There are a handful of questions hovering around the Cowboys with training camp around the corner.
We are now officially with inside a month away from when the Dallas Cowboys report to Oxnard, California for training camp. All of the unanswered questions we have about this team will finally be answered and that should give us a much better understanding of what Brian Schottenheimer could accomplish in his first-year as Dallas’ new head coach.
Today, we thought we’d share some random thoughts we’ve been pondering now that training is just weeks away. Maybe some of these things have been bouncing around in your head as well, or maybe not.
One: Lack of explosive plays on was a problem for the Cowboys last season. Brian Schottenheimer has said KaVontae Turpin will be more involved to help in this area as will the addition of rookie RB Jaydon Blue. What I’m wondering is how Schottenheimer is planning on getting these two involved in the running/passing game? There’s a lot of creative things Dallas could do to create mismatches with either one or both of them on the field at the same time. I’m really interested to see the wrinkles they’ll add to Dallas’ offense.
Two: The Cowboys current stable running backs leaves much to be desired, with no one really standing out as the clear-cut starter right now. Miles Sanders is most accomplished RB on the roster, but he’s far removed from that 1200+ yard season he had with the Eagles in the 2022. In two years with the Panthers he barely rushed for over 600 yards. I’m wondering if he’s washed or if he still has something left in the tank. He turned some heads in unpadded practices, but what we look like once the hitting starts in padded ones?
Three: Trading for Joe Milton in no way means there is a starting QB controversy in Dallas, but it does create a little bit more intrigue at the position heading into training camp. What I’m wondering is if Dak Prescott will actually feel a little pressure behind him for the first time in career. He never had to worry about Cooper Rush seriously pushing him for the QB1 job, but Milton could be a different story down the road. Prescott could view him as someone “waiting in the wings”. I’m curious how he will respond to that pressure and if it will push him to be better.
Four: Matt Eberflus has been put in a tough position in his first year as the Cowboys new defensive coordinator. Not only does he have to navigate through several key players coming back from season-ending injuries last season, but he also inherits one of the worst run defenses from a year ago. Dallas finished ranked 29th against the run last year, allowing 137.1 yards per game. I’m wondering, and I’m sure I’m not alone, if he’s the DC who can finally tap into Mazi Smith’s talent. That would go a long ways in fixing the run defense.
Five: Keeping with Matt Eberflus, I’m wondering what his plans are to replace Jourdan Lewis in the slot. One obvious answer would be to move DaRon Bland back to slot CB where he’s proven himself before as Lewis’ replacement in the past, but beyond him the options are sadly lacking. Dallas experimented with a few players during OTAs/minicamp, and will probably continue to do so in training camp/preseason, but none of the options inspire much confidence. The solution may lie outside the organization via a free agent addition.
