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Cowboys' preseason finale confirms suspicion we've had for four months and other takeaways

By Mauricio Rodriguez,

4 hours ago

The Dallas Cowboys preseason came to an end with a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in a game where there were far more important things going on than the scoreboard.

Deuce Vaughn sent a message, the Cowboys essentially confirmed the starting offensive line, and Trey Lance made the best throws of his preseason yet had five picks, while roster bubble players fought for a spot on the initial 53-man roster.

Let's dive into our biggest takeaways from the game.

Cooper Beebe gets the starting nod

Before the Cowboys' preseason finale even kicked off on Saturday, the coaching staff confirmed a suspicion fans and media members had ever since the NFL Draft: Rookie Cooper Beebe will start at center despite falling to the third round in April.

After being picked by Dallas, Beebe was immediately asked to focus on learning the ins and outs of the center position. He's delivered big-time, to the point of securing the starting role over Brock Hoffman the moment the Cowboys sat him for the final game of August. It's his job.

Deuce Vaughn, you're on the 53-man roster

Oh, man. Deuce came into the game as one of the players with the most at stake and he capitalized on the opportunity by averaging 5.9 yards per attempt in nine rushes in the first half. There's just something special about his play-making ability.

Vaughn not only should have a secured spot on the 53-man roster, he should be in the mix to compete for RB1/RB2 snaps. He's good and provides something the rest of the members of the RB room don't.

Trey Lance went full Trey Lance

Fittingly, it was an ambivalent game for Lance. He got off to a confident start early in the game and even made his best throw of the preseason hitting Tyron Billy-Johnson for a big game on the sidelines against Cover 2. He found Ryan Flournoy on a fade shot in the endzone that only his receiver could catch. Late in the second quarter, he hit TE John Stephens Jr. over the seams with deadly accuracy. These three were some of his best passes all of training camp.

But it wasn't all perfect: Lance threw five interceptions, starting by misplacing a "simple" out route. It was an ugly one. So were the following two, where Lance simply missed defenders and forced the ball into traffic. His fourth pick was more of a 50-50 ball but it was a misplaced throw. The fifth one was just straight up inaccurate for what could've been the game-tying touchdown. He also threw some questionable checkdowns on multiple third and longs. As usual though, his athleticism and improvisation skills were on display.

Andrew Booth Jr. beaten deep again

Booth Jr. was burnt in a deep ball from Chargers QB Easton Stick, giving up a 30+ yard completion. It was his second such play allowed going back to Week 2 and he'd be up to three if it wasn't for a dropped ball from the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Cowboys badly need cornerback help following DaRon Bland's foot injury that'll knock him out between six to eight weeks. But Booth Jr. has done little to prove he's the guy to turn to. He could be cut next Tuesday.

Are the Cowboys shopping Markquese Bell?

In a game where the Cowboys mostly played guys on the roster bubble, a common theme continued: Markquese Bell is playing a lot this August. For someone who played 61% of the defensive snaps in 2023 and has looked good and comfortable after transitioning back to safety all summer, it's certainly noteworthy.

Is he playing that much because the Cowboys are simply too deep at safety and they need someone to do it or is the team trying to shop him around the league? Bell could start on many NFL teams and Dallas could get strong compensation for him. Now granted, this is purely speculation on my end. It just feels odd that he's playing this much.