ARLINGTON, Texas -- When the Cowboys signed Marcus Spears, Kenyon Coleman and Jason Hatcher, Sean Lissemore’s future did not look so bright.

Yet the second-year defensive end has continued to impress the coaches with his work during training camp and could force a decision on the 53-man roster. With Coleman now starting and Lissemore playing well, Igor Olshansky has been subject to some speculation about his roster spot.

Lissemore had two tackles in the preseason opener against Denver. His rookie year was cut short by an ankle injury but in his first game he had three tackles and a half sack against Jacksonville on Oct. 31.

When Jay Ratliff was out for a few days with a sore hip, Lissemore moved inside to nose tackle.

“I’m just trying to show some position flexibility,” Lissemore said. “You never know where a team is going to need you. I’ve tried to work on that while Jay was out. It’s a fun position. I keep telling people playing end is like stepping in a road and you can see the cards coming and you can avoid them. Playing nose is like stepping in an intersection and you can’t see where they’re coming from. They’re two different positions but I enjoy both of them.”