2021 Rookie camp, OTAs, TC thread...
- Thread starter Cotton
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Considering I thought he would be a total disaster, I'll take it.
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Yeah no reason to anoint anyone. I'm just glad he doesn't look out of place like a massive turd which I thought he might.
Simpleton
DCC 4Life
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If he flashes a few times in preseason I'll start getting excited, until then this is nothing but the media overanalyzing and trying to create interest in a dead period.
Shiningstar
DCC 4Life
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you knew this was coming. usually weak links need good PR. not all, but some will get it. this is one of them he might be better, we dont know, what we do know is we have no idea as of now.
Chocolate Lab
Mere Commoner
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Wow, only three weeks away. Crazy.
p1_
DCC 4Life
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who's ready?
Chocolate Lab
Mere Commoner
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I look forward to being awed by Parsons. That would be nice.
ravidubey
DCC 4Life
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Wouldn’t it be great to land one truly great player and not another underachiever or constantly injured one or one who shows up great when you don’t need it and disappears against the best competition or in the playoffs.
But a real star you could build a whole team around.
One day!
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- Joined
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Cowboys training camp: Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and the 20 biggest storylines to watch beginning this week
By Jon Machota 3h ago
Cowboys training camp returns to the Residence Inn River Ridge in Oxnard, Calif., this week for the 13th time in the last 18 years.
Everything officially kicks off Wednesday with the team’s opening news conference that is expected to include owner and general manager Jerry Jones, executive vice president Stephen Jones and coach Mike McCarthy. Jerry Jones has been known to drop an interesting quote or two during this annual news conference, like in 2012 when he said, “I’ve been here when it was glory hole days, and I’ve been here when it wasn’t. Having said that, I want me some glory hole.”
Thirteen practices are scheduled in California, with the first being Thursday at 11 a.m. PST and the final one on Aug. 12.
To get you ready, here are the 20 biggest storylines entering this year’s training camp.
1. Dak Prescott. How much work does he get, and how does he perform? The Cowboys quarterback looked like his old self during organized team activities and minicamp. He never appeared to be favoring his surgically-repaired right ankle. But he’s expected to do even more in training camp.
Prescott took part in every drill during the offseason program, but defensive linemen weren’t on the field during the team drill portion. That was done as a precaution to prevent players from accidentally rolling into Prescott’s ankle. Those linemen are expected to be out there during Prescott’s team-drill reps in Oxnard. How does his ankle respond if he does take a hit in camp? That is the only test left for him. However, it may not come until the preseason or even Week 1 as defenders aren’t supposed to hit quarterbacks in training camp practices.
The expectations are also as high as they’ve ever been for the franchise quarterback after signing the largest contract in team history in March at four years, $160 million. Prescott is expected to perform like one of the league’s best quarterbacks, something he was doing before suffering the gruesome injury last season in Week 5.
2. Mike McCarthy. Things didn’t go anywhere close to what McCarthy was expecting during his first season in Dallas. Not only was he dealing with coaching a new team during a pandemic, but the team suffered a significant number of notable injuries to key starters like Prescott, Tyron Smith, La’el Collins, Zack Martin, Leighton Vander Esch, Gerald McCoy, Trysten Hill and Blake Jarwin.
Regardless of the injuries or any off-the-field obstacles, the Cowboys simply can’t be a six-win team again in 2021. They play in the NFL’s worst division and have one of the league’s most talented rosters. Based on his postseason résumé while in Green Bay, McCarthy was hired to get Dallas into the playoffs and then make a run beyond the divisional round for the first time since the 1995 season. Although unlikely, another disappointing season could lead to Jones looking for a new coach in January.
This will be McCarthy’s first camp away from The Star. It should be interesting to see if he does anything different with the way he structures practices and if there are any areas he gives extra emphasis.
3. Defensive plan. New defensive coordinator Dan Quinn showed a lot of different looks in the offseason. There will be times when the Cowboys are in a 4-3 base defense, but it appears a base 3-4 is going to be used more often. The biggest issue there is that the team’s top two edge rushers, DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory, were drafted to play 4-3 defensive end. If both can have success rushing more often from a standing position and occasionally dropping into coverage, the scheme change should be fine. But previous defensive coordinator Mike Nolan was trying to implement something similar last year, and it was a disaster.
The Cowboys just aren’t talented enough on the back end for this defense to be even middle of the pack without a quality pass rush. And no one should expect anything special coming from the pass rush if Lawrence and Gregory aren’t consistently making plays.
4. Top pick impact. Micah Parsons is a traditional 4-3 linebacker, but he could be an immediate impact player who also helps Lawrence and Gregory get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Parsons has the ability to become the team’s top defensive playmaker, but a lot will depend on how much he can handle.
Quinn is going to move him all over the field to find the best matchups. The Cowboys put a lot on Parsons’ plate this offseason. The last thing the Cowboys need is him playing a step slower because he’s second-guessing himself or lining up in the wrong spot. The Cowboys didn’t draft him 12th overall to sit on the bench and redshirt this year. Training camp should be a good time to get a better understanding of where Parsons will end up making the biggest impact in Year 1.
5. Will Amari Cooper be limited? He didn’t do much in the offseason after having right ankle surgery in January. The recovery process was not expected to sideline him for training camp, but we’ll get a better understanding of his progress when the team gets to California. Look for Cooper to potentially begin camp working off to the side with athletic trainers and then slowly work back into team drills. With how hard the Cowboys were hit with injuries last year, it shouldn’t be a surprise if they are a little extra cautious with key veteran starters like Cooper. As long as he’s ready to go Week 1, it’s not a significant concern if he doesn’t get all of the practice reps in July and August.
6. An Ezekiel Elliott bounce back season? He appeared to be in excellent shape during OTAs and minicamp. His cuts looked sharp. He seemed to be in a good place. And with his starting quarterback and all of his standout offensive linemen back healthy, Elliott should get back to being one of the NFL’s top running backs. Of course, he needs to take care of the football and stay healthy. Training camp should be a good indicator of what to expect from Elliott this upcoming season. If the passing game is as potent as it looks on paper, the two-time rushing champion should end up facing the most favorable defensive fronts he’s seen since being drafted fourth overall in 2016.
7. Can the team stay healthy? McCarthy’s favorite part of practicing in California could be that the team will be working on two grass fields. McCarthy prefers practicing on grass, but there is only one grass field at The Star and it usually gets destroyed pretty quickly. The hope is that working on the grass will avoid leg injuries like the one McCoy suffered last year while practicing on the turf inside the Ford Center. As much as the Cowboys want to use this valuable time to build a better rapport on the field, the most important thing will be returning to Dallas as healthy as possible.
8. Which cornerbacks will emerge? If the season started today, the starting three corners probably would be Anthony Brown, Jourdan Lewis and Trevon Diggs. Does Kelvin Joseph look ready for a starting spot? He was certainly drafted high enough to immediately be in the mix, but we didn’t get to see much from him during OTAs and minicamp as he was out for most of it with an illness.
One of the most intriguing individual matchups will be seeing Joseph go head-to-head with the standout wide receivers on the Cowboys roster. There should indications by the end of camp if Joseph is ready to start Week 1 or if going with Brown or Lewis is the smarter play. Also keep an eye on players like Nahshon Wright, Maurice Canady and Reggie Robinson II. One or two of them could emerge as valuable contributors.
9. What are the combinations at safety? Damontae Kazee and Jayron Kearse were the first-team safeties during OTAs and minicamp as Donovan Wilson was nursing an injury. Is Wilson fully healthy and ready to build on his emergence from last season? Either way, safety remains the weakest position group on the roster.
Could there be some developments at camp that changes that outlook to something a little more positive? Possibly, but it seems unlikely. A rookie like Israel Mukuamu would have to turn some heads or Kazee would have to look like the ballhawk who intercepted seven passes in 2018. Entering camp, Kazee and Wilson are the best bet to start with some combination of Kearse, Mukuamu or Darian Thompson working with the second team. Other safeties to know: undrafted rookie free agent Tyler Coyle from Purdue and Steven Parker, who played 78 defensive snaps in eight games last season.
10. Will “Hard Knocks” be a distraction? Most likely. Coaches would prefer not to have the extra cameras around behind the scenes, but that’s really nothing new for the Cowboys. There will be some players, coaches or front office members who emerge as stars of the show. Some of the favorites include Jerry Jones, Micah Parsons, Kelvin Joseph, Jaylon Smith, CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, probably a few undrafted players on the roster bubble, and special teams coordinator John Fassel.
When the “All or Nothing” cameras followed the Cowboys around in 2017, Jason Garrett’s swearing gained a lot of attention from outsiders. Garrett didn’t love that side of him being made public, but many argued that it was a good thing, making him seem more relatable to those who believed he was too robotic.
11. Blake Jarwin’s health. He hasn’t fully participated in a practice since tearing the ACL in his right knee in the first half of last year’s season opener. The Cowboys will likely ease him back into practice at the start of training camp. Depending on how much he can handle, Jarwin is expected to return to being the team’s No. 1 tight end. Dalton Schultz did an excellent job filling that role last season after Jarwin went down. It was actually one of the very few bright spots for the Cowboys last season. Schultz has the ability to be the team’s full-time starter if Jarwin hasn’t fully recovered.
If both are healthy, Dallas will have some very good depth at the position. Training camp will be the first time we see how the Cowboys plan to work those two players into the lineup. There will be 12 personnel packages where they’re on the field together, but as long as Cooper, Lamb and Michael Gallup are healthy, the Cowboys will be in three wide receiver sets most often.
12. What’s going on at defensive tackle? It’s right there with safety as the biggest question mark position on the roster. Is Trysten Hill healthy? Like Jarwin, Hill worked off to the side during OTAs and minicamp while he continued recovering from last year’s season-ending knee injury. Hill showed some upside during the first five games before the injury. Had he stayed healthy, he’d likely be locked into a starting spot right now. But his health and Quinn’s plans for the position have provided a lot of questions. Is Neville Gallimore ready to take the next step? Last year’s third-round pick started nine of the 14 games he appeared in last season.
Then there are the veteran free agent additions, Brent Urban and Carlos Watkins, and rookies Osa Odighizuwa and Quinton Bohanna. No one at the position is expected to be in the Pro Bowl conversation, but Quinn has to find the right combination to, at the very least, look adequate against the run. It’s likely that the first-team defensive tackle position is an open battle throughout camp and the preseason.
13. Will Tony Pollard’s role increase? This was a topic of discussion last year at this time, and Pollard ended up with only 15 more carries than his rookie season but with twice as many targets (40) in the passing game. Pollard has shown the ability to handle a starter’s workload if needed, but as long as Elliott is healthy, he’s getting the majority of the work. We’ll see at training camp if offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has found any new ways to get Pollard involved as a runner and as a receiver.
14. Who will be the punter? Hunter Niswander took over the job in the second half of last season in place of the injured Chris Jones. Though Niswander was solid, Fassel was thrilled to add veteran Bryan Anger in March.
“Going into camp, I think it’d be fair to say for sure that Bryan is the leader and Hunter is continuing to develop as a punter,” Fassel said last month. “I thought Hunter did a really good job stepping in last year off the street. But I’ve talked to Hunter about his developmental process and some of the things that he continues to work on as a punter. But I think Bryan is a top-flight guy, and I expect him to be that. And we’ll see what happens.”
15. Offensive tackle. If Tyron Smith and La’el Collins are healthy, the Cowboys are in great shape at the position. But after Smith missed 14 games in 2020 and Collins missed the entire season with injuries, there has to be some depth developed there. Veteran Ty Nsekhe is expected to be the swing tackle, but it gets interesting after him. Brandon Knight and Terence Steele were forced into significant action last season because of Smith and Collins being sidelined. The Cowboys also drafted Josh Ball in the fourth round. Knight, Steele and Ball will battle for the No. 4 tackle spot throughout training camp. Ball has the most upside, but others have actual NFL game experience.
If there was one position group that was going to be the barometer for how the 2021 season will go for the Cowboys, offensive line is probably at the top of the list. If Dallas can start and end the season with the same five starting offensive linemen, this is probably a playoff team.
16. Leighton Vander Esch. He’s hopeful that the injuries are behind him and he’s ready to contribute consistently like he did during his rookie season. If that ends up happening, Vander Esch and Parsons have a good chance to see the most linebacker snaps. If not, there will be a lot more opportunities for Jaylon Smith, Keanu Neal and Jabril Cox. The Cowboys significantly improved their depth at the position so they can handle a Vander Esch injury much better than in previous years. But the hope is that Vander Esch has a Pro Bowl-caliber year and the team looks to sign him to a new contract in the offseason.
“Those injuries are way behind me,” Vander Esch said last month. “I’ve been training and working out and trying to put more body armor on my frame to make sure that I do give myself the best chance possible to stay healthy. Not that that solves all your problems because you can’t help someone rolling up on you or doing anything like that. But you can strengthen yourself and give yourself a little bit more body armor to protect yourself in any way possible. I feel like I did that this offseason.”
17. Next step for CeeDee Lamb. The second-year wide receiver had a good rookie season, catching 74 of his 111 targets for 935 yards and five touchdowns. But much more is expected of him in a full season with Prescott. Lamb has only scratched the surface. He has the ability to become Dallas’ No. 1 wide receiver as soon as this season. He’ll get most of his work from in the slot with Cooper and Gallup lining up on the outside, but Lamb can certainly make defenses pay from any receiver position. If what we saw in OTAs and minicamp is any indication, this could be a training camp filled with No. 88 highlights.
18. Other rookies to watch. Parsons and Joseph are expected to have the biggest immediate impact, just because of how high they were drafted. But there are plenty of rookies, particularly on defense, that have a chance to play meaningful snaps this season.
LB Jabril Cox, CB Nahshon Wright, DE Chauncey Golston, Odighizuwa and Bohanna could all work into the mix beginning Week 1. Wright made some noticeable plays in rookie minicamp and OTAs. Golston, Odighizuwa and Bohanna should be part of the regular defensive line rotation. Cox is most likely to impact the game in passing situations with his ability to cover.
Quinn had a say in the drafting of all of those players. With how poorly the defense played last season, which included far too many plays with questionable effort, the team’s new defensive coordinator could elect to give some of the younger players more of an opportunity if some of those same problems creep up again this season.
19. Backup QB. It’s Garrett Gilbert’s job to lose at this point. Behind him are Cooper Rush and Ben DiNucci. Unless the Cowboys add a veteran, these three are expected to see most of the work in the preseason. Could one of them do enough to be Prescott’s backup all season? Sure. But don’t close the door on the possibility of another player being added to the mix. Backup QB wasn’t much of a storyline from 2016 through 2019 as Prescott never missed a start. But his injury last year and the loss of Andy Dalton means the backup job has a little more value this time around.
20. Will COVID-19 cause issues? The Cowboys are not one of the 13 teams reported to have at least 85 percent of their team fully vaccinated, so many team members will be facing similar restrictions as last year’s training camp. Reporters covering the team have to be fully vaccinated and show proof of a negative coronavirus test to be allowed to attend training camp.
The Cowboys have a bubble-type atmosphere set up at their Oxnard location. No other visitors will be staying at the hotel while the team is in town. But non-vaccinated players will have to be tested daily, wear masks and be restricted from dining together inside. There also will be limitations on in-person meetings.
By Jon Machota 3h ago
Cowboys training camp returns to the Residence Inn River Ridge in Oxnard, Calif., this week for the 13th time in the last 18 years.
Everything officially kicks off Wednesday with the team’s opening news conference that is expected to include owner and general manager Jerry Jones, executive vice president Stephen Jones and coach Mike McCarthy. Jerry Jones has been known to drop an interesting quote or two during this annual news conference, like in 2012 when he said, “I’ve been here when it was glory hole days, and I’ve been here when it wasn’t. Having said that, I want me some glory hole.”
Thirteen practices are scheduled in California, with the first being Thursday at 11 a.m. PST and the final one on Aug. 12.
To get you ready, here are the 20 biggest storylines entering this year’s training camp.
1. Dak Prescott. How much work does he get, and how does he perform? The Cowboys quarterback looked like his old self during organized team activities and minicamp. He never appeared to be favoring his surgically-repaired right ankle. But he’s expected to do even more in training camp.
Prescott took part in every drill during the offseason program, but defensive linemen weren’t on the field during the team drill portion. That was done as a precaution to prevent players from accidentally rolling into Prescott’s ankle. Those linemen are expected to be out there during Prescott’s team-drill reps in Oxnard. How does his ankle respond if he does take a hit in camp? That is the only test left for him. However, it may not come until the preseason or even Week 1 as defenders aren’t supposed to hit quarterbacks in training camp practices.
The expectations are also as high as they’ve ever been for the franchise quarterback after signing the largest contract in team history in March at four years, $160 million. Prescott is expected to perform like one of the league’s best quarterbacks, something he was doing before suffering the gruesome injury last season in Week 5.
2. Mike McCarthy. Things didn’t go anywhere close to what McCarthy was expecting during his first season in Dallas. Not only was he dealing with coaching a new team during a pandemic, but the team suffered a significant number of notable injuries to key starters like Prescott, Tyron Smith, La’el Collins, Zack Martin, Leighton Vander Esch, Gerald McCoy, Trysten Hill and Blake Jarwin.
Regardless of the injuries or any off-the-field obstacles, the Cowboys simply can’t be a six-win team again in 2021. They play in the NFL’s worst division and have one of the league’s most talented rosters. Based on his postseason résumé while in Green Bay, McCarthy was hired to get Dallas into the playoffs and then make a run beyond the divisional round for the first time since the 1995 season. Although unlikely, another disappointing season could lead to Jones looking for a new coach in January.
This will be McCarthy’s first camp away from The Star. It should be interesting to see if he does anything different with the way he structures practices and if there are any areas he gives extra emphasis.
3. Defensive plan. New defensive coordinator Dan Quinn showed a lot of different looks in the offseason. There will be times when the Cowboys are in a 4-3 base defense, but it appears a base 3-4 is going to be used more often. The biggest issue there is that the team’s top two edge rushers, DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory, were drafted to play 4-3 defensive end. If both can have success rushing more often from a standing position and occasionally dropping into coverage, the scheme change should be fine. But previous defensive coordinator Mike Nolan was trying to implement something similar last year, and it was a disaster.
The Cowboys just aren’t talented enough on the back end for this defense to be even middle of the pack without a quality pass rush. And no one should expect anything special coming from the pass rush if Lawrence and Gregory aren’t consistently making plays.
4. Top pick impact. Micah Parsons is a traditional 4-3 linebacker, but he could be an immediate impact player who also helps Lawrence and Gregory get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Parsons has the ability to become the team’s top defensive playmaker, but a lot will depend on how much he can handle.
Quinn is going to move him all over the field to find the best matchups. The Cowboys put a lot on Parsons’ plate this offseason. The last thing the Cowboys need is him playing a step slower because he’s second-guessing himself or lining up in the wrong spot. The Cowboys didn’t draft him 12th overall to sit on the bench and redshirt this year. Training camp should be a good time to get a better understanding of where Parsons will end up making the biggest impact in Year 1.
5. Will Amari Cooper be limited? He didn’t do much in the offseason after having right ankle surgery in January. The recovery process was not expected to sideline him for training camp, but we’ll get a better understanding of his progress when the team gets to California. Look for Cooper to potentially begin camp working off to the side with athletic trainers and then slowly work back into team drills. With how hard the Cowboys were hit with injuries last year, it shouldn’t be a surprise if they are a little extra cautious with key veteran starters like Cooper. As long as he’s ready to go Week 1, it’s not a significant concern if he doesn’t get all of the practice reps in July and August.
6. An Ezekiel Elliott bounce back season? He appeared to be in excellent shape during OTAs and minicamp. His cuts looked sharp. He seemed to be in a good place. And with his starting quarterback and all of his standout offensive linemen back healthy, Elliott should get back to being one of the NFL’s top running backs. Of course, he needs to take care of the football and stay healthy. Training camp should be a good indicator of what to expect from Elliott this upcoming season. If the passing game is as potent as it looks on paper, the two-time rushing champion should end up facing the most favorable defensive fronts he’s seen since being drafted fourth overall in 2016.
7. Can the team stay healthy? McCarthy’s favorite part of practicing in California could be that the team will be working on two grass fields. McCarthy prefers practicing on grass, but there is only one grass field at The Star and it usually gets destroyed pretty quickly. The hope is that working on the grass will avoid leg injuries like the one McCoy suffered last year while practicing on the turf inside the Ford Center. As much as the Cowboys want to use this valuable time to build a better rapport on the field, the most important thing will be returning to Dallas as healthy as possible.
8. Which cornerbacks will emerge? If the season started today, the starting three corners probably would be Anthony Brown, Jourdan Lewis and Trevon Diggs. Does Kelvin Joseph look ready for a starting spot? He was certainly drafted high enough to immediately be in the mix, but we didn’t get to see much from him during OTAs and minicamp as he was out for most of it with an illness.
One of the most intriguing individual matchups will be seeing Joseph go head-to-head with the standout wide receivers on the Cowboys roster. There should indications by the end of camp if Joseph is ready to start Week 1 or if going with Brown or Lewis is the smarter play. Also keep an eye on players like Nahshon Wright, Maurice Canady and Reggie Robinson II. One or two of them could emerge as valuable contributors.
9. What are the combinations at safety? Damontae Kazee and Jayron Kearse were the first-team safeties during OTAs and minicamp as Donovan Wilson was nursing an injury. Is Wilson fully healthy and ready to build on his emergence from last season? Either way, safety remains the weakest position group on the roster.
Could there be some developments at camp that changes that outlook to something a little more positive? Possibly, but it seems unlikely. A rookie like Israel Mukuamu would have to turn some heads or Kazee would have to look like the ballhawk who intercepted seven passes in 2018. Entering camp, Kazee and Wilson are the best bet to start with some combination of Kearse, Mukuamu or Darian Thompson working with the second team. Other safeties to know: undrafted rookie free agent Tyler Coyle from Purdue and Steven Parker, who played 78 defensive snaps in eight games last season.
10. Will “Hard Knocks” be a distraction? Most likely. Coaches would prefer not to have the extra cameras around behind the scenes, but that’s really nothing new for the Cowboys. There will be some players, coaches or front office members who emerge as stars of the show. Some of the favorites include Jerry Jones, Micah Parsons, Kelvin Joseph, Jaylon Smith, CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, probably a few undrafted players on the roster bubble, and special teams coordinator John Fassel.
When the “All or Nothing” cameras followed the Cowboys around in 2017, Jason Garrett’s swearing gained a lot of attention from outsiders. Garrett didn’t love that side of him being made public, but many argued that it was a good thing, making him seem more relatable to those who believed he was too robotic.
11. Blake Jarwin’s health. He hasn’t fully participated in a practice since tearing the ACL in his right knee in the first half of last year’s season opener. The Cowboys will likely ease him back into practice at the start of training camp. Depending on how much he can handle, Jarwin is expected to return to being the team’s No. 1 tight end. Dalton Schultz did an excellent job filling that role last season after Jarwin went down. It was actually one of the very few bright spots for the Cowboys last season. Schultz has the ability to be the team’s full-time starter if Jarwin hasn’t fully recovered.
If both are healthy, Dallas will have some very good depth at the position. Training camp will be the first time we see how the Cowboys plan to work those two players into the lineup. There will be 12 personnel packages where they’re on the field together, but as long as Cooper, Lamb and Michael Gallup are healthy, the Cowboys will be in three wide receiver sets most often.
12. What’s going on at defensive tackle? It’s right there with safety as the biggest question mark position on the roster. Is Trysten Hill healthy? Like Jarwin, Hill worked off to the side during OTAs and minicamp while he continued recovering from last year’s season-ending knee injury. Hill showed some upside during the first five games before the injury. Had he stayed healthy, he’d likely be locked into a starting spot right now. But his health and Quinn’s plans for the position have provided a lot of questions. Is Neville Gallimore ready to take the next step? Last year’s third-round pick started nine of the 14 games he appeared in last season.
Then there are the veteran free agent additions, Brent Urban and Carlos Watkins, and rookies Osa Odighizuwa and Quinton Bohanna. No one at the position is expected to be in the Pro Bowl conversation, but Quinn has to find the right combination to, at the very least, look adequate against the run. It’s likely that the first-team defensive tackle position is an open battle throughout camp and the preseason.
13. Will Tony Pollard’s role increase? This was a topic of discussion last year at this time, and Pollard ended up with only 15 more carries than his rookie season but with twice as many targets (40) in the passing game. Pollard has shown the ability to handle a starter’s workload if needed, but as long as Elliott is healthy, he’s getting the majority of the work. We’ll see at training camp if offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has found any new ways to get Pollard involved as a runner and as a receiver.
14. Who will be the punter? Hunter Niswander took over the job in the second half of last season in place of the injured Chris Jones. Though Niswander was solid, Fassel was thrilled to add veteran Bryan Anger in March.
“Going into camp, I think it’d be fair to say for sure that Bryan is the leader and Hunter is continuing to develop as a punter,” Fassel said last month. “I thought Hunter did a really good job stepping in last year off the street. But I’ve talked to Hunter about his developmental process and some of the things that he continues to work on as a punter. But I think Bryan is a top-flight guy, and I expect him to be that. And we’ll see what happens.”
15. Offensive tackle. If Tyron Smith and La’el Collins are healthy, the Cowboys are in great shape at the position. But after Smith missed 14 games in 2020 and Collins missed the entire season with injuries, there has to be some depth developed there. Veteran Ty Nsekhe is expected to be the swing tackle, but it gets interesting after him. Brandon Knight and Terence Steele were forced into significant action last season because of Smith and Collins being sidelined. The Cowboys also drafted Josh Ball in the fourth round. Knight, Steele and Ball will battle for the No. 4 tackle spot throughout training camp. Ball has the most upside, but others have actual NFL game experience.
If there was one position group that was going to be the barometer for how the 2021 season will go for the Cowboys, offensive line is probably at the top of the list. If Dallas can start and end the season with the same five starting offensive linemen, this is probably a playoff team.
16. Leighton Vander Esch. He’s hopeful that the injuries are behind him and he’s ready to contribute consistently like he did during his rookie season. If that ends up happening, Vander Esch and Parsons have a good chance to see the most linebacker snaps. If not, there will be a lot more opportunities for Jaylon Smith, Keanu Neal and Jabril Cox. The Cowboys significantly improved their depth at the position so they can handle a Vander Esch injury much better than in previous years. But the hope is that Vander Esch has a Pro Bowl-caliber year and the team looks to sign him to a new contract in the offseason.
“Those injuries are way behind me,” Vander Esch said last month. “I’ve been training and working out and trying to put more body armor on my frame to make sure that I do give myself the best chance possible to stay healthy. Not that that solves all your problems because you can’t help someone rolling up on you or doing anything like that. But you can strengthen yourself and give yourself a little bit more body armor to protect yourself in any way possible. I feel like I did that this offseason.”
17. Next step for CeeDee Lamb. The second-year wide receiver had a good rookie season, catching 74 of his 111 targets for 935 yards and five touchdowns. But much more is expected of him in a full season with Prescott. Lamb has only scratched the surface. He has the ability to become Dallas’ No. 1 wide receiver as soon as this season. He’ll get most of his work from in the slot with Cooper and Gallup lining up on the outside, but Lamb can certainly make defenses pay from any receiver position. If what we saw in OTAs and minicamp is any indication, this could be a training camp filled with No. 88 highlights.
18. Other rookies to watch. Parsons and Joseph are expected to have the biggest immediate impact, just because of how high they were drafted. But there are plenty of rookies, particularly on defense, that have a chance to play meaningful snaps this season.
LB Jabril Cox, CB Nahshon Wright, DE Chauncey Golston, Odighizuwa and Bohanna could all work into the mix beginning Week 1. Wright made some noticeable plays in rookie minicamp and OTAs. Golston, Odighizuwa and Bohanna should be part of the regular defensive line rotation. Cox is most likely to impact the game in passing situations with his ability to cover.
Quinn had a say in the drafting of all of those players. With how poorly the defense played last season, which included far too many plays with questionable effort, the team’s new defensive coordinator could elect to give some of the younger players more of an opportunity if some of those same problems creep up again this season.
19. Backup QB. It’s Garrett Gilbert’s job to lose at this point. Behind him are Cooper Rush and Ben DiNucci. Unless the Cowboys add a veteran, these three are expected to see most of the work in the preseason. Could one of them do enough to be Prescott’s backup all season? Sure. But don’t close the door on the possibility of another player being added to the mix. Backup QB wasn’t much of a storyline from 2016 through 2019 as Prescott never missed a start. But his injury last year and the loss of Andy Dalton means the backup job has a little more value this time around.
20. Will COVID-19 cause issues? The Cowboys are not one of the 13 teams reported to have at least 85 percent of their team fully vaccinated, so many team members will be facing similar restrictions as last year’s training camp. Reporters covering the team have to be fully vaccinated and show proof of a negative coronavirus test to be allowed to attend training camp.
The Cowboys have a bubble-type atmosphere set up at their Oxnard location. No other visitors will be staying at the hotel while the team is in town. But non-vaccinated players will have to be tested daily, wear masks and be restricted from dining together inside. There also will be limitations on in-person meetings.
Shiningstar
DCC 4Life
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2020
- Messages
- 959
most years its about the players, this year for me its about the coaches. to me, Dan Quinn and Kellen need to show they know what they must do not what they want to do. I dont care what they want to do or show or have the players think they can do. They have simple jobs and those jobs must be met first. I dont care if Kellen thinks hes creative by fooling everyone that hes going to throw the ball to the 3rd best TE instead of our number WR. I dont care if Quinn thinks a 3-4 is better than a 4-3 or creativing a new cover look. This includes Fassel too. The team needs to be streamlined, something Garrett refused to do. Garrett was ok if 1 unit of the team played well and the others played poorly. Garrett thought keeping his players happy or being a player friendly coach won you games, it does not. You have to have coaches that are on the same page. IF your OL coach loves a player who sucks, you dont keep him employed. You dont worry about the feelings of the players, you play who is productive at their job. If Kellen thinks getting to the RZ is awesome but TDs suck, why is he still working?
The coaches gotta get the most out of their players or sit the players and play the guy who wants to be first string.
The coaches gotta get the most out of their players or sit the players and play the guy who wants to be first string.