Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy's latest comments might indicate WR roster battle is already over

One of the most fun battles throughout training camp has been the one happening at the bottom of the wide receiver depth chart between second-year player Jalen Cropper and sixth-round rookie Ryan Flournoy.

The two have been engaged in a tug of war game , with each gaining the edge over the other before losing it moments later. In my last three roster projections, I've gone back and forth with who makes it as the sixth wide receiver on the team.

Heading into the preseason finale, I leaned with Flournoy. And based on Mike McCarthy's latest comments, it sure is sounding like he's leaning that way, too.

"I just think he's a young man that gets better with every opportunity," McCarthy told reporters on Tuesday. "Obviously, he had the injury, missed some time, I just love the way he bounced back. You can see the confidence from Week 1 to Week 2, he took a huge step. Loved his physicality in run blocking and finish was exceptional but obviously he had the big play there."

The big play McCarthy referred to happened in a goal-line situation where the rookie was lined up out wide and Trey Lance threw a fade headed his way. Flournoy sold the route inside, setting up veteran cornerback Jack Jones and creating enough separation to make things easy for his quarterback. Considering Jones is a projected starter for the Raiders, the play is tough to overlook. It was refined route-running.

Now granted, with a lineup including CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Jalen Tolbert, it will take more than pretty-looking routes and catches for the rookie to make the team. He's gotta contribute on special teams. Fortunately for him, he has McCarthy's seal of approval there, too.

"I think he he's shown the ability to do some nice things on special teams," McCarthy added. "I thought he had a a good night out there in Vegas."

Right after the game on Saturday, McCarthy said about Flournoy: "He's just a heck of a football player. He proves every time he gets more opportunities."

You could've skipped watching the games and practice and just by listening to the coach, you would be able to tell Flournoy's stock is soaring high. Paired with Jalen Cropper's special teams fumble and drop at wide receiver, it's safe to assume things are trending in favor of the rookie wideout.

There's still one more preseason game left to go and we're just under a week away from cutdown day, however. Things might change any minute. Buckle up.