Chargers vs. Cowboys: An August delight

Who knew we'd be so excited to see Richard Bartel

Everyone's football boners will be doing loops tomorrow night as Dallas Cowboys football for 2008-(hopefully) 2009 begins. Sort of.

It's pre-season football. One quarter of Tony Romo. One quarter Brad Johnson. One half Richard Bartel. A recipe for drinking.

I'm of the very unofficial opinion that pre-season games are really important, much more than the actual practices. Drill all you want, but until your getting your ass whipped by someone in another uniform, it doesn't mean anything. The only way you get better is if you learn and the only way to learn is to get beat.

The other reason pre-season football is so dang interesting is because there are around 40 guys that know they have a job. But it's the remaining 10 or so that are playing their ass off to make the team. So for at least one half (if not more) there will be desperate, angry animals out there, cornered and willing to do just about anything to make an impression.

Here's five Cowboys that should make an impression Saturday.

Danny Amendola
Let's assume Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd, Miles Austin and Ike Stanback are almost secured receiver spots. Now, let's assume the Cowboys taking six receivers out of camp is at 35 percent. The remaining 65 percent should motivate Amendola to make an impression. Also, Amendola has a local/Texas angle to work. If he can embrace the underdog role and get the public and media behind him, I don't think GM Jerry Jones will be able to let him walk.

Pat Watkins
I do not know the chances the Cowboys would ever drop a guy with two years under his belt. But there's word on the street (see: Internet) that 2007 draftee Courtney Brown is making huge progress in camp in third-down packages on defense. Not Watkins.

Anthony Henry
The Cowboys are itching for Henry to pull a hamstring or start stinking it up to get Pacman in there.

Bobby Carpenter
Either on defense or special teams, Carpenter needs to legitimize his roster spot.

Martellus Bennett
He's been infamously dogging it all camp. A spirited pre-season performance could rally the Aggie faithful.