The Dallas Cowboys were finally able to deliver a preseason victory on Friday night, getting themselves a feel-good moment to close out the exhibition schedule with a 31-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Handing first-time head coach Brian Schottenheimer his first ever victory was nice, and the team maybe even learned a few things along the way.

One of the obvious things that stood out was the running ability of Joe Milton. The young quarterback has more growing up to do in the passing department but when unleashed, his running ability makes the cannon he has for an arm more dangerous.

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The offensive line’s blocking also looked impressive. Dallas essentially brought in two highly coveted offensive line coaches and their teachings were on display against Atlanta. Here are five things that we learned on Friday night that might alter upcoming roster decisions. Teams have until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to reduce their roster from 90 to 53 players..

James Houston is a strong 53-man candidate

Defensive end James Houston didn’t sign with the Cowboys until July 22, two days after the team departed for Oxnard. Signing the former Detroit Lion made few waves nationally, but Cowboys Twitter has been vocal about him making the squad.

Houston finished the game with one sack and multiple pressure, showcasing his skills as a pass rusher.

The Cowboys have three former second-round picks at the position behind All-Pro Micah Parsons. Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland, and Donovan Ezeiruaku all figure to be in the team’s 2025 plans. They also brought back DE Dante Fowler as another team veteran.

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Dallas has traditionally kept a spot for a sixth defensive end but the defensive tackle situation could complicate things for Houston.

Rookies make running back situation stable

The stable of running backs Dallas assembled drew the ire of many critics who ranked the Cowboys near or dead last in the league. With training camp now complete, the situation feels more palatable.

Rookie RB Jaydon Blue finally made his debut and although a few of his runs were short gains, when allowed, his acceleration is the kind of skill that makes everyone hold their breath when he gets going. He finished with nine carries for 28 yards and a touchdown.

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His position mate and 2025 draft class member Phil Mafah is the thunder to Blue’s lightning. The Clemson product was already having a good showing in the first two preseason games but stepped out of the way so others could get a shot.

Despite this, Mafah still scored on a difficult short yardage situation and finished with two attempts for 16 yards. Dallas has a handful of veterans at running back but the two kids may have cemented their roster spots last night.

The offensive line is loaded

The Cowboys came into camp with questions about their starting offensive line and are leaving with too many answers and not enough spots to keep everyone. Gone are the days of dealing with lineman like Josh Ball and Matt Waletzko and pray for a good showing.

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Dallas legitimately has more than 10 lineman who performed well, and unless they go heavy at the position, someone who earned a spot won’t make it.

From left to right, Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, and Terence Steele make up the team’s ‘s starting O-line. Asim Richards, T.J. Bass, Brock Hoffman, Hakeem Adeniji, and La’el Collins are primary backups. So are Ajani Cornelius and Nate Thomas, two late round Cowboys draft picks in successive rounds who have shown promise.

That makes 12 players who could make the roster. This is even after Dallas lost free agent addition Robert Jones for the season. Trades are always the first way to deal with an overstocked cupboard but the Cowboys may believe they can hide one or two of those guys through waivers next week.

Receiver conundrum

Like the offensive line, the receivers are also in a bit of a jam. CeeDee Lamb is the Alpha of the group while newcomer George Pickens figures to play Robin to Lamb’s Batman this season. Return man KaVontae Turpin also figures to get time at wideout alongside Jalen Tolbert, last year’s third receiver.

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Jonathan Mingo was brought to Dallas late last season and was having a good showing before injuring his knee that may keep him out the first few weeks of the season. Dallas might have kept him on the roster without a designation but the solid play, both on offense and special teams, by Ryan Flournoy is hard to ignore.

Flournoy has a suddenness to his route running that allows him to create separation. He is more than a willing blocker in the run game (as seen in the above tweet) but it’s his effort on special teams that adds to his value.

Secondary Options

The pairing of Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland gives Dallas two All-Pro cornerbacks who can play opposite of each other. That plan has yet to consistently come to fruition because of injuries, making depth ever so important.

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The issue is that the guys behind them are also injured. Caelen Carson, Shavon Revel Jr., and Josh Butler have missed most if not all of training camp with injuries. Kair Elam was a former failed first-round pick out of Buffalo but figures to get the first shot at being the replacement.

Andrew Booth, Tony Pride Jr, and Kemon Hall are also guys of interest but having them play heavy minutes is a frightening thought. Israel Mukuamu is also in line for playing time but the team still feels thin at the position.

On the bright side, Dallas may have found another undrafted free-agent gem in slot corner Zion Childress. Dallas may have to look outside the organization for cornerbacks with more experience.

Luckily for the Cowboys, the practice squad can now hold up to 17 players. That means only 20 of the 90 players will have to look for a new home when the team is assembled. Add that to the list of things we learned.

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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 5 things we learned after Cowboys final preseason game of 2025