3 Cowboys cut candidates on the chopping block after preseason opener

The Dallas Cowboys have been a team that has found themselves in the news quite a bit recently. A lot of this attention can be attributed to their superstar wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb's holdout as he waits on a contract extension. Owner Jerry Jones added fuel to the fire by making some questionable comments in regards to Lamb's holdout.

But enough of the contract talk. That's all that's been covered with the Cowboys. Let's look at the players that are on the field playing in the preseason opener on Sunday.

The Cowboys have quite an intriguing preseason roster. Their roster was on full display during their first preseason game, including their third-string quarterback Trey Lance, who played most of the snaps at quarterback in the preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams.

But the roster has a lot more than the mandated 53 players on the regular season roster. After this preseason game, there are quite a few players that could be on the chopping block as Dallas cuts their roster down.

3. WR Ryan Flournoy

The Cowboys used their sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Ryan Flournoy, a wide receiver from Southeast Missouri. The wideout currently sits as the WR6 on the Cowboys depth chart and many have predicted him to open some eyes this preseason.

Unfortunately, Flournoy did open some eyes in the first preseason game of the year for the Cowboys and it wasn't really in a good way.

The rookie wideout suffered from several miscues throughout the game. He had a brutal drop, a fumble that went out of bounds and was called for a pre-snap penalty. He's also missed a decent chunk of training camp with a knee injury which has caused him to return to the Cowboys just recently.

Assuming Dallas is able to come to terms on an extension for Ceedee Lamb before week one, Flournoy may end up as a practice squad receiver. He still has the upside that Dallas wouldn't want to let go of just yet. The 6-foot-1 wideout is also well-liked by fans and the media in Dallas.

Now, this all changes on a dime if Lamb continues to hold out and the Cowboys continue to show no urgency in resigning him. If Lamb doesn't suit up for Dallas, which isn't likely but still a real possibility, it'll be all hands on deck, including Flournoy's, to replace the superstar's production.

2. RB Snoop Conner

One of the easiest places to predict training camp cuts is in the backfield. Teams are only willing to carry so many running backs and quaterbacks on the roster. For quarterbacks, it's typically three guys with the third being their strictly for depth. With running backs, the answer is three or four as well as the position is a bit more injury-prone.

Cowboys running back Snoop Conner finds himself on the hot seat following a lackluster performance in the Cowboys preseason opener. He didn't get much work but managed just 10 yards on three carries while catching his only two targets for six yards.

The 24-year-old running back has three players in front of him on the depth chart, four when Royce Freeman is healthy, and his preseason performance showed that he doesn't have the tools to work himself into the top three backs on the team.

Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman and Malik Davis all provide more to the Cowboys offense than the 24-year-old Conner does. He has the potential to land on the practice squad or he may bounce around the league a little bit. But the answer doesn't sit on the Cowboys 53-man roster. Conner will likely be cut in the coming weeks as we inch closer to the regular season opener.

1. S Sheldrick Redwine

Defensive backs are typically plentiful on training camp rosters. The position is such a young player's spot as it involves speed and reflexes as much as any spot in football. For this season, NFL teams will carry 12 or more defensive backs on their training camp rosters in order to have the best shot at building a solid secondary when the season starts.

Safety Sheldrick Redwine has looked like a decent defensive back option for the Cowboys to consider, but he was just completely overshadowed by Markquese Bell in the Cowboys preseason opener. Bell played more of a hybrid linebacker role under Dan Quinn but has now seemingly moved out of the box and back to safety.

With Bell now solidifying his spot in the safety rotation, it very well could mean the end of Redwine's time with the Cowboys. Bell is just a much more versatile player than Redwine is and his versatility will allow him to play strong safety or free safety for the Cowboys defense as a depth option.

Redwine is a good candidate to land on the practice squad. He's a decent option for the Cowboys, but after Bell looked great in the first game of the preseason, including an interception, Redwine will likely be cut in the coming weeks.