OXNARD, California — Tuesday, just before 4 p.m., a hotel parking lot was clogged with red and yellow buses. Dallas Cowboys training camp opens on Thursday, and players and coaches headed out the door and into what will be their new home for the upcoming month as the 2024 season gets underway.
One player who did not get off the bus was wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Except for a new contract extension, Lamb skipped all spring activities and is not anticipated to report to training camp. Tracking Lamb’s holdout is important, in addition to several other team narratives.
Starting with Lamb’s absence, let us look at how those storylines will affect training camp and the preseason.
Brandin Cooks is another player you can add to this boat, although Cooks was the No. 2 receiver when he arrived the previous season. In OTAs, minicamp, and training camp, he immediately displayed positive signs in his rapport with Dak Prescott. Cooks’ play is more of a regular-season plot than a training camp one, since his excellent offseason performance from the previous season did not translate into the games.
Before playing a sheltered role as the fourth receiver on the depth chart last year, Jalen Tolbert had an invisible rookie season. By the time the season was halfway through, Tolbert was stealing game reps from Michael Gallup. With Gallup out of the picture and Lamb not present, Prescott should make Tolbert his top priority during camp.
Tolbert has grown steadily over the course of the Cowboys’ patience with him, but now is the moment for him to make a significant impact. The No. 3 wide receiver spot is highly valuable in the NFL nowadays, and Tolbert must step up to fill it in the event of an injury or other circumstance.
Cowboys LG Tyler Smith on CeeDee Lamb not being with the team in California: “He’s a huge part of everything we do, for sure. His presence will obviously be missed. But while he’s handling the things he has to handle, we have to handle business as well. The best thing we can do… pic.twitter.com/puDrXPjUIf
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 23, 2024
Considering the Cowboys forfeited a fourth-round pick to acquire Trey Lance in the previous season, this plot stands alone. However, the main narrative surrounding Prescott’s entry into this season in a contract year has intensified scrutiny.
Dallas would be assessing Lance to see if it was worth investing a fourth round pick in him as a backup quarterback or as a trade asset to flip if Prescott was set to stay injured for a long time. The Cowboys must evaluate Prescott in light of his contract situation and determine whether they think he has a chance to start at quarterback for Dallas in 2025.
Eric Kendricks’ presence
The main focus of camp will be how the Cowboys adapt to Mike Zimmer’s new defensive scheme. Even though the coaching staff and front office have experience with Zimmer, it will be essential to have a player like Eric Kendricks who is familiar with Zimmer’s style and philosophy in order to convince the other players to buy in.
Zimmer’s defense seems to be very different from Dan Quinn’s, who over the last three years has emerged as a player favorite. Having left the NFL three years ago, Zimmer’s job will be to connect with the younger players. When Zimmer asks a player like Micah Parsons, the best player on defense, to fill a role he may not be used to or inclined to play, it matters a lot how Zimmer gets along with Parsons. The same is true for making the most of rookie Mazi Smith and maximizing Quinn’s favorite, DeMarvion Overshown, who possesses an intriguing skill set.
While everyone must eventually accept responsibility, Kendricks’ role as the middle defensive leader and Zimmer’s link to the locker room will be crucial to the changeover.
You are aware that the NFL’s kickoff regulations have changed for this season. Among the teams that stand to gain from that are the Cowboys. They have a player in KaVontae Turpin, whose special teams ability was the main reason he was added to the roster two years ago. Turpin’s influence has decreased because of the way kickoffs have been conducted.
This year, that could alter—and not just for the special teams. Although Turpin will undoubtedly play a major role in the return game, coach Mike McCarthy stated last year that Turpin would also be a valuable member of the offense. That was more of a deep depth chart player who would struggle to even start as the No. 5 or No. 6 receiver on the field. Turpin could start training camp as the third player behind Cooks and Tolbert.
Turpin should be a factor even after Lamb returns and contend with an aging Cooks or a mystery box player in Tolbert for a higher spot on the depth chart if he can establish his worth early.
With the exception of adding veterans Royce Freeman and Ezekiel Elliott in free agency, the Cowboys’ decision to ignore the running back position during the draft and in free agency will likely dominate the narrative throughout the season.
Rico Dowdle was the one in Dallas last season under McCarthy’s new offense, despite the fact that Elliott was there under McCarthy two seasons prior. Together with Tony Pollard, Dowdle started to get more chances towards the end of the previous campaign. Dowdle, who turned 26 last month, has less than 100 career carries and 400 career rushing yards.
The Cowboys have expressed their intention to handle the position as a committee this season, but the committee needs a face. With the right approach, Dowdle’s age, background, and skill set should allow him to be exactly that.
Offensive line dominoes
All summer long, there will be a lot to talk about on the offensive line. Tyler Guyton is going through a significant change as he moves from right tackle to left tackle in the pros from college. Tyron Smith’s departure leaves him with big shoes to fill, but he should benefit from playing alongside Tyler Smith. Smith will also be adjacent to the center, where Cooper Beebe and Brock Hoffman are expected to square off. On the right side, it will be interesting to see how Terence Steele recovers from his 2022 knee injury after recovering from it last season.
The rehab crew
In relation to injuries, Not only are they players returning from injuries, but the Cowboys are counting on many of the rehab group to play key roles, so the entire group will be in the public eye. Overshown is anticipated to be the solution to linebacker problems that have persisted for years. An All-Pro in 2021, Trevon Diggs is anticipated to start opposite DaRon Bland at cornerback. To a lesser degree, the Cowboys may get a much-needed red zone target in the passing game if tight end John Stephens Jr. continues where he left off.
(Top photo of Jalen Tolbert: Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images)
