The Dallas Cowboys' 2024 offseason has been a rollercoaster ride, to say the least. Between a lack of free-agent moves and numerous contract extension discussions with a sprinkle of teammate drama mixed in, Cowboys fans certainly haven't lacked any talking points throughout the last few months.
But the time for talk is nearing its end with the 2024 NFL season right around the corner. Things will kick into full gear once the Cowboys begin their training camp in Oxnard, CA on Thursday, July 25 as they begin hunting for the franchise's first Super Bowl victory in nearly three decades.
With a lot riding on the line next season, Dallas can only afford to roster players who are ready to chase a championship. Keeping that in mind, here are five roster bubble Cowboys whose future in Big D is up in the air.
1. Peyton Hendershot, TE
The Cowboys consistently have one of the NFL's best offenses from season to season. Unfortunately, third-year tight end Peyton Hendershot hasn't done much to help in that regard.
Hendershot's offensive output with the Cowboys has been... modest, to say the least. Suiting up in 25 games across the last two seasons, the ex-Indiana Hoosier has caught just 15 of 23 targets (65.2%) for 141 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
While expectations were low in his rookie season, the fact that he dropped 28.6% of targets and didn't even find the end zone in 2023 is a call for concern.
After his abysmal performance, it's tough to imagine Hendershot beating Luke Schoonmaker for the TE2 spot behind Jake Ferguson. Although Schoonmaker's rookie stat line didn't stand out (8-65-2), the Cowboys will continue to give him more opportunities given his status as a former second-round selection.
That's without mentioning how Hendershot must also deal with Brevyn Spann-Ford, who joined the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent this spring. The 6-foot-7, 270-pound behemoth is a solid prospect out of Minnesota who tallied 95 catches for 1,061 yards, and seven TDs across six seasons with the Golden Gophers.
Unless Hendershot takes him game to the next level in a few weeks, his time in Dallas might not last much longer.
2. Cooper Rush, QB
It seems hard to imagine a world where Cooper Rush isn't backing up Dak Prescott. After all, the former Central Michigan quarterback has spent six of the last seasons with America's Team and even led the Cowboys to a 5-1 record in the six games that he was forced to start.
But even though the 30-year-old is one of the league's better backup arms, his remaining in the Lone Star State is far from guaranteed.
The main reason why Rush might not crack the roster is fellow backup QB Trey Lance. Even though the latter is largely unproven at the NFL level (just 102 passing attempts since 2021), the fact that he's only 24 and a former third-overall pick has the Cowboys believing that Lance has some untapped potential.
After all, head coach Mike McCarthy revealed in May that the Cowboys plan to make Lance a "big part" of their preseason plans. Although McCarthy didn't specify exactly what he meant by those plans, it's clear that Dallas is holding out hope that the ex-North Dakota State QB could become Prescott's successor if a contract extension for the latter doesn't come to fruition.
Given that Rush likely won't improve much more at this stage of his career, the Cowboys might decide it's the perfect time for a divorce. Prescott is still the starter and Lance has too much potential (in theory) to be stuck on the practice squad, leaving Rush as the odd man out of 53-man roster plans.
3. Deuce Vaughn, RB
One year ago, Deuce Vaughn was one of the feel-good stories at Cowboys training camp. The 5-foot-6 running back shocked a lot of people by exceeding expectations last summer, earning himself a spot on the 53-man roster in the process.
But after a solid preseason, Vaughn's production took a step back once the regular season arrived.
Playing in seven games without a start, the diminutive rusher only managed to tally 40 rushing yards and one first down on 23 carries (1.7 yards per attempt). Even though he caught all seven of his targets for another 40 yards, 80 scrimmage yards without a touchdown on 30 touches is nothing to write home about.
The fact that Vaughn was inactive in the Cowboys' lone playoff game tells you everything you must know about his outlook. Rather than running things back with him and Rico Dowdle as the team's lead backs, Dallas went out and brought back long-time Cowboy Ezekiel Elliott this offseason while adding veteran rusher Royce Freeman on a one-year deal.
Elliott might be past his prime, but he still tallied 955 scrimmage yards with the New England Patriots last season. Meanwhile, Freeman averaged a solid 4.1 rushing yards on 77 carries with the LA Rams, showing that he's better than Vaughn at making the most out of limited opportunities.
If Vaughn can't replicate last summer's success, it's going to be tough to justify a return this fall.
4. Eric Scott Jr., CB
When it comes to the top cornerback rooms in the NFL, the Cowboys' unit ranks highly among the best. Even without Stephon Gilmore coming back, the likes of DaRon Bland, Trevon Diggs, and former first-round pick Gareon Conley have the potential to continue giving headaches to opposing QBs.
But with so much talent in the secondary, not everyone can crack Dallas' 53-man roster. That's why Eric Scott Jr. could be on the wrong side of the roster bubble once training camp gets into full swing.
The Cowboys used a 2023 sixth-round pick on Scott, however, the ex-Southern Miss defender didn't touch the gridiron as a rookie. He was left on the practice squad throughout the year despite looking decent during the preseason, leaving many to wonder what the future holds for the Basehor, KS native.
While Scott is still young enough (25) to improve, coaching staff changes could spell bad news for his future in Dallas. Considering how he wasn't even used under ex-defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, it's hard to imagine that Mike Zimmer will feel any different about a player who wasn't drafted during his tenure.
Unless Scott quickly proves he's an NFL-caliber cornerback, he could become one of the Cowboys' training camp casualties.
5. Viliami Fehoko, DE
Viliami Fehoko is one of the more intriguing Cowboys to watch ahead of this month's camp. On one hand, you can argue that Dallas is unlikely to cut the former San Jose State defender after they used a fourth-round pick on him just over a year ago.
On the other hand, Fehoko hasn't exactly done a lot at the NFL level to prove he should be a roster lock. The 24-year-old didn't play a single game as a rookie as he was stuck on the practice squad combined with a stint on the injured reserve due to a knee injury. Although he was activated in time for the postseason, HC McCarthy opted not to have the rookie debut in a must-win playoff matchup.
Fehoko now has to worry about impressing a new defensive coordinator. Like Smith, Zimmer's presence will make cracking the 53-man roster that much tougher especially since it isn't as if the 68-year-old has any in-game Fehoko tape from last year to go back in watch.
In other words, the former MWC Defensive Player of the Year can't afford to make any mistakes during camp.
But even if he manages to turn heads over the next few weeks, Fehoko has a ton of competition ahead of him. He isn't going to surpass the likes of Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Sam Williams while rookie Marshawn Kneeland has the potential to be something special one day. It's a situation that might be too much for Fehoko to overcome.
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