Dallas Cowboys: 3 players whose stock is in free fall

Following the Dallas Cowboys defeat at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers in their preseason opener, here are three players whose stock appears to be dropping drastically.

Once again, the Dallas Cowboys started their preseason with a loss. That makes it a five-game losing streak for the Cowboys, as they lost all of their preseason contests last year. In fact, Dallas has lost every preseason opener but one since 2014.

Yet, this is the preseason after all. And the Cowboys’ only played the majority their starters for one series. The 49ers elected to sit all of their starters, so the contest was far from being a barometer for anything but roster depth.

Still, the exhibition did serve as a form of evaluation. Especially for players who are vying for a spot on the Cowboys’ final roster. And for some, they simply didn’t pass muster (or cut the mustard – choose your expression). In a contest where Dallas failed to score a single touchdown, you’d figure as much.

That’s not to say there weren’t some bright spots. The surprising play of undrafted rookie defensive tackle Ricky Walker had me scrambling to the team’s official website to see who No. 68 was. It was nice to see fourth-round selection Tony Pollard get some work with the first-team as the starting running back, although I’m not sold that he is already capable of carrying the load after one series of work.

Quarterback Dak Prescott catching his own tipped pass to go four for four on the opening drive was interesting. Another undrafted rookie, this time linebacker Luke Gifford, looked to be every bit the hidden gem we were led to believe nabbing himself an impressive interception. Unfortunately, Gifford suffered an ankle injury not long afterward and he was carted to the locker room.

Speaking of interceptions, sixth-round safety Donovan Wilson got a pick in his rookie debut, to the delight of Texas A&M Aggie fans. Although no one is ready to hand this kid the starting role, it was a great way to start his career.

Seeing All-Pro center Travis Frederick back on the field after a year sidelined due to the autoimmune disease Guillain-Barré syndrome was good for this old fan’s heart. Still feeling out his way back, Frederick just being in the game was an accomplishment. I have full confidence Frederick will work his way back to the elite player he once was in time.

I thought rookie defensive ends Joe Jackson and Jalen Jelks played well, which is great for the immediate future of the Cowboys. The hand injury suffered by Robert Quinn and his swift two-game suspension afterward was a gut-punch for this position. Luckily, Dallas’ first two games of the regular season come against struggling franchises in the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins.

Hopefully, some veteran play from Tyrone Crawford, improved play from both Taco Charlton and Dorance Armstrong, the presence of newcomer Kerry Hyder, plus rookies like Jelks and Jackson can solidify the position opposite two-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence until Quinn’s debut.

There were certainly more positives to take away from the exhibition in Santa Clara, but there were also several negatives as the quality of the roster depth in Dallas certainly came under question. But there were three players in particular that I believe left Saturday’s preseason opener worse than they entered it in the eyes of many Cowboy fans.

With that in mind, here are three Dallas Cowboys whose stock is in free fall following the team’s loss to the Niners over the weekend …