Cowboys preseason Week 2: Positional breakdown of where things stand for Dallas offense

Through two preseason games one thing is abundantly clear, the Dallas Cowboys still have a lot of unanswered questions they need to answer on the offensive side of the ball. Fortunately, from quarterback to offensive line, Dallas' starters are all but written in stone right now. The concern right now mostly resides on the depth at each position.

Today, we are going to attempt to go position by position and share where things stand right now for the Dallas Cowboys offense. By doing this we hope to shine more light on certain areas that are still of concern and where the Cowboys may be looking to look for upgrades when roster cuts are made around the league.

Quarterback

This is a position group that will remain exactly the same as it did a season ago. Dak Prescott is the unquestioned starter with Cooper Rush serving as his primary backup and Will Grier rounding out the group as the last resort emergency option. Rush was clearly the best option throughout preseason to remain the QB2 despite Grier's best efforts.

Running back

Once a favorite to emerge as the primary backup for Tony Pollard, Malik Davis has seen both Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn surpass him on the depth chart by being more productive and consistent throughout the first two preseason games. Dowdle has likely won the RB2 job, and Vaughn is carving out his own role as the change of pace back.

Wide receiver

Lock it in. CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, KaVontae Turpin, and Jalen Tolbert have all secured roster spots as of right now. If the Cowboys decide to go six deep at the position, this year's seventh-round pick, Jalen Brooks, will probably round out the group. It's a numbers game at WR and Dallas man to say goodbye to several players they'd rather keep.

Tight end

John Stephens' unfortunate season-ending knee injury leaves little questions as to who will play TE for the Cowboys in 2023. Jake Ferguson will be Dalton Schultz replacement as Dallas' TE1, leaving Luke Schoonmaker, Peyton Hendershot, and Sean McKeon to battle it out to be his primary backup. Schoonmaker may be the favorite, but not by much.

Offensive tackle

The only thing we really know for sure at the OT position right now is Tyron Smith and Terence Steele will be the starters for the 2023 season. Outside of Tyler Smith kicking back outside to LT if/when Tyron sustains an injury, who will be the swing tackle this year is very much up in the air. Asim Richards is a contender, but a veteran addition may be needed.

Offensive guard

Like at OT, outside of knowing Tyler Smith and Zack Martin are the unquestioned starters this year, the question as to who will back them up remains unanswered right now. Dallas has options in T.J. Bass, Matt Farniok, Brock Hoffman, and even Asim Richards despite playing primarily LT in the preseason. A vet may be needed here as well.

Center

Again, outside of knowing Tyler Biadasz will be Dallas' starting center this season, no one really knows who will emerge as his primary backup. Both Brock Hoffman and Matt Farniok are probably close to being on equal footing to earn the backup job, however, neither has really separated themselves enough to feel secure one or the others the best option.