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Cowboys' rookie gets brutal reality check with rollercoaster preseason debut

It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys have had defensive tackle issues during training camp. Mazi Smith has had a very up-and-down camp and was one of the few projected Week 1 starters who actually played in the preseason. Perrion Winfrey also saw some snaps and, like Smith, his play was all over the place.

Jay Toia is another defensive tackle trying to make the 53-man roster, and he played a significant number of snaps on Saturday night.

A seventh-round pick out of UCLA, Toia has gotten reps with the first-team defense throughout training camp, and many believed he could challenge Smith for the starting 1-technique job.