Cowboys' Kelvin Joseph: In Danger of Getting Cut?

Kelvin Joseph got a starting position in the Cowboys' preseason-opening 28-23 loss to the visiting Jaguars. Did he play well enough to avoid being in the "who to cut?'' conversation?

ARLINGTON, Texas - The Dallas Cowboys gave Kelvin Joseph a starting position in Saturday's preseason-opening 28-23 loss to the visiting Jaguars.

And what did Joseph give them in return? Not enough to quell the questions about whether he should make the team in 2023.

Like every NFL team, the Cowboys will have to cut their current roster of roughly 90 players down to 53 before the regular season begins - August 29 is D-day there. Dallas has plenty of talent on the roster, and roster cuts inevitably mean parting ways with some quality players.

Could one such player be cornerback Joseph? We suggested going into the game that Joseph is having a difficult time finding his place on the Dallas depth chart ... that he's "not showing enough'' as a corner ... and that as much as the Cowboys would hate to admit a mistake, or give up on, a third-year player who was a second-round pick, "BossMan Fat'' may find himself on the roster bubble if he doesn't start excelling in opportunities like Saturday's preseason opener with the Jags at AT&T Stadium.

Did he excel? Not to the naked eye, no. The starting secondary on this day was made up of cornerbacks DaRon Bland, Nahshon Wright and Joseph, with Juanyeh Thomas and Markquese Bell playing safety.

Bland is a lock to start for Dallas. Thomas and Bell made big impressions. (Read here.). Joseph had a pass breakup, but otherwise did none of those things.

Is Joseph's future really in jeopardy? Consider the bodies ahead of him, which also of course include Trevon Diggs and Stephon Gilmore starting. Rookie Eric Scott Jr. is listed high on the depth chart. Wright is in the mix. Jourdan Lewis, battling injury, is an accomplished slot corner.

Meanwhile, Joseph has in a sense switched positions, moving away from boundary corner during some practice sessions ... while also trying to continue to pick up on how to play on special teams.

Joseph, a 2021 second-round pick, has never been much of a special-teams player before late last year, when he impressed coaches with his development there. But at corner? Last year was a struggle. He got a shot when Anthony Brown was lost for the season but allowed 12 completions for 219 yards and four touchdowns on 18 targets ... while allowing a passer rating of 147.9.

And that sent the organization in a mad scramble for help from on-the-couch free agent corners.

Joseph has started just three games in two seasons, and was even benched last year during a Week 15 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. This came shortly after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called out Joseph specifically in December, saying it's time for him to step up.

"It's time for him to become a man," Jones told 105.3 The Fan. "Accept a higher level of responsibility. He’s got more people depending on him. It’s time for some of the side stuff to ease its way out of his life."

Jones' comments were about Joseph's off-field behavior. Those sad issues haven't surfaced again. Now it's about football ... and if his roster spot is already in jeopardy after just two years, it's safe to say those expectations have not been met.

COWBOYS FISH REPORT … now a podcast! Join us inside The Star, ANY TIME!

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Cowboys?

Follow FishSports on Twitter