Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams stock report: Markquese Bell rises, Trey Lance falls
The Dallas Cowboys fell to the Los Angeles Rams during their preseason opener on Sunday afternoon and that is hardly a big deal given that this was an exhibition game. But there are certainly things to learn from what we saw. This is a time of year for introspection and assessment in the name of constructing the best group to challenge for the franchise’s sixth Lombardi trophy.
Welcome to the first stock report of the season here at Blogging The Boys. A reminder on the types of stock that we hand out:
- Up: Obviously when a player does well
- Down: Also obviously when a player performs poorly
- Static: We debuted this last year and it is reserved for when someone has a game that merits some sort of discussion but it not obviously good or poor
Here we go.
Stock Up: Marshawn Kneeland
We did not get to see the second-round rookie a ton, but when we did early on he seriously flashed. Of all the new players on this team this season he may wind wind up having the biggest impact. He was stellar.
That Kneeland popped so much is also a welcome relief given the season-ending injury suffered by Sam Williams at the beginning of camp. Dallas is going to need Kneeland this season and he looked ready to answer that call.
Stock Up: Jalen Brooks
If you have a 43-yard reception you make the stock up list. Those are the rules.
So far to this point in camp, and now the preseason, we have seen just about everybody pop in terms of wide receivers down the roster on different days, but no one really separated themselves in the WR4 competition. Enter Jalen Brooks.
We saw Brooks have a small handful of moments last year during his rookie season and he has had nice moments at camp as well. It feels like he picked up the inside track on that competition on Sunday at SoFi.
Stock Up: Markquese Bell
This was the first time that we got to see Markquese Bell back at safetyin a game and it appears that his time at linebacker made an impact in his development as a player.
Interception. Boom.
We have devoted a lot of time and energy to wondering how Bell would look stepping back into the safety position and it seems as if he is ready for the challenge. This was great to see.
Stock Up: Caelen Carson
It is evident that Carson is the fourth-best cornerback on this team. His positioning on the roster has really crystalized since camp began and he should walk away from this game with the expectation that he will be relied upon to a significant degree this season.
Stock Up: Mike Zimmer
The Cowboys defense recorded four interceptions throughout this game. and while it feels like a reach to say that Mike Zimmer deserves all of the credit, it is certainly fair to say that he deserves a tip of the cap. To make matters more impressive Zimmer apparently called the defense (that only allowed a single touchdown and at that in the final seconds of the game) without using a play sheet.
Static Stock: Eric Scott Jr.
It was a mostly not good first half for Eric Scott Jr. In fact, many were wondering if he was going to make the team given that Dallas just traded for Andrew Booth.
But then he had an interception just before it ended. Redemption!
The interception doesn’t undo all of the bad from the first half, including a ridiculous unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but it helps Scott Jr. have a play on the positive side of the grading sheet which certainly helps him out.
Static Stock: Ryan Flournoy
To this point we have seen just about every receiver down the roster have their day except for Ryan Flournoy. There was a moment in the third quarter where Flournoy had a nice catch in traffic in this game, but shortly after he had a penalty (it wasn’t called on him, but it was on him in actuality) that set the team back.
It was his first NFL action and in that sense there is a ton of reason for optimism. Hopefully next time we see more.
Stock Down: Trey Lance
Were there some nice moments where you can see that Lance has athleticism? Sure. But were there a lot of times where he panicked and pressed and what not? Definitely.
Ultimately Lance looked overwhelmed and like the clear third quarterback on the team. His situation is obviously unique with how little football he has played in his NFL career, but any idea that he is ready to be a starter in the league right now feels like a massive stretch.
These are important moments for Lance to get better an develop, and he is clearly devoted to that. We are simply at a place where things need to continue to be worked on.
Stock Down: Racey McMath
As noted, there have been several wide receivers who have been having nice moments so far and none of them have been named Racey McMath. He didn’t shine as he had a drop and a fumble in this game, and that certainly is not going to help him in any kind of competition.