Chris Jones-Imagn Images What are you most interested in watching at training camp for the Cowboys defense? The Dallas Cowboys soon report to Oxnard, California for training camp with the first official practice kicking off July 22, but the pads don’t come on until about a week later on the 27th. Previously, we looked at what the story will be at each position on offense. Today, we look at the defense. Defensive tackle Can Mazi Smith take a significant jump in his development entering Year 3 with the Cowboys? That’s what were going to be focusing on when training camp gets underway in a matter of days. The former first-round pick has unfortunately played under a different defensive coordinator every year since arriving in Dallas, likely stunting his development. We’re crossing our fingers 2025 will be a breakout season for under Matt Eberflus’ tutelage. Defensive end Excluding Micah Parsons’ ongoing contract negotiations with the Cowboys, we’re going to be monitoring the position battle opposite him to see who emerges as DeMarcus Lawrence replacement this year. The Cowboys have an intriguing group of pass rushers, nearly all of which are former first- and second-round draft picks. It’s going to be really interesting to see how all of this plays out and who ends up fitting where on the depth chart this year. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown’s timetable to return to the field is definitely worth monitoring, but we’re going to be paying particularly close attention to both Jack Sanborn and Kenneth Murray Jr., who are projected to be the starting LBs this season. Sanborn’s familiarity with Matt Eberflus’ scheme due to their time together in Chicago should make him stand out early. Murray is a little more of a mystery, but an intriguing one considering Dallas traded for him. Cornerback The thing to watch at the cornerback position is obviously players working their way back from last year’s season-ending injuries. Trevon Diggs, Shavon Revel, and Josh Butler should be brought along slowly because of this, creating opportunities for Kaiir Elam, Israel Mukuamu and others to prove their worth and catch the attention of the coaching staff. It’s going to be really interesting to see who wins up starting where early on for the Cowboys. Safety Are Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker the unquestioned starters at safety in 2025? Juanyeh Thomas, Markquese Bell, and maybe even undrafted rookie Alijah Clark may have something to say about that. Thomas is definitely somebody to keep an eye on. He’s flashed starting ability the last few seasons and recently got some work playing slot earlier this offseason. Maybe this is the year he finally plays a significant role in Dallas’ secondary.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Micah Parsons is ready to have his contract situation over with. The Dallas Cowboys have a habit of waiting too long on contract negotiations for star players who play expensive positions. Whether or not you wanted the team to sign players at these spots in recent history (Dak Prescott is the one who generates the most debate in that regard), you agree that if you are going to get something like this done that you want to get it done in the most financially efficient manner possible. That is simply common sense. Sunday marks training camp report day for the Cowboys and some of that common sense has escaped the front office yet again as Micah Parsons (who was first eligible for an extension last year) remains without a contract extension. He is a player who has proven his worth, and once more, getting a player like that done as early as possible guarantees that while you are going to pay an enormous amount of money, you are at least going to pay less than if you waited too long. Even the New York Jets seem to understand this principle. Heck, even The Undertaker knows how this whole thing works. He recently interviewed Parsons on his podcast and asked about the contract situation. Parsons offered the most frustration (using that word very loosely here) here than he has in any other public conversation about the extension on record to date. He noted that he wanted to get it done last year and that ownership always makes things like this more complicated than they have to be. Micah Parsons talks about the latest on his contract negotiations with The @undertaker The wait continues… pic.twitter.com/0s1WxbgTMf — Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 17, 2025 “We obviously wanted to get done early. We want that relief off our backs. Obviously ownership is always going to make it drag out, make it more complicated than it has to be. Lack of communication and that standpoint.” … “We wanted to do the contract last year. They’re just kind of like we wanna do Dak and CeeDee. Then you go out there and perform again. You would think, we’ll get it done early. There are some guys that’s about to get ready to get re-paid. Like Myles, Maxx is going. You would think, hey, let’s get ahead of that.” Parsons notes that while he wanted to do his deal last year, the Cowboys were focused on taking care of CeeDee Lamb and the aforementioned Prescott. As we have said many times, the Cowboys missed the opportunity to get to those situations as early as possible (once again, in the name of paying the lowest possible price) as they should have been addressed in the 2023 offseason. So many theories have ballooned about why the Cowboys act this way as the logic is overwhelming against their actions. Some believe that they are comfortable paying more in the long run in exchange for the attention that they gain through the process of it all. Allow me to remind you that there is a Netflix documentary surrounding the franchise’s glory days releasing in a month’s time. Others believe things a bit more off the beaten path in that the team may not have the liquid cash to get these deals done as soon as possible. Whatever you believe, waiting ultimately costs more in the significant majority of cases, and Parsons will certainly fall in that camp. Parsons mentioned Myles Garrett in this conversation and it should be noted that the Cleveland Browns gave him a deal at the beginning of this offseason. Parsons also touched on T.J. Watt who is wanting a new deal from the Pittsburgh Steelers. The issue with Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals also lingers. These are all factors and variables that the team could have gotten ahead of if they had taken care of this deal last year.

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images How concerned are you about the Giants this year? Giants Now: Tyrone Tracy Jr. named to 2025 All-Breakout Team – Matt Citak, Giants.com New York’s running back looks poised to shine this upcoming season. Following his solid rookie campaign, could running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. be in for an even bigger season this year? NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks recently released his 2025 All-Breakout Team, which consists of second- and third-year players from around the league that the analyst believes could have big performances this coming season. When it came to the running back position, Tracy was the selection. “After rushing for 839 yards as a rookie, the fifth-round running back has an opportunity to surpass the 1,200-yard mark in an offense that features more efficient quarterback play with veteran leader Russell Wilson set to take over from Daniel Jones,” wrote Brooks. “The improved passing game will lead to more light boxes (six or fewer defenders) and wider lanes for the former college wide receiver to scoot through on off-tackle runs and designed cut-back plays. With Wilson also expected to target Tracy frequently on swing, screen and option routes in the pass game, the Giants’ unheralded RB1 could put up massive scrimmage yard totals as a multi-purpose threat from the backfield.” Along with his 839 yards on the ground, Tracy also added 284 receiving yards, which gave him 1,123 total yards from scrimmage. Tracy and wide receiver Malik Nabers became just the third rookie duo in NFL history to each have 1,000+ yards from scrimmage. The young running back scored six total touchdowns, five on the ground and one through the air, to go with his 4.4 average yards per carry. His 284 receiving yards came on 38 receptions, which ranked fourth on the team. What made his rookie year performance even more impressive is the fact that it came in what was only Tracy’s second full season playing the running back position. The former wide receiver transitioned to running back in his final year at Purdue, which led to the Giants selecting him in the fifth-round of the 2024 NFL Draft. “I wouldn’t say it’s any different than last year, really,” Tracy said to the media during OTAs about his thoughts going into the upcoming season. “The only difference is I’ve been here before. I know what’s going to happen. I know training camp is coming up. I know I’ve got to prepare my body, prepare my mind, prepare my soul for what’s going to happen during the season. But I’m still grinding, man. I’m still grinding. There’s really no safe space in the league. In the NFL, everyone’s trying to take your spot. I’m grinding every day trying to make sure that the coaches can trust me and that my teammates trust me…’ Eagles’ Nick Sirianni Blasts Criticism Of ‘Great’ Jalen Hurts – Daniel Arwas, Heavy.com Philadelphia’s head coach stepped up for his quarterback. Even now as world champions, the Philadelphia Eagles feel they are not quite getting the credit and respect they deserve. Well, correction – two people likely feel that way: head coach, Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts. Sirianni has always been seen as a second-tier head coach, despite leading the Eagles to the playoffs and a Super Bowl appearance back in February 2023. However, having garnered a Super Bowl ring of his own with Philadelphia, their second in franchise history, the former Colts OC has begun to field more respect – especially in media circles, where two seperate NBC and CBS head coaching rankings had Sirianni as a top-five HC in the NFL. Yet this uptick in respect the same cannot be seen for Hurts. In a recent poll of head coaches and execs by ESPN, Hurts was ranked as just the 9th best quarterback in the league, behind the likes of Justin Herbert and Jared Goff, who have a combined one playoff win with their current franchises. And Nick Sirianni, for one, is fed up with the disrespect shown towards his franchise quarterback amidst critiques from fans and media that Hurts is scaffolded by the excellent roster around him built by future Hall of Fame general manager, Howie Roseman. “That’s bull-“, Sirianni said per NBC Sports, when asked about the perception that Hurts is just a game manager with an excellent team around him. “Anytime I hear that, it’s cool,” Sirianni continued, “it’s like a nice debate thing that people like to have. And I get it, there’s a lot of hours that TV shows and radio stations have to fill to be able to fill that debate. I understand that, but we’re talking about the ultimate team game there is and he does whatever he needs to do to win each and every game.” Where does Commanders’ Dan Quinn land in head coach rankings? – Jeremy Brener, RiggosRag.com After one remarkable season in Washington, where does DQ rank among head coaches? Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has worked hard to get to where he is in the NFL. He’s with his second team as a head coach and he hopes to take the Commanders where he took the Atlanta Falcons — all the way to the Super Bowl. CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin doesn’t think Quinn is among the elite head coaches in the NFL, placing him at No. 14 on his rankings. Quinn lands in middle of the pack “Few coaches enjoyed such a catapult in stock in 2024. That may be mostly due to Jayden Daniels’ magical dynamism at quarterback. His coordinator hire of Kliff Kingsbury was part of the equation, though, as was his experience on the playoff stage,” Benjamin wrote. The coaches that landed ahead of Quinn were Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns), Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills), Sean Payton (Denver Broncos), Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers), Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings), Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers), Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers), Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers), Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions), Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles), John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens), Sean

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images DeMarvion Overshown is regarded quite highly across the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys have been looking for a linebacker with the instincts and talent to follow Sean Lee’s legacy for years. It took a few years, but the team may have found someone worthy of the mantle. In Jeremy Fowler’s annual poll of position rankings, DeMarvion Overshown finished as the NFL’s eighth-best off-ball linebacker by various league executives, coaches, and scouts. 8. DeMarvion Overshown, Dallas Cowboys Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: Unranked Age: 24 | Last year’s ranking: not eligible (rookie) “He’s absolutely amazing,” a personnel exec with an NFL team said. “Ridiculous.” “One of the most athletic linebackers I’ve ever seen,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said. “He’s the fastest guy out there. Can completely take over a game and was really starting to get it.” Added an NFC offensive coach: “He’s the second guy you worry about in Dallas, after Micah [Parsons]. Big run-and-hit ability, third-down speed to cover.” Once upon a time, the Cowboys looked to have their future at linebacker locked up with Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith. Fast-forward, and both players are no longer on the team. Their careers were mainly derailed due to injury. For Smith, it happened before he took a snap in the NFL, and for Vander Esch, most of it came during his time playing in Dallas. Injuries have become part of the tradition for all Pro Bowl-level players at linebacker for the Cowboys. Overshown missed his entire rookie season due to a torn ACL, but returned to the field a year later, becoming the type of playmaker the front office hoped they were getting in the third round. As one NFL offensive coach pointed out, it was already hard enough for opposing defenses to worry about Micah Parsons. Last year, they had to plan for Parsons and Overshown because former defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was willing to rush both players from anywhere. As one coach points out, there are things Overshown can work on to take his game to the next level. “He can be a stud but has to really improve in zone coverage and when he has to disengage from a block,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said. “He can play man-to-man on any RB or TE in the league but zone awareness lacks. He does a great job using his athleticism to slip under blocks but if they get hands on him, it’s a problem.” There were times when his aggression seemed to get the best of him in run defense or rushing the passer. While those moments can look bad in the moment on a highlight reel, they are easily correctable with more time on the field and in the film room. However, once again, the question regarding Overshown entering 2025 is when he will see the field. Despite turning heads in just 12 games in a lost season for Dallas, he will be coming off a more severe injury to his right knee, where he tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL. Fowler points out, “multiple voters have serious concerns about whether Overshown can maintain a consistent NFL career because of the damage already done.” #Cowboys DeMarvion Overshown giving an update 6 months after his surgery, moving with some lateral agility. There’s still a hill to climb, but Agent 0 is well on his way. DeMo said he’d be on the field to play the Chiefs on Thanksgiving—I believe him. ( : @AGENT0__ on IG) pic.twitter.com/TzSGO4HCrM — Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) June 20, 2025 The one caveat to that statement is that Overshown’s season that landed him on this list was coming off a year in which he tore a ligament and had a lengthy recovery process. He’s shown the right mentality and willingness to return to the field as soon as and as healthy as possible. While it’s disappointing that Overshown will not see the field until at least halfway through the year, it’s great to see a Dallas linebacker make the top ten of this list for the first time since Micah Parsons in 2022 (he was quickly moved to the edge rankings the following season). Before that, Vander Esch and Smith were the last true linebackers to have their names on the list in 2020, but as honorable mentions. Hopefully, Overshown can break the mold for a Cowboys linebacker and put together a productive and healthy career moving forward.

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images There are a few questions the Cowboys will need to answer when training camp begins. We have less than a week to go until the Dallas Cowboys report to training camp in Oxnard, California. For all intents and purposes football season is here. As exciting as it is to finally get some information about this team following months in the relative darkness, there are some things that we are looking to answer first and foremost once toe meets ball. What are we looking to answer at the very beginning? The offseason addressed a number of our concerns, but it would be unfair to say that all things have been tended to and that there is nothing left to do. These are three questions lingering with California a stone’s throw away. At what point will the Micah Parsons extension happen? There are very few things that garner 90-95% agreement from the entire Dallas Cowboys fanbase. The following sentence falls into that category: A Micah Parsons extension with the Dallas Cowboys is inevitable. We agree here, right? With this being the case, it begs a residual question that we have yet to answer and that is when exactly this is going to happen. History suggests that we are in for a bit of a longer wait. CeeDee Lamb’s deal happened after the Oxnard portion of camp concluded and Dak Prescott’s came in on the day that the season began. Given that those are the last two data points to look at here, any idea that this is happening early on into camp would run counter to the current at play. In the past we as a fanbase have assumed that a camp beginning would push things over the goal line like they did with the deals that Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick got back in the day (Zack Martin to an extent the first time around). As noted that has not happened with Lamb, Prescott (either time) or Martin the second time around. There is more data to suggest that more time is going to be required here. If I had to throw out a full guess it would be that Oxnard comes and goes without any action. What is the situation at cornerback? Let’s say that Trevon Diggs and Shavon Revel both avoid the PUP list. In this world let’s also assume that DaRon Bland looks solid and that Kaiir Elam plays like he did in Gainesville. If these things happen then the state of the cornerback room is pretty solid. But what if Diggs and Revel both land on PUP? That won’t be the end of the world in any way, but it will invite some concern. What’s more is it is (obviously) possible that Elam could play like the player that Buffalo was willing to move on from and that DaRon Bland could just be so-so. Suddenly things feel grim. These are admittedly opposite ends of the spectrum but they exemplify just how intense of a reality the Cowboys secondary could be in at any given moment. Football is a battle of attrition so it is possible that they are at both of these points at some point across the season, but the point of the exercise was questions that we don’t have the answer to. This answer could be great. Or it could be not great. How are we missing whatever it is that we will kick ourselves over? A week or two into training camp we are going to reach a place and have a thought or question where we look back and realize it was staring us in the face all along. Future hindsight is always 20/20. What is that thing? What is the thing that is incredibly obvious to us at this moment in time that our future selves will be mad at us for missing? I’ll acknowledge that this isn’t exactly Not In Front Of Us, but my answer is the state of the running back position. About a week into camp there could be reports that nobody is necessarily separating as the leader of the pack and even though that feels pretty obvious in this moment, that future hypothetical could crystalize it. Perhaps it is something else. Maybe the future hindsight is going to see all sorts of warts that we mistook for sunshine and rainbows. The most important thing is that we are finally about to start finding out.

Photo by Frank Bryan/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images Who do you think the Cowboys should have a day named after? It is a big deal to have a day named after you. On Tuesday, Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons revealed on social media that Dauphin County was officially declaring July 15th as Micah Parsons Day. This happened in parallel with Micah’s high school, the Harrisburg Cougars, retiring his number 23. Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons had his number 23 jersey retired by the Harrisburg Cougars and Dauphin County officially declared July 15th as Micah Parsons Day. ( : @MicahhParsons11) pic.twitter.com/mmYRwPopy4 — RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) July 15, 2025 As we get ready for football things to start happening left and right, this inspired a bit of a tangential question for our daily discussion prompt here at BTB. Which Cowboys legends should have a day named after them in team history? If you had the power to say that whatever day you want was Roger Staubach Day, he certainly passes the bar, right? We can devise a list of players who would join Mr. Staubach in that sense, but how many are there in total? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below as well as what day you think they should fall on. Kudos to Micah Parsons for his latest honor and having his own day!

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images The latest news around Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys Micah Parsons on extension ahead of camp: ‘I’m going to get mine no matter what’ – Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram Micah Parsons continues to focus on football while his agent handles contract negotiations with the Dallas Cowboys Speaking at his jersey retirement ceremony at Harrisburg High School on Tuesday in Harrisburg, Penn., Parsons didn’t show any nerves about the contract not being done. Instead, he’s leaving it out of his control. “To me, I know God got my back,” Parsons said to a group of reporters. “He took me this far. He’s not ready to be done with me, and I see the will He keeps putting inside of me. I’m not phased by anything. I’m just going to keep doing things the right way. Things are going to play out the way they’re meant to play out. For me, I just try to do it the right way.” Parsons was in attendance for most of OTAs and the entirety of the team’s mandatory minicamp, although his participation varied by day. Still, his mere presence was enough to praise after consecutive offseasons for the Cowboys that have seen veterans hold out. “I just work harder,” he said. “To me, I look at it like if people don’t see your value, you don’t cry and lay up. You just work harder. You got to show people your value. I just think that’s the difference.” The edge rusher market appears to be at a standstill as Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end T.J. Watt each await a new contract. Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson could also make a case to be in that mix. But for Parsons, he isn’t keeping an eye on the market or anybody else’s move before being ready to sign the deal. Expectations for George Pickens’ new role – Staff writers, DallasCowboys.com What is the bare minimum for it to be considered a successful season for George Pickens? Tommy: I said a few weeks ago that I think Pickens gets his first Pro Bowl this year, so that’s how well I think he’s going to do in the Cowboys offense. I think the expectation is that he and CeeDee Lamb mesh well enough together to propel Dallas’ passing game to the next level, and with Pickens specifically, give them a better threat in the vertical game. Does that mean the expectation needs to be 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns? Not at all, Pickens’ addition will be a success if he lightens the offensive load on CeeDee Lamb and makes plays when he needs to all over the field for the Cowboys. I think he does so well enough to get to the Pro Bowl. Mickey: My expectations are really high, to the point wanting him to be like a co-No. 1 receiver with CeeDee Lamb. And why not. He’s already been considered a No. 1 receiver with the Steelers, and no sense ever diminishing his role now with the Cowboys. Pickens will be highly motivated entering the final year of his rookie contract, knowing he can make big bucks next year with either the Cowboys or in free agency if he is productive in 2025. And after watching him during the offseason practices, he sure looks dynamic, and you can feel his deep speed. This will be one of the best one-two receiver punches for the Cowboys in years. Kyle: This is a prove-it year for Pickens. With a new organization, a new offense, and an expiring rookie contract all serve as a motivation for the fourth-year receiver. He’ll enter the year as the clear second pass catching option behind CeeDee Lamb on paper with the upside to become a number one option in certain situations. When the Cowboys were surveying the wide receiver market this offseason, one of the questions they asked was ‘could this receiver post a 150-yard game if Lamb is either shut down or out?’ In the case of Pickens, the answer was yes. That’s going to be the expectation. Regardless of what happens, the Cowboys were right to trade for George Pickens – Dan Rogers, Blogging the Boys Trading for Amari Cooper was out of desperation. Trading for George Pickens, coming into a year with low expectations, was bold. How well Pickens performs will go a long way on whether this ends up being a good trade for the Cowboys; however, there’s another part of this as well that gets a lot of attention. He’s in the final year of his rookie contract, so he will hit the open free agent market next offseason. Unless the Cowboys have something up their sleeve, this trade could end up being a one-year rental. It’s a tight battle, but the majority of fans (52%) believe he’ll be one-and-done in Dallas. If that happens, does that change your perception of the trade? If you’re against the trade, your general feeling is, let’s wish for the best, and hopefully, he gives the team some production on the field and possibly earns them a compensatory pick in 2026. In that camp, a Pickens extension is the last thing on your mind. If you’re opposed to the trade, there would be no logical reason to double down by making a larger financial commitment. For those who love the trade, locking him down even longer probably sounds appealing. The idea of him and CeeDee Lamb running rampant over the next few years would quench the thirst of so many who’re parched from all the Allen Hurns/Noah Brown/Jalen Tolbert drought they’ve had to endure in the past. The Cowboys could be hedging their bets. They like him enough to use a future third-round pick on him, but would like to see things play out before making any additional commitment. That seems like the smart way to go, even if it drives up the price a bit. Paying for good

Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images We’re counting down to the season opener (Day 51) with some Cowboys history We’re counting down the days until the Dallas Cowboys battle the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener of the 2025 NFL season. To pass the time and mark the days, we running through 100 Days of Cowboys. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football. Today – number 51. Jim Jeffcoat Born: April 1, 1961. Long Branch, New JerseyPosition: Defensive endDallas Cowboys: 1983-1994Awards: Super Bowl champion- XXVII, XXVIII Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images Jim Jeffcoat played defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys from 1983 to 1994, after being selected in the first round out of Arizona State. Known for his consistency, durability, and strength, Jeffcoat was a key fixture on the Cowboys’ defensive line for over a decade. He recorded 94.5 career sacks which still ranks eighth-most in team history, and he also had a career-high of 14 sacks in 1986. Another incredible stat from Jeffcoat is the fact he played in 176 consecutive games for Dallas, at defensive end that’s more incredible than his sack total. Jeffcoat was an important part of the Cowboys’ transition from the 1980s into the early ’90s dynasty, winning two Super Bowls before finishing his career with the Buffalo Bills. SUPER BOWL XXVIIIJanuary 30, 1994 The crucial first six minutes of the third quarter Trailing the heavy-underdog #Bills 13-6, #Cowboys safety James Washington returns Thurman Thomas’s second fumble 46 yards to tie the game. After a huge sack by Jim Jeffcoat and Charles Haley,… pic.twitter.com/7NT8ILYEP8 — Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) January 30, 2025 Best known for:Jeffcoat was best known for being a reliable, quietly dominant pass rusher, serving as a veteran leader and key contributor on the Cowboys’ Super Bowl-winning teams in the early 1990s. 7⃣2⃣ 7⃣7⃣ Ed Too Tall Jones tips the pass and Jim Jeffcoat gets the interception return for a TD! #CowboysNation #DallasCowboys #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/1S7DYQa5Bj — Dallas Cowboys Collaboration (@mailman_phil) June 23, 2022 Lesser known fact:After retiring, Jeffcoat returned to football as a defensive line coach, first for the Cowboys in 1998 and finished his coaching career for the Dallas Renegades in the now disbanded XFL. ✭ COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF ✭ With 100 days to go until the #Cowboys kickoff the season against the #Eagles, we are counting down with a @BloggingTheBoys Top-100 consensus ranking. We asked staffers to give in their top-100, here is: DAY 51Jim Jeffcoat #DallasCowboys… pic.twitter.com/YEdEtsNWRZ — Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) July 15, 2025

Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images How many wins do you think the Cowboys will finish this season with? We’ve almost made it. The vast void of the offseason is quickly coming to a close. In a week, the Dallas Cowboys will be in Oxnard, California opening training camp and pushing the 2025 season on to the stage. At this point, we have a pretty good idea of who will be on the roster. Sure, changes will be made around the edges, but the bulk of the 2025 team is already signed. Given that, we thought it would be a good time to read the room on expectations for the Cowboys 2025 season. A lot has changed since those early weeks of the offseason when Jerry Jones was still negotiating with Mike McCarthy for a return. Since then, we have seen the Cowboys turn to Brian Schottenheimer as a head coach and many Cowboys fans have been pleasantly surprised about his early work as head coach. The Cowboys also made an effort in free agency, made some trades that included the big one for George Pickens, and they had a pretty good draft. We have also learned that Dak Prescott is fully recovered from injury and will be a full-go at training camp. And we also know their schedule of who, when and where they will play. Now that we are on the precipice of training camp, we wanted your opinion on how many games the Cowboys will win this year. Vote in the poll then hit the comments. Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Dallas Cowboys fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Please take our survey

Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images We are going to see a lot of 53-man roster predictions in the coming weeks. Every year at around this time, the first 53-man roster projections pop up. And (almost) every year we dutifully chronicle those first roster projections. I usually preface these summaries with an introduction like this: “Not to be a killjoy here, but if the past 15 years or so that I’ve been intensely following the Dallas Cowboys training camp have taught me anything, it’s that rosters are largely set before the offseason program even begins, and most of the extra players brought in are little more than sparring and training partners for the roster locks. That is the stark reality of NFL life. Injuries and standout performances in camp provide the opportunity for maybe a handful of players each year to work their way onto the roster, but that’s pretty much it.” That sure sounds nice and sufficiently nonchalant to perhaps even appear insightful, but is that actually true? To find out, I took a look at the roster projections summaries published in July of 2024 and July of 2023. To my surprise, the panelists we assembled in 2023 (Dave Helman of Foxsports, Todd Archer of ESPN, Jon Machota of The Athletic, and Dan Rogers of Blogging The Boys) averaged just 44 players in their projections that would end up on the Week 1 roster that year. And the panelists in 2024 (Todd Archer, Jon Machota, and Mike Fisher of Cowboys Nation) came in even lower with an average of 43 players. Here’s a quick summary of the results of each of the seven panelists: HelmanFoxports2023 ArcherESPN2023 MachotaAthletic2023 RogersBtB2023 ArcherESPN2024 MachotaAthletic2024 FisherCowboys Nation2024 Roster Projection “Hits” 45 44 44 43 42 44 43 There were, of course, differences in each projection that resulted in the different number of hits. For example – and you may find this hard to believe today – in 2023, then-rookie Brandon Aubrey was heading into a training camp battle with another kicker named Tristan Vizcaino, and one of our panelists picked Vizcaino over Aubrey. But what is interesting is that in both years, eight players made the Week 1 roster that did not show up on any of the July projections. Some of them are obvious, like players acquired via trade of free agency after the start of training camp, others perhaps less so, like former late-round picks or UDFAs that either benefited from an injury to a player at the same position or played themselves onto the roster with a good training camp performance. Here’s an overview of those players and how they came to join the roster: Source How acquired 2023 2024 External Trade Noah Igbinoghene Jordan Phillips Trey Lance Andrew Booth Free agent – – Linval Joseph – – Nick Vigil PS signing – – Buddy Johnson Internal Draft Pick Jalen Brooks (7th, rookie) Israel Mukuamu (6th) – – Matt Waletzko (5th) UDFA Juanyeh Thomas Tyrus Wheat Rico Dowdle – – Hunter Luepke (Rookie) – – T.J. Bass (Rookie) – – Brock Hoffmann – – So now we know that rosters might not be quite as set as they may appear; the Cowboys can still bring in new players, and there may be down-roster players who’ll play themselves onto a spot on the 53-mn roster. Keep that in mind as you review the dueling roster projections by Jon Machota of The Athletic and Joseph Hoyt of the DMN below. MachotaThe Athletic HoytDMN Quarterbacks Prescott Prescott Milton Milton RunningBacks Williams Williams Sanders Sanders Blue Blue Mafah Luepke Luepke Wide Receivers Lamb Lamb Pickens Pickens Tolbert Tolbert Turpin Turpin Mingo Mingo Brooks TightEnds Ferguson Ferguson Schoonmaker Schoonmaker Spann-Ford Spann-Ford OffensiveLine Guyton Guyton T. Smith T. Smith Beebe Beebe Booker Booker Steele Steele Hoffman Hoffmann Richards Richards Thomas Thomas Jones Bass Cornelius Machota and Hoyt are largely aligned on offense, with some differences on the number of players the Cowboys will carry at WR, RB, and OL. Is this the chance for downroster guys like Ryan Flournoy or maybe John Stevens to make a push for a roster spot? Not a lot of surprises on defense either: MachotaThe Athletic HoytDMN DefensiveEnds Parsons Parsons Fowler Fowler Williams Williams Kneeland Kneeland Ezeiruaku Ezeiruaku Turner Turner DefensiveTackles Odighizuwa Odighizuwa Solomon Solomon M. Smith M. Smith Toia Toia Linebackers Liufau Liufau Murray Murray Sanborn Sanborn James James D. Clark Johnson Cornerbacks Bland Bland Elam Elam Revel Revel Carson Carson Mukuamu Mukuamu *CB not on roster Goodwin Safeties Hooker Hooker D. Wilson D. Wilson Bell Bell J. Thomas J. Thomas A. Clark Specialists Aubrey (K) Aubrey (K) Anger (P) Anger (P) Sieg (LS) Sieg (LS) As far as projections go, these two have probably summarized the general sentiment about the roster pretty well at this point of the offseason. Suspensions (knock on wood), trades, injuries (knock on wood three times), and other things of that nature (knock on wood vigorously) tend to disrupt these projections. But that’s also where depth guys then get to step up and seize their opportunity. What’s your take on the two projections above, and where do you think they got it wrong?