The Dallas Cowboys may boast the best wide receiver duo in the NFL, leaving little margin for error in training camp for wideouts on the roster bubble.
Undrafted rookie Camden Brown has left a strong early impression, while second-year man Traeshon Holden found some daylight in an otherwise dominant practice for Dallas' defense on Monday. Unfortunately, Marquez Valdes-Scantling has not followed his teammates' lead.
Valdes-Scantling's training camp has been marred by drops, as Cowboys reporters have noted multiple miscues from the 31-year-old.
That continued on Monday, as Valdes-Scantling dropped a wide-open pass in the end zone on a strike from Sam Howell (h/t Jon Machota, The Athletic). If MVS doesn't turn it around quickly, he'll risk being handed a pink slip.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling's brutal Cowboys training camp showing no signs of improving
There isn't a lot of room to work with in the red zone. And yet, Valdes-Scantling truly couldn't have been more open, and Howell hit him perfectly in stride. It's not like he heard footsteps, either. There wasn't a defender closing in to level him had he made the catch. He simply dropped it.
Following an opening week marred by drops, Valdes-Scantling couldn't have asked for a worse start to padded practices. Brian Schottenheimer likes to rotate in practice, but the journeyman WR is making it difficult to justify reps with the starting offense. Those opportunities must be earned.
It's absolutely fair to wonder if Dallas is thinking about pulling the plug. They didn't hesitate to waive/injure Charles Snowden, who's now back with the team to rehab after clearing waivers.
Granted, that may have had more to do with Snowden's suspension and injury than his performance, but Valdes-Scantling hasn't done much to strengthen his own case for sticking around.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling's experience doesn't carry much value
The Cowboys don't have much experience behind their top four WRs, but that shouldn't be why Valdes-Scantling sticks around.
CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy, and KaVontae Turpin are plenty experienced. And Jonathan Mingo, who's had a quietly bright start to camp, has started 20 games in three seasons. Furthermore, Tyler Johnson has appeared in 61 games (13 starts) since he was drafted in 2020.
When Valdes-Scantling isn't catching passes, he doesn't offer much else. He hasn't returned a kick or punt since 2018 and has played just four special teams snaps over the last seven seasons, per Pro Football Reference.
It's impossible to know what Brian Schottenheimer and the Cowboys are planning, but Valdes-Scantling probably can't afford another bad practice with the way Dallas' other receivers have performed. If he's not catching his targets or playing special teams, why is he occupying a roster spot?
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