.
If Mike McCarthy sticks to carrying six wide receivers like he did in 2023, Ryan Flournoy secured that final spot on Saturday with his second touchdown reception of the preseason. The rookie out of Southeast Missouri State was harbored by a knee injury early in camp, but once healthy he shined both in Oxnard and on the field in game action. After battling the dropsies early in the preseason, he has proven to be sure-handed in his remaining opportunities. However, an argument could be made to use that sixth receiver spot at a different position such as offensive tackle. But if they do go with the extra spot, it's Flournoy's to own.
5. Cooper Rush is still a better backup to Dak Prescott than Trey Lance.
The experiment has come and gone, and while Trey Lance flashed on Saturday and against the Raiders last week, I don't see enough to warrant him moving up the depth chart over Cooper Rush. The athleticism could bring an extra layer to the offense if the Cowboys wanted to toy with carrying three quarterbacks on an active 48-man roster, but Lance being the first backup option in case of injury to Prescott could lead to more problems than what we've seen from Rush when he's been called upon. However, the interesting layer to all of this is -- along with Prescott -- Lance and Rush are entering the final year of their respective contracts. If the Cowboys want value in the next couple of weeks, is there a reality where one is dealt for additional depth elsewhere?
