I have always thought Dennis Houston had a big upside. Do you think the coaches will give him more of a look at training camp? I know they are looking for playmakers. I just feel like this young man could really break out if given the chance. – Richey Johnston/Fate, TX
Nick Eatman: If he's got a big jump inside of him, now is the time to get it out. Personally, I never really saw what everyone else did from Houston. He was getting first-team reps at camp but I just never saw the big plays out of him, aside from the Hail Mary catch to end practice against the Chargers, which was also the end of training camp. The Cowboys have three receivers at the top of the depth chart and then after that, it's going to be a battle with Houston seemingly right in the mix. I will say this about Houston - for what it's worth - it sounded like he was a regular with Dak at the backyard practices. And that has a history of being a big deal - just ask Cedrick Wilson and Noah Brown.
Kurt: Houston has definitely had an interesting start to his NFL career. Remember that despite being an undrafted rookie free agent, he was surprisingly in the lineup for the season opener last year. He even caught two balls from Dak Prescott for 16 yards while playing 57 percent of the offensive snaps. The next week he was on the field for 34 percent of the snaps and had one pass thrown his way by Cooper Rush, incomplete. After that, poof, he was gone, relegated to the practice squad. Did he just not have any chemistry with Rush? Were they clearing up space for the return of Michael Gallup? Had opponents figured him out? The thing is, though, his name doesn't seem to come up now as a serious contender for a roster spot in 2023. We hear about Jalen Tolbert figuring things out and a healthy Simi Fehoko being in the mix for the fourth wide receiver spot, but nothing on Houston. Why not? True, he he's got average speed and size, but he earned his shot last season in part because his preparation and knowledge helped build a quick trust with Prescott, traits that you can assume will be there this time around in Oxnard as well. Whether that can help him move back up the depth chart remains to be seen, but he'll at least be given a shot to make another good first impression. And who knows, he might just surprise us again.
