OXNARD, Calif.—We’re on the ground at the most newsworthy camp in the NFL, which is par for the course with the Dallas Cowboys …
• You can’t start anything from here without prefacing everything with the logistical situation the Cowboys are in with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and coach Mike McCarthy in contract years. Micah Parsons, the best player on the team, is also eligible for a new deal. So while these are good problems to have, they regard perhaps the four most important people in Dallas’s football operation. McCarthy, for his part, has done a nice job managing it, and there is a level of confidence that these things will all sort themselves out in time. For now, though, it’s hard to put those circumstances on the back burner as camp ramps up.
• Lamb’s absence has created a good amount of opportunity for the team’s young receivers. Third-year man Jalen Tolbert, who the team has liked a lot since he arrived in 2022, worked extensively with veteran Brandin Cooks this offseason, grinding to finally turn the corner as a pro. Jalen Brooks, a big, long target, has taken a step in his second year. But the guy who’s gotten the most attention might be Pro Bowl return man KaVontae Turpin, who’s really evolved from gadget guy to a receiver on offense, and as a jitterbug type of target, has turned into a really tough cover. At one point in Friday’s practice, he caught a couple of balls in a row, and Parsons jogged off the field saying, “Turp’s bad.” (In a good way.)
• Replacing Tyron Smith at left tackle won’t be easy. But the Cowboys have been good enough there through the spring to resist the urge to move Tyler Smith from guard (not wanting to take a truly elite player away from what he’s good at). Journeyman Chuma Edoga is manning the spot for now, with first-round pick Tyler Guyton competing for the job. Edoga has good athleticism for a big man, but it’s not on the same level as Guyton. So how fast the still-raw Oklahoma product develops is a key for the next month. If he starts to realize his considerable potential, the rest should fall into place. Elsewhere up front, Smith looks like he’s set to take another big step, and rookie Cooper Beebe is pushing Brock Hoffman at center.
• The linebacker spot remains a big question mark, but there’s no doubting the value the Cowboys are getting in having brought veteran Eric Kendricks to the team. The addition of Kendricks has been massive for new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and top lieutenant Paul Guenther, who were together with him in Minnesota. It also helped to accelerate the growth of a young crew, with second-year man DeMarvion Overshown one name to watch. Remember, the better the Cowboys are at linebacker, the more they can keep Micah Parsons down as a rusher, and Dallas at this point does have uncertainty there outside of Parsons and an aging DeMarcus Lawrence. (That’s where they’ll need Sam Williams or Marshawn Kneeland to step up).
• With Trevon Diggs on the PUP list, DaRon Bland is getting another chance to settle in as the guy at corner after his nine-interception, five-pick-six season of 2023. And he’s fully taken advantage of it. The ball seems to find Bland, and it did again Friday on a highlight interception he had in team drills. It’d be hard to register as many picks as he did last year again. But Dallas sees an improved corner, who hasn’t been content this offseason, and shouldn’t regress in his performance.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cowboys Training Camp Takeaways: Contract Negotiations Loom Large.
