Dallas City News

Training camp for the Dallas Cowboys begins on Thursday as the team will practice in Oxnard, California for a few weeks before returning to the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Starting August 11th, the Cowboys will play three preseason games against the NFL teams who called Los Angeles their home at some point – the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers.

This will give us a good look at the Cowboys team before the regular season begins and hopefully answer some questions that have been on our minds for months. Here are 10 of the most burning questions entering training camp.

1. Who will be the team’s starting left tackle?

One of the biggest needle movers for the Cowboys this season will be the impact of rookie first-round pick Tyler Guyton. He’s a raw player and his readiness to protect Dak Prescott’s blindside is of utmost interest. Growing pains are expected, but just how reliable will he be by the start of the season? If he’s not ready, who’s the next man up? Chuma Edoga? Asim Richards? Tyler Smith? All eyes will be on the left tackle position to see how it unfolds.

2. How will the running-back-by-committee be arranged?

Ezekiel Elliott is back in the fold, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be handed the starting running back job. The Cowboys also re-signed Rico Dowdle who is coming off his best year as a pro after finally staying healthy. Free agent Royce Freeman and second-year back Deuce Vaughn are also vying for a roster spot. Or as we suggested back in April, the Cowboys still have an opportunity to get better at running back. How this whole thing plays out will be of interest to fans.

3. Who will become the starting strong safety alongside Malik Hooker?

With Mike Zimmer taking over as the new defensive coordinator, the expectation is that both his safeties can cover. Since the team only has one true free safety (Hooker), that leaves an open audition for the second starting safety spot between Donovan Wilson, Markquese Bell, and Juanyeh Thomas.

4. Who will become the starting center, Brock Hoffman or Cooper Beebe?

One of the most popular picks in the draft was third-round steal Cooper Beebe, which many are counting on as an upgrade over the recently departed Tyler Biadasz. The traits are there, but will he be mentally ready to handle the starting gig immediately? Last year’s backup center Brock Hoffman will be doing everything to earn the job, creating a nice training camp battle for the team’s new starting center.

5. How will Mike Zimmer deploy his defensive linemen?

The Cowboys have a lot of different pieces along the defensive line, including several versatile players. With tweeners like Marshawn Kneeland, Chauncey Golston, and Viliami Fehoko, it will be interesting to see how Zimmer arranges his troops to get maximum effectiveness.

6. How will the linebacker group shape out?

With the Zimmer coaching change, the Cowboys should move to more of a 4-3 base look, meaning three linebackers will be on the field more. The team has four players, Eric Kendricks, Damone Clark, DeMarvion Overshown, and Marist Liufau all competing for playing time. Which players step up and take over certain roles was something we explored last month and it will be interesting to see how it pans out.

7. What will become of Trey Lance?

The former third-overall pick from a few years ago hasn’t lived up to the hype and the 49ers cut their losses when they traded Lance to the Cowboys last year for a fourth-round pick. Dallas hopes this young quarterback can turn a corner and be a viable asset to the team. Lance will get plenty of opportunities and should dominate the storylines when the preseason approaches. All eyes will be on how much he has improved and whether his decision making is good enough to stick around in “The Show.”

8. Will anything click for the year two guys?

Everyone knows it was a disappointing year for the 2023 draft class. Only five of their eight draft picks even saw action last year with Mazi Smith being the only player to start, and that was just for three games. A couple of months ago, we identified some reasons to be skeptical about a year-two jump from Smith, but who knows what to expect? Hopefully, we can see some progress for Smith, Luke Schoonmaker, Eric Scott Jr., and Fehoko.

We should add that the players returning from injury will also garner our attention. Players like Overshown, Diggs, Fehoko, and John Stephens Jr. saw little or no action last year. Their recovery will go a long way in determining how much they’ll contribute this season.

9. How will Caelen Carson look?

Many believe the Cowboys got a hidden gem with the selection of fifth-round pick Caelen Carson. There’s an outside chance he could work himself into the mix as one of the team’s outside corners. His progression could determine how each cornerback is used thanks to the outside/slot flexibility of DaRon Bland. With Trevon Diggs slowly eased back into action, Carson and the before-mentioned Scott Jr. should have a good opportunity to plead their case.

10. Which under-the-radar wide receiver will sneak his way on the roster?

The Cowboys have a nice dynamic duo at wide receiving between CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks, but beyond that, the door is wide open. The two Jalens should vie for the third/fourth spots on the depth chart, but several other players are in the fold. Don’t be surprised if someone like David Durden, Ryan Flournoy, or Tyron Billy-Johnson becomes all the craze after dazzling in practice.

Here are the rankings of the top 60 players heading into training camp. Expect a lot of movement in the coming weeks.