The Dallas Cowboys were a rough watch in the first half of their preseason finale. Brian Schottenheimer said he laid into his squad at halftime, which undoubtedly played a role in the comeback. But without Sam Howell, Dallas would have lost in blowout fashion.
Howell was outstanding, completing 12 of 18 passes for 155 yards (8.6 yards per attempt) and two touchdowns. He didn't turn the ball over and even ran in a two-point conversion to cap off a 15-point fourth-quarter comeback.
While the Cowboys ultimately lost, Howell is the only reason they were in the game. He made himself uncuttable, even if Joe Milton is ultimately named Dak Prescott's backup.
In playing his way onto the 53-man roster, though, Howell may have robbed these Cowboys of a spot on the team.
4 Cowboys whom Sam Howell may have robbed of a roster spot
1. Camden Brown - WR
Brown would be a shoo-in for a roster spot in almost any other wide receiver room in the NFL. Unfortunately, Dallas' corps is as deep as they come with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy, and KaVontae Turpin.
A Howell stinker on Friday would have buoyed Brown's roster odds. Instead, Howell played out of his skin, and Jonathan Mingo got the ballcap treatment. He wasn't in pads, solidifying his spot on the 53.
Not entirely surprising, as Mingo has had a tremendous summer, but it confirms that Brown is squarely on the roster bubble before Sunday's deadline.
The Cowboys could keep six wideouts to avoid exposing Brown to waivers, but Howell's vintage showing may have made that luxury much harder to justify.
Only two wideouts were claimed during last year's roster crunch. Brown has put out great film this month -- and it helps that he plays for the NFL's biggest brand -- so perhaps another team will be more inclined to take a flier on him than the numbers suggest.
That'd be a heartbreaker.
2. Alijah Clark - S
The safety position is really difficult to project. Markquese Bell surprisingly played against the Saints after sitting out Week 2. Is he not the roster lock we all think? Maybe Dallas just wanted to give him reps.
Assuming Bell will be on the 53, Howell's outing may spell bad news for Alijah Clark, whom many have making the final roster over Julius Wood because of his value on special teams. That's an area the Cowboys must improve if they are to realize their full potential.
However, Howell is arguably more valuable than Clark. The coaching staff may trust him more than Milton to make a spot start if Dak Prescott had to miss a game.
For as much physicality and determination as Clark brings on special teams, it's much more likely he makes it back to the practice squad than Howell. A lot of teams would love to add a QB of Howell's caliber.
3. Sam Williams - OLB
Williams has legitimate hope of making the 53-man roster after Marist Liufau suffered a fractured forearm in the finale. Liufau will undergo surgery Monday and miss "weeks," per Brian Schottenheimer, making him a prime candidate for the injured reserve/designated to return list.
In light of Howell's performance, the Cowboys may feel comfortable keeping five outside linebackers: Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, Von Miller, and James Houston. Maybe they're more inclined to keep an extra off-ball linebacker -- a Justin Barron perhaps -- given Liufau's experience as an off-ball backer.
It's hard to say, but Williams has given Dallas little reason to keep him around. He broke contain on New Orleans' first touchdown (a familiar issue) and didn't have the profound impact this preseason that you'd expect from a former second-round pick playing against backups.
There's merit to the idea of keeping Tyrus Wheat over Williams.
4. Derion Kendrick - CB
Kendrick's name isn't brought up often in cornerback conversations. He's flown under the radar all summer, but he's got some fans inside the building.
As part of his 53-man roster projection, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram predicts the Cowboys will sign or claim a veteran CB. If they don't, Harris thinks Kendrick could sneak onto the roster.
"If a worthy option doesn’t present itself in either of those markets, then I would lean toward Derion Kendrick winning that spot," Harris wrote.
Kendrick blew up a jet sweep for a two-yard loss against the Saints and is capable of playing in the slot in addition to outside corner. In fact, he played 76 snaps in the slot this preseason compared to just three outside, per PFF. His slot versatility may carry serious weight in roster conversations.
Like Brown, Clark, and Williams, though, Howell's surge changes the math. There are fewer bubble spots to go around. Howell's slot could be the difference between Kendrick sneaking on or getting waived.
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