Offseason workouts are complete and the countdown is on until the Dallas Cowboys report to training camp in late July. The first preseason game is Aug. 11 and the Week 1 season opener at Cleveland is Sept. 8.
A lot still has to happen before the Week 1 version of the Cowboys is complete. Contracts need to be worked out (or not) and a few more holes need attention, among other things.
Advertisement
We’ll touch on some of those topics throughout the rest of the offseason, starting today. Jon Machota and Saad Yousuf give their thoughts about what they saw during the two-day minicamp along with a few more takeaways.
What is one thing in minicamp that really caught your attention and why?
Machota: It’s probably just how little you can actually take away from the offseason setting in today’s NFL. There are no pads and the practices are being monitored by the league. Teams can be fined or lose practices if things get even close to being physical. So, it’s somewhat laughable to me when anyone shares a major takeaway from something they saw at one of these Cowboys’ OTA or minicamp practices. It’s good to get an idea of where players are lining up (example: Deuce Vaughn getting some work at slot WR), the shape they appear to be in and who is participating with what group. There is value in attending. But the environment is nothing compared to what we get to see at training camp or in the preseason. The best thing that can happen at an OTA/minicamp practice is that everyone leaves the field without injury.
GO DEEPER
Cowboys' offseason approach, potential life without Dak Prescott: Mailbag
Yousuf: Although it’s hard to draw much from these offseason practices, there is something to the names on paper actually lining up. Along those lines, the wide receiver group caught my attention. When anybody thinks about the wide receiver depth chart in Dallas, it begins with CeeDee Lamb. As Lamb held out of OTAs and minicamp for a new contract that he’s expected to receive, it was a visualization of what’s behind him on the roster. Because Brandin Cooks has been a highly productive receiver for years, it feels like a bit much to say this group looked like the 2018 bunch before the Amari Cooper trade, but while everybody is hot about the running back depth chart, the outlook at wide receiver doesn’t look inspiring without Lamb.
Ezekiel Elliott: “I still view myself as a starter in this league. But also, I got to take care of my body and make sure that I’m fresh for when it matters. What that’s going to look like, I’m not necessarily sure, but we’ll figure that out.”
On RB by committee: “I don’t know… pic.twitter.com/335MluhRqe
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) June 5, 2024
What do you think the RB by committee will look like with this group?
Machota: I don’t think the Cowboys are done at running back. I think there’s at least one more addition to be made. Maybe it happens during training camp, maybe it’s when the rosters trim to 53, maybe it’s a few games into the season. As the roster sits, I think Ezekiel Elliott leads the team in touches, followed closely by Rico Dowdle. The No. 3 back is completely up in the air. It could be Royce Freeman, it could be Malik Davis, it could be Deuce Vaughn. The Cowboys are hopeful that this plan will keep a couple of backs relatively healthy late in the season and entering the playoffs. The problem is, they need to be in position to be playing meaningful games late in the season. The last thing they need is to find out by Week 4 or 5 that they don’t have a group that they can consistently count on week to week.
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox. Sign up
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox. Sign up
Buy
Yousuf: Given Dowdle’s late emergence last year, this feels like a season in which he’ll have the opportunity to be the top runner on the team. There’s still plenty of mystery surrounding Dowdle, including his multi-dimensional ability, but he has the talent and youth to be the face of a running back committee. As it stands, it’s feasible to imagine that Dowdle leads the team in carries overall, while Elliott plays a more situational role, handling the ball primarily in short yardage, while also being a reliable pass protector. The third — and potential fourth — spot is a wild card that could be any of the remaining players right now or somebody who isn’t in the building yet.
What’s your initial impression of first-round pick Tyler Guyton?
Machota: No major takeaways from just watching practice, but from talking to him in the locker room after the last minicamp practice, he certainly sounds like the type of player you want on your team. There are some similarities in that area to Tyler Smith, which is obviously a good thing. Although Guyton was working with the second-team offense during OTAs and minicamp, I think he will be Dallas’ starting left tackle Week 1. And there will be some growing pains. But that’s what you should expect from an offensive tackle drafted outside of the top 10. The move from right tackle to left tackle takes time. I think as the season goes along, the Cowboys will feel better and better about what they have at one of the game’s most important positions.
GO DEEPER
Tyler Guyton shares early impressions of being a Cowboy: 'I'm more in shape than I've ever been'
Yousuf: It’s almost impossible for any player to lay an impression based on OTAs and minicamp, let alone somebody in the trenches. The Cowboys are easing in Guyton by playing him with the second team, but first-team reps are inevitable in training camp. The main impression so far from Guyton by being around him is just how big he really is. There is a lot to work with, in terms of the tangibles, and it’ll be interesting to see how it translates on the field in pads. But so far, it seems like he has the tools, youthful energy and an energetic demeanor.
Advertisement
Is the expectation that Trevon Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown will be 100 percent for Week 1? How’d they look?
Machota: There’s a chance that one or both could start training camp on the physically unable to perform list, but ultimately both are expected to be ready for the start of the season. I could see the coaching staff wanting to be cautious early in camp. Both were working with Britt Brown, the Cowboys’ director of rehabilitation, during the portions of offseason practices open to reporters. Neither appeared limited in their work off to the side. Everything I’ve heard is that both have recovered well from their season-ending knee injuries and haven’t suffered any setbacks. Both are expected to be on the field when the Cowboys travel to Cleveland.
Yousuf: Mike McCarthy made it very clear that the team would rather take it too slow than too fast, in terms of any of the injured players returning to full-team activities. Diggs and Overshown both looked solid working to the side during these practices, and it’s actually sort of interesting to watch them in how they approach the job. Diggs is a lot more subdued and business-like in his approach, while Overshown wears his positive attitude more on his sleeve. By all accounts, both are expected to join the team at some point during training camp. It’ll take time, and live action in games, for both to be truly 100 percent from a football standpoint, but, barring setbacks, both should be medically cleared by Week 1.
Do you have a wild-card prediction for someone unexpected making the team?
Machota: Tight end is the spot for me. I think they end up keeping four. As of right now, that group would probably be Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Peyton Hendershot and John Stephens Jr. But I think undrafted rookie free agents Brevyn Spann-Ford and Alec Holler both have a real opportunity. Maybe it’s because of injury to another player or maybe they just play well in camp and the preseason, but I feel confident at least one of those two will crack that top four and maybe both make the roster if the Cowboys decide to keep five tight ends.
GO DEEPER
How Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson plans to take the next step after a Pro Bowl season
Yousuf: Tight end is the big one to keep an eye on, but for the sake of a different player, Jalen Moreno-Cropper could be an interesting name to crack the end of the wide receiver depth chart. The first four guys are pretty much set, but the fifth — and potential sixth — guys could be a fun battle in training camp. The Cowboys usually turn out an unexpected wide receiver who impresses as the star during training camp. Moreno-Cropper could make things interesting in a battle with Jalen Brooks and others.
(Top photo of Ezekiel Elliott: Chris Jones / USA Today)