By 3 p.m. CT on Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys will have gutted their 90-man roster to the league-mandated 53 players. Trimming the fringe is never easy, but this group is noticeably deeper than in recent years, which has created a genuine logjam at various positions.
Now that Dallas has wrapped its two practices at The Star this week, the only thing standing in the way of the roster crunch is Friday's preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints.
The Cowboys likely have most of the 53 mapped out, but Friday could easily tip the scales in any roster battles that don't yet have a clear winner.
While a few standouts have made themselves un-cuttable, others have watched their roster chances go up in smoke. Here are four Cowboys whose stock has tumbled at the absolute worst time.
4 Dallas Cowboys whose roster hopes are fading before cutdown day
1. Phil Mafah - RB
Before training camp, a lot of Cowboys fans picked Mafah to beat out Jaydo Blue. While they seemed neck-and-neck for most of the summer, Mafah hasn't generated any momentum since preseason started.
A chest injury cut his day short against the Seahawks, causing him to miss valuable reps. By the time Week 2 rolled around, Mafah was a distant fourth in the rotation behind Malik Davis, Blue, and Israel Abanikanda, respectively.
We're not sure anyone expected Mafah to play just one snap vs. the Cardinals, but that was very telling of his place on the depth chart. He rushed for a 15-yard score on his only touch, but Davis, Blue, and Abanikanda all put forth strong performances.
With Davis all but locking up the RB2 job and Blue seemingly on the cusp of nailing down a depth role, Mafah's fate may have already been decided. Whether due to the injury or otherwise, he picked a bad time to become obscure in a crowded backfield.
2. Devin Moore - CB
The Cowboys are not in the business of cutting rookie fourth-round picks. It's why Drew Shelton, who's had a worse summer than Moore, probably makes the 53. That said, Moore didn't do himself any favors in the second preseason game.
On an otherwise positive night for Dallas' defense, Moore really struggled. Former Cowboys receiver Simi Fehoko burned Moore for a big gain. The rookie out of Florida was his own worst enemy on the rep, showing bad footwork off the rip.
Moore allowed two catches (on as many targets) for 43 yards, per PFF. No other Dallas defensive back surrendered more than 18 yards in coverage. Not the debut he had in mind after missing the first preseason game and multiple practices with a groin injury.
The 22-year-old doesn't look ready to play. Not the end of the world, but can Dallas afford to carry a cornerback who should arguably be a healthy scratch? It'd be tough to subject a 6-foot-3 cornerback to waivers, which leads us to think he'll make the team or be stashed on injured reserve.
Regardless, he's actively watching his roster hopes disappear. He needs either a big day of practice or to go out with a bang Friday night against the Saints.
3. Michael Trigg - TE
A wise man once said the best ability is availability, and Trigg hasn't suited up since leading Dallas against the Seahawks with four catches due to a toe injury.
Trigg remains sidelined, putting his status for Friday's finale in doubt. And even if he suits up, there's likely nothing he can do between now and Sunday's deadline to make this team. It seems pretty cut and dry that the Cowboys will keep three tight ends: Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford, and Luke Schoonmaker.
Roll your eyes at Schoonmaker all you want; he's going to be on the 53. Quite frankly, he deserves to make it over Trigg, who still needs to develop as a blocker before he can be relied on to play special teams. As dynamic as Trigg is, it's hard to justify TE3 being a luxury piece who only takes snaps on offense.
Trigg would've had to go scorched earth this preseason to force the issue, and he just hasn't been on the field enough. Whether he flashed enough upside to warrant being an IR stash is a different conversation, but his active roster hopes have essentially gone up in smoke.
4. Marquez Valdes-Scantling - WR
When Marquez Valdes-Scantling signed with the Cowboys following the NFL Draft, he had a realistic path to the 53-man roster. The path? Beat out Jonathan Mingo, who has six catches in two years with Dallas, a seventh-round pick in Anthony Smith, a couple of undrafted rookies, and some journeymen.
Granted, nobody knew that Camden Brown was going to explode onto the scene, but Valdes-Scantling joined as the most accomplished WR on the roster not named CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens.
And yet, he's been outplayed this summer by Brown, Mingo, and even Smith. Through two games, Valdes-Scantling is tied for ninth on the team with one catch and 10th with 14 receiving yards. Brown (139 yards), Mingo (82 yards), and Smith (46 yards) are comfortably ahead of him.
Assuming no team is in a hurry to claim MVS on waivers, he'd be a worthwhile addition to the practice squad. He's a fine depth player, but his roster hopes have been slowly dissipating for weeks now.
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