Dallas Cowboys: 7 fringe players who need a big performance

With the Dallas Cowboys playing two preseason games in the next five days, here are seven fringe players who need to post a big performance.

In less than a week, the Dallas Cowboys and every other NFL team will need to cut down their 90-man roster to only 53 players. That will leave well over 1,000 professional football players on the street by this time next weekend.

For those on the fringe of making the Cowboys’ final roster, they have two preseason games in the next five days which they can use to impress the coaching staff and front office.

Here are seven such players that we believe need a big performance during that span to earn themselves a spot on the final 53.

Rico Gathers, TE

The Cowboys have given former basketball star Rico Gathers three offseason training programs to make the transition to the NFL at tight end. And now, that investment must pay off.

Gathers looked to be on the edge of stardom last preseason, scoring two touchdowns in his first two games. But a concussion ended any chance of him making the active roster, and he essentially lost more than half a year of development because of it.

With the retirement of Jason Witten in May, this is the time for Gathers to step up and earn a spot on the final 53. Instead, the 2016 sixth rounder appears to be on the edge of being cut.

A monster of a receiving target, Gathers must prove he can be an adequate blocker and that he has tackled the mental aspects of the position in order earn the trust of his coaches.

A standout performance by Gathers in these final two preseason games could be enough to force the Cowboys’ hand and make them find a place on the roster for this talented athlete.