Let’s face it, by the time the third preseason game rolls around, most of the battles have been fought, debates have taken place, and roster decisions have been made. With final rosters due on August 30, teams have no time to waste whittling down from 90 to 53.
The Dallas Cowboys are certainly no exception. Unlike most teams coming off losing seasons, Dallas has most of the roster spots written in stone. Very few spots are up for grabs, so for those operating on the periphery, margins are razor thin and mistakes cannot be afforded.
It’s these handful of players who stood out in all the wrong ways in the Cowboys’ 27-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Friday night. While Jaishawn Barham, Camden Brown and Joe Milton III all performed admirably,
far too many others wilted under the pressure.
Michael Trigg, TE
Cowboys Nation almost universally joined the Trigg bandwagon from the jump. An above-the-rim tight end from Baylor was Dallas’ prized rookie undrafted free agent this year. With so much potential to work with, character concerns and blocking deficiencies could be overlooked, provided he dazzled with ball skills.
0 catches in 3 targets for Michael Trigg.
— Mauricio Rodríguez (@MauNFL) August 29, 2026
Sadly, Trigg did not dazzle. While he showed a willingness to block, he wasn’t particularly good at it on Friday against the Saints. To make matters worse, Trigg struggled to catch the ball making his place on the Cowboys final 53 a longshot.
Caelen Carson, CB
Carson is a solid practice player but something always seems to happen when the bright lights of a real game turn on. Carson’s first two performances this summer were events to forget and sadly nothing that happened on Friday night did anything to change it.
Caelen Carson just did the seatbelt celebration following an incompletion.. He then gave up a first down on a incompletion for illegal contact.
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) August 29, 2026
Saints scored on the next play
While he appeared to show more resiliency than in times past, Carson still struggled in coverage, struggled to tackle and struggled with penalties.
Sam Williams, DE
Williams, a pet project from the Dan Quinn era, has never lived up to his potential. Re-signing with the Cowboys on a one-year, $2.5M deal over the offseason, he made one last swing at his Dallas career. Friday night against the Saints he just showed more of the same.
Missed tackle by Sam Williams leads to a big run.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) August 29, 2026
I think we can just about wrap this up. https://t.co/K2eC7cElw1
Williams flashes enough to remind everyone how talented he is but botched enough to remind everyone how he’s usually a net negative on the field.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 3 Cowboys on the bubble who hurt their odds after Cowboys-Saints
