3 players who need to perform during Cowboys preseason Week 1

The NFL season is rapidly approaching. Training camps are already in full swing, and the Hall of Fame Game just took place on Thursday. That game ending after just three quarters has NFL fans craving more action, and fortunately, the wait isn't too long.

The Dallas Cowboys in particular will play their preseason opener on Sunday, August 11 against the Los Angeles Rams. That is just nine days away as of this writing. This is the beginning of a season that they hope will have a much better ending than the 2023 campaign.

While Cowboys fans almost certainly won't see the team's star players on the field that day, there are plenty of storylines to watch out for. These three players in particular would benefit greatly by performing at a high level in the first week of the preseason.

3) Rico Dowdle, RB

The running back position looks extremely bleak on this Cowboys team right now. Letting Tony Pollard go was fine, but the Cowboys did nothing meaningful to replace him. Their big addition was bringing Ezekiel Elliot back. This would've been exciting five or six years ago, but having Elliot penciled in as the team's RB1 is concerning, to say the least. That's why Rico Dowdle has to show up.

Rico Dowdle had his first opportunity to play consistently in the NFL last season and took advantage, rushing for 361 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 89 attempts, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. He even tacked on 17 receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the air as well.

Having Dowdle as an RB1 on a team trying to win the Super Bowl isn't the best look either, but he, at the very least, is unproven in that role, while Elliot has been on the downswing for years now. If Dowdle has an impressive showing in Week 1 and the preseason as a whole, he might steal the RB1 role, putting the Cowboys in a better position to win games.

2) Tyler Guyton, OT

Losing Pollard and not replacing him was a big deal, but losing Tyron Smith was an even bigger deal, considering the fact of just how dominant of an offensive tackle Smith is. The 33-year-old had his troubles staying healthy, but there's no disputing how good of a player he is when he's on the field. I mean, he's an eight-time Pro Bowler in his 13 NFL seasons.

The Cowboys replaced Smith with Tyler Guyton, an offensive tackle out of Oklahoma. How much the rookie will play in Week 1 of preseason is unclear, but he should at least get some reps, and needs to showcase why the Cowboys took him in the first round.

Guyton looking good right away would take at least some of the focus off of Dallas' lackluster offseason and put it on how good of a pick this was. At the end of the day, left tackle is one of the most important positions in football. If Guyton is able to play it at a high level at 23 years old would be a fantastic development.

1) Trey Lance, QB

Dak Prescott is Dallas' starter at the quarterback position, obviously, but who is going to back him up? That's the million-dollar question. Cooper Rush had some success in that role in 2022, and even completed 75 percent of the 24 passes he threw last season, but Trey Lance is a player Dallas specifically traded for, expecting to make an impact.

With Prescott's future in Dallas a major question at this point and Rush being over the age of 30 in his own right, Lance has the chance to not only win the QB2 job, but potentially be their future under center if he plays well. Things haven't gotten off to the best start in training camp, but he can brush all concerns aside by balling out in the preseason.

Knowing Dallas traded for him, Lance should get ample opportunity to play in the preseason. How well he does determines his place on this Cowboys roster presently and potentially in the future. He can earn a ton of trust if he plays well, and might even find his way off of the roster entirely if he struggles.