Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images We’re counting down to the season opener (Day 33) 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 are running through 100 Days of Cowboys. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football. Today – number 33. Travis Fredrick Born: March 18, 1991. Sharon, WisconsinPosition: Offensive center Dallas Cowboys: 2013-2019Awards: All-Pro- 2014, 2015, 2016Pro Bowl– 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Travis Frederick played center for the Dallas Cowboys from 2013 to 2019 after being selected in the first round out of Wisconsin. Though his draft selection was initially criticized, Frederick quickly silenced doubters by becoming one of the NFL’s premier centers, anchoring one of the league’s best offensive lines. A five-time Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro in 2016, he was known for his intelligence, technique, and consistency. Frederick was a key figure in the protection of quarterbacks like Tony Romo and Dak Prescott and paved the way for Ezekiel Elliott’s dominant rushing seasons. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Best known for:Frederick was best known for being the anchor of the Cowboys’ elite offensive line and one of the most intelligent centers that played for Dallas, helping set the tone for a powerful run game and steady pass protection during his tenure. Lesser known fact:In 2018, Frederick was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that attacks the nervous system. After missing the entire season, he made a remarkable comeback in 2019, earning a Pro Bowl nod before retiring in 2020, at just 29 years old. Photo by Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Jerry Jones noted the Cowboys do not have any plans on trading Micah Parsons. The Dallas Cowboys will not be trading Micah Parsons. Jerry Jones himself noted this following Saturday’s training camp practice. Jerry Jones says that he isn’t considering trading Micah Parsons, despite his trade request. Jones said about the deal that was on the table in March? “Micah took it off the table.” More coming soon on @dallasnews. pic.twitter.com/4sfuzIfvof — Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) August 2, 2025 In case you somehow missed it… Micah Parsons reached a particular point in his contract negotiations with the Cowboys that led to him formally requesting a trade away from the team on Friday. Jerry clearly does not want to do that. Even when Micah made the request it never seemed logical for the Cowboys to actually trade him away. The collective opinion seems to be that this will inevitably get worked out after some more theatrics, many people assumed all along that it would drag on and take forever like previous contract extensions for other superstars. Cowboys fans do seem to be getting tired of this act, though. During Saturday’s practice, the first one following Micah’s public statement noting his request, fans expressed displeasure with team leadership and chanted on behalf of Micah. A couple fans getting the day started. pic.twitter.com/teGBOjoYMN — Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) August 2, 2025 Cowboys fans chanting for Micah Parsons pic.twitter.com/JFdyUaEAJR — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 2, 2025 None of this seems to bother Jerry Jones though, as indicated. In addition to saying that the Cowboys do not plan on trading away Micah he told fans that they needn’t lose any sleep over the situation. Jerry Jones on the Micah Parsons trade request: “I would say to our fans, don’t lose any sleep over this.” pic.twitter.com/i56DFVH9D3 — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) August 2, 2025 Ultimately it is this writer’s opinion that no fans are losing sleep. This is the case because (as indicated) we all have a good idea of how this is going to end. While we may not be losing sleep that the situation continues to follow the path that it does is upsetting as it causes unnecessary drama and friction for the team. Headlines from Oxnard right now should be about Donovan Ezeiruaku shining or George Pickens meshing with the team or any other positives that we have talked about, but the Micah issue has taken up everything else because reasons or something like that. The Dallas Cowboys Way. Update: 4:55pm ET Just for full context… Jerry Jones noted that he has not (at the time of this X post) spoken to Micah in the aftermath of the trade request. Jerry Jones said he’s not talked to Micah Parsons since his trade request. — Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) August 2, 2025 Technically speaking… part of Micah’s issue was the lack of involvement for his agent. Perhaps Jerry isn’t talking to Micah because the plan is to follow his request. That seems like a very positive spin though!

Chris Jones-Imagn Images The Cowboys offensive line has been absolutely decimated by injuries. The hits keep coming for the Dallas Cowboys offensive line. Thursday afternoon Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith exited practice early with knee soreness – tendinitis, as it seems – and it remains to be seen if he misses any time. Cowboys All-Pro LG Tyler Smith (knee) leaving practice. Asked if he’s OK: “I’m straight.” pic.twitter.com/XEOCklEt9C — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 31, 2025 Tyler Smith is the latest Cowboys offensive lineman to come up lame at training camp. Thankfully this doesn’t seem to be anything serious, but will still need to be monitored closely along with the rest of the Cowboys walking wounded injured OL right now. Smith is simply just the most recent of the Cowboys OL who have sustained some degree of injury since training camp got underway. He joins Terence Steele (ankle), Rob Jones (neck), and Tyler Guyton (knee) in missing some practice time thus far in training camp due to injuries and all will need to be closely monitored. That doesn’t even include some down roster linemen who missed time. While thankfully none of these injuries have been of the season-ending type, it does raise somewhat of a concern about the cohesiveness of this group and the further development of Guyton. The quicker everyone can get healthy, the better. Unfortunately, Guyton is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with the fractured bone in his knee and Rob Jones is expected to miss 2-3 months with a broken bone in his neck. Terence Steele however has returned to practice after his ankle injury, which is good news considering Dallas’ OT depth. If you’re looking for a silver lining to all of these injuries along the Cowboys o-line, with those players sidelined the coaching staff is getting a good look at the depth chart behind them. These extra practice reps will give everybody a better idea of where these backups fit on the depth chart as well as who may or may not stick to the final 53-man roster. It’s also important to remember this is a new coaching staff with a new OL coach (Conor Riley) and offensive coordinator (Klayton Adams), both of which were brought in to help get the best out of this group. Their fresh eyes and different approach have already proven to show neither aare opposed to making changes. With several of the starters sidelined with injuries there have been some mixing and matching of Dallas’ backups to find their best fit. For instance, T.J. Bass has received work at both RG and at LG in place of Tyler Smith as well as at RT. The biggest surprise though is second-year OL Nate Thomas stepping in for Tyler Guyton at LT. Thomas was pretty much an afterthought entering training camp, but is now working with the first team and more than holding his own. The seventh-round pick last year was already catching the eye of the coaching staff prior to Guyton’s injury, but even more so now as an injury fill-in. Ideally everybody would remain healthy, but in reality injuries happen and circumventing them is just part of the process. Dallas’ offensive line maybe the walking wounded right now, but that’s only temporary. They will return to the lineup eventually, but in the meantime getting an extended look at their backups could prove to be invaluable.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports How do you think things end with the Cowboys and Micah Parsons? Micah Parsons has always known how to command the spotlight – something you’d think would endear Jerry Jones to him even more – but the All-Pro pass rusher set the internet on fire Friday with his announcement that he’s requested a trade amid an ongoing dispute in his contract negotiations. What happens next is anyone’s guess. The Cowboys have always managed to sign players to deals when they really want to, though not without plenty of teeth gnashing, but Parsons is certainly a unique example given how vocal and candid he tends to be. That said, here are the three most likely conclusions to this feud, ranked in order. Parsons plays in 2025, gets tagged, and a deal gets done The most likely outcome at this point is that no deal gets done before the end of the year, at which point the Cowboys would almost certainly use the franchise tag. Parsons could always sit out until a deal is done, but that’s a big risk that could see him lose millions by way of fines. Besides, Parsons loves football too much to sit out an entire year, as evidenced in minicamp earlier this year. The hope here on the part of Jerry and Stephen Jones is that the strategy buys them enough time to repair the relationship, and perhaps remember that a fundamental part of paying players is talking to their agent. A similar dynamic played out with Dak Prescott, though social media wasn’t nearly as big of a factor there. This is a path that I’ve been cautioning against for months now, but it feels inevitable. The Cowboys are dead set on doing things their way, and Parsons is much more stubborn than most players they’ve encountered before. Much like Prescott in the past, Parsons has all the leverage and he definitely doesn’t seem afraid to use it. Consider just how stark the difference has been for Dallas with and without Parsons on the field. Over the last four years, the Cowboys are the league’s best defense with Micah Parsons on the field by EPA per play. Across a 1,039-play sample, they’re the league’s second-worst defense over that same stretch by EPA per play when Parsons isn’t on the field. — Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) August 1, 2025 Parsons understands this, and it’s why he’s digging in now. The Joneses will eventually cave – they always do – but it’s a matter of how long they’re willing to hold out. That franchise tag gives them a much longer runway for said holdout. Cowboys cave and pay Parsons now, plus a premium On the topic of caving, the Joneses could always cave now. The overly public nature of this particular saga might be too much for them to handle. Jerry Jones might react to this sort of embarrassment by doing what billionaires usually do: throw money at the problem. It’ll have to be a lot of money, though. Parsons has said multiple times in the past that he doesn’t necessarily need to be the highest paid defensive player, but that was before Jerry and Stephen made comments disparaging both Parsons and his agent. Now, the relationship is damaged and needs mending. Time heals all wounds (hence the first scenario) but sometimes money can, too. If the Cowboys are going to get Parsons inked to an extension before the season starts, or even during the season, it will come at a steeper price than initially believed. And Parsons was already likely to draw a hefty price tag. Presently, Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt leads all non-quarterbacks in both annual average value and guaranteed money; his three-year extension signed a couple weeks ago pays an average salary of $41 million with $108 million guaranteed. Nick Bosa, on the other hand, leads all non-quarterbacks in total contract value with $170 million. If the Cowboys are getting a Parsons deal done now, after all the perceived disrespect from both sides, the numbers have to start there. A four-year deal paying $45 million a year would put Parsons at the same rate as Kirk Cousins, for comparison, with $180 million total value. However, Parsons’ agent may seek to make him the first defensive player to ink a $200 million deal just to spite the Joneses now. This scenario is going to come with the highest possible price tag, which is why it isn’t the most likely outcome. Still, it’s a plausible path to a quick resolution, should the Joneses suddenly be interested in such a radical concept. They pull off a trade that makes Herschel Walker blush First things first, the chances of a Parsons trade are exceptionally low. Anonymous sources indicated as much shortly after Parsons’ bombshell announcement on Friday. Despite Micah Parsons’ trade request on Friday, the Dallas Cowboys do not plan on moving their star pass rusher, multiple team sources tell @startelegram. The Cowboys maintain control over Parsons’ future and have a franchise tag to use in 2026 if needed.https://t.co/vlyXhaE2k4 — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) August 1, 2025 That’s hardly surprising, and it’s almost a certainty that Parsons requested a trade as a negotiating tactic rather than actually wanting to play somewhere other than the team he’s grown up rooting for. In fact, any such trade for a player of Parsons’ caliber would have to be so comically lopsided in terms of assets being exchanged that it would rival the infamous Herschel Walker trade. There is not a draft package in existence that you could get for Micah Parsons that would be better for the Cowboys from 2025-2028 than having Micah Parsons would be. — Joey Ickes (@JoeyIckes) August 1, 2025 Here’s what I wrote about Micah Parsons in the Trade Tiers piece earlier this week. The realistic expectation would be three first-round picks (or some combo of players/draft capital that adds up to three first-round picks). Every team should be interested. pic.twitter.com/q0stIlls6s — Bill Barnwell

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The latest surrounding the Dallas Cowboys is here. Micah Parsons requests trade, drawing line in the sand with Dallas Cowboys – Joseph Hoyt, Dallas Morning News The All-Pro pass rusher wants out of Dallas. Negotiations between the Cowboys and star pass rusher Micah Parsons have sparked mutual frustration. They hadn’t sparked a line in the sand, however. Until Friday. That’s when Parsons requested a trade from the Cowboys. He announced the news on social media but specifically said his request was made to Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones. “Up to today the team has not had a single conversation with my agent about a contract,” Parsons wrote. “Not one demand has been made by my agent about money, years or anything else. Still I stayed quiet but again after repeated shots at myself and all the narratives I have made a tough decision I no longer want to play for the Dallas Cowboys. My trade request has been submitted to Stephen Jones personally.” Stephen Jones had no comment about the news when asked by The Dallas Morning News. Calls to Parsons and his agent, David Mulugheta, were not returned. Dallas Cowboys players show support for Micah Parsons amid star’s trade request – The Athletic Staff The Cowboys players are in unison in backing Micah Parsons. Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons publicly requested a trade on Friday and voiced frustrations with how the franchise has handled his contract negotiations. “Unfortunately I no longer want to be here,” Parsons wrote in a post to his X account. “I no long want to be held to close door negotiations without my agent present. I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization our fans and my teammates. I no longer want narratives created and spread to the media about me.” While Parsons may be at odds with the Cowboys’ front office, the Dallas locker room has loudly shown it’s with him, as several of his teammates took to social media to show support for the perennial Pro Bowler. In a show of support, several players changed their profile pictures on X to photos of Parsons. #NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/gyr1njkHuU — DeMarvion Overshown (@AGENT0__) August 1, 2025 #NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/D6bvoLDKJ9 — Juanyeh Thomas (@STG_Yeh1) August 1, 2025 Others, like CeeDee Lamb, bluntly called for Parsons to receive a new deal. “Never fails dawg,” Lamb wrote in a post on X. “Just pay the man what you owe em. No need for the extra curricular.” Lamb was in a similar situation before the 2024 season, as he held out of training camp while negotiating his contract extension. Parsons has been present at Cowboys training camp but has not participated in drills or workouts. In his message posted Friday, Parsons said he offered to renegotiate his contract earlier this year despite his agent advising him to wait until other players at his position got new deals with the hope of landing a larger sum, but that the Cowboys were not receptive. Micah Parsons requests trade from Cowboys amid contract standoff – Jon Machota, Dianna Russini, The Athletic It takes two to tango. Among the key issues: Parsons said he spoke directly with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in March. The team believed those conversations were negotiations and that it had a deal, multiple league sources said. But Parsons believed the talks were just conversations, writing that he told the Cowboys that his agent would reach out, “thinking this would get things done.” When Parsons’ agent attempted to start negotiations, Parsons wrote, the Cowboys declined to engage with him and told the pass rusher that they believed they already had a deal. Now, the team is refusing to engage with his agent at all, Parsons wrote, creating a tense standoff amid increasing friction. Micah Parsons contract dispute timeline: Why Cowboys star’s frustration boiled over after failed offseason negotiations – Chris Cwik, Yahoo Sports The business ways of the Cowboys keep causing unnecessary issues. How, exactly, did things reach this point? Here’s a rough timeline of Parsons’ failed negotiations with the Cowboys. Before 2024 season: Micah Parsons reaches out about extension In Friday’s statement, Parsons said contract negotiations stretched back to before the 2024 NFL season. He said that was the first time his agent reached out to the team about a new deal for the star pass rusher. At the time, the Cowboys reportedly told Parsons they didn’t want to start contract talks at that point. Parsons said he was fine with that decision and turned his focus to the 2024 season. Parsons was limited to 13 games in 2024 due to an ankle injury, but turned in another excellent season. He racked up 12 sacks and 23 quarterback hits despite missing time. That performance earned Parsons his four-straight trip to the Pro Bowl. After 2024 season: Micah Parsons reaches out to Cowboys again At the end of the 2024 NFL season, Parsons said he told his agent to reach out to the Cowboys to negotiate a new contract. Parsons’ agent advised Parsons to wait until other defensive stars signed new contracts, as that would likely raise his asking price. Parsons said he knew he would leave money on the table, but told his agent to reach out to the team anyway. Parsons claimed the team did not respond to his agent’s requests at the time. Jerry Jones is clear villain of Micah Parsons contract debacle – Matt Galatzan, Dallas Cowboys on SI It all starts with the people running the organization. In what has now become typical Dallas Cowboys fashion, team owner Jerry Jones has created a disaster within his own franchise. Only this time it may have just cost the team their best player. Following a lengthy contract dispute that has expanded for over a year now, Cowboys superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons has officially requested a trade from the team. To make things worse, it is a situation that could have easily been avoided

Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports Cowboys are bringing back La’el Collins for another go. The Dallas Cowboys have been hit hard with injuries on the offensive line as of late. They recently brought in veteran La’el Collins for a workout earlier this week, and they’re signing the former undrafted free agent per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Dallas Cowboys are signing OT La’el Collins, @startelegram has learned. Good workout leads to a reunion for Collins in Oxnard. — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) August 1, 2025 Collins was signed by the Cowboys in 2015, and he ended up starting 71 of the 74 games he played in. After asking permission to seek a trade, Collins was released and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. After tearing his ACL, he was released before ultimately coming back to the Cowboys. However, it was only for 12 days during their playoff run. Collins signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2024 but was released that August. The Cowboys needed to make a move for much-needed depth and training camp purposes. Maybe Collins has enough left in the tank to be a contributor in 2025. He at least is a camp body until others get healthy.

Chris Jones-Imagn Images The Cowboys former seventh-round pick sounds confident stepping in for Tyler Guyton At the start of his media session on Wednesday, there was a light-hearted moment when Nate Thomas didn’t know where to look while answering questions. Being in the spotlight is something new for the Dallas Cowboys‘ left tackle, but it sounds like Thomas isn’t letting the attention change anything about his approach and is making sure he stays “neutral.” “I don’t think it’s any added pressure,” Thomas said. “I just have to block the noise out if anything…We have a saying that we like to stay neutral. No matter how things may seem, good or bad, we just have to understand that staying [we’re] in neutral making sure we taking one step at a time, one play at a time, make sure we get the job done.” That neutral mentality is something he learned last season when O2X, a world-class training and education provider for tactical athletes, firefighters, law enforcement, and those in high-stress work environments, visited the team facility to discuss building mental strength on the football field. This group also works with quarterback Dak Prescott during the offseason and helps facilitate his offensive retreat with the skill guys. “We had this group O2X come in; they came in last year, and that’s kind of when everything started where it was like during the game you may have a certain amount of minutes where things are high, a certain amount of minutes where things are low, but you mainly want to stay in that neutral position because you still have a job to do.” Thomas’ new job is to step in with the first team at left tackle after Tyler Guyton went down this week with what turned out to be a bone fracture, instead of a torn ACL, that will likely keep him out four to six weeks. Other candidates on the Cowboys’ depth chart could have been considered first based solely on experience. Asim Richards is entering his third season with the team and started one game at left tackle against the Philadelphia Eagles last year. Hakeem Adeniji signed with Dallas this offseason as a free agent and has been in the league since 2020, but has not played at a tackle position since his rookie COVID year. As head coach Brian Schottenheimer put it, both players are still in the mix and will get looks with the first team as well, but the tip of the cap goes to Thomas first. Having a neutral mindset isn’t the only thing that helped prepare the second-year player for this moment. Thomas spent a month working out with quarterback Dak Prescott this offseason, and in true leadership fashion, Prescott told him to stay ready for when his time comes. #Cowboys LT Nate Thomas talking about how he and Dak Prescott worked out together for a month in the offseason and how the quarterback told him to stay ready for his moment. ( : @dallascowboys on YT) pic.twitter.com/Tk4ijIj7Xy — Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) July 31, 2025 Coming out of college from Louisiana and playing for the Rajin Cajuns, Thomas showed some strong play at the left tackle position. He also showed promise of having some flexibility to kick inside, which was the original plan last season under Mike McCarthy. However, knee tendinitis and a “slight tear in his patella” kept him sidelined for the entire 2024 season. Coming into the offseason and training camp, Thomas was almost on the outside looking in, considering all of the quality depth Dallas brought in this offseason. He looked like he was in for a battle just to maintain a roster spot. Now, the dark horse candidate has become the lead horse for what could be lining up against the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants the first two weeks of the season, depending on Guyton’s timeline to return. Having a veteran like Tyler Smith at his side, who has already helped Thomas a ton in this transition, should help as he steps into this lead role. For now, Thomas will apply the lessons he learned last year during his time away from the field. He will not get too high or too low in these moments and will focus on the task at hand—being himself and being the best left tackle for the Dallas Cowboys.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Traeshon Holden is making a name for himself. Thursday’s practice started off right for the Dallas Cowboys. On Heroes Appreciation Day, the team had a flyover through clear blue skies in California, and Dak Prescott, along with head coach Brian Schottenheimer, greeted the fans in attendance. On the field, Prescott and the offense were on fire, hitting the deep ball and making pinpoint throws. The second unit was too shabby, either. Joe Milton made some very good throws and connected with his targets effectively. For those on the bottom of the roster, it’s important to make a lasting impression. Anyone can be a flash in the pan at camp, but to stick in the mind of the coaches and personnel decision makers, you have to be consistent. After impressing in the previous practice, Traeshon Holden followed it up with another great day at training camp. Here’s how he did Thursday and why he’s again the undrafted star of the day. On this first play, Holden does a great job of playing through the jam of Israel Mukuamu, and continues to fight through the pattern up the field. At the catch point, Holden does a tremendous job at catching the ball away from his body and somehow getting both feet in bounds for the highlight catch. Traeshon Holden doing what he can to make himself this year’s pet cat at WR There’s one every training camp! pic.twitter.com/H3T2g6uAmE — Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) July 31, 2025 He followed that play up with another touchdown, making that three in the last two days. Holden does a great job of effortlessly catching the ball with his hands before running away from the defense on yet another accurate throw from Joe Milton. Traeshon Holden pic.twitter.com/jXYGIiDJo4 — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 31, 2025 Competing with Holden is Jalen Cropper, who also had a nice day at practice, and Jonathan Mingo is pushing for at least the number four receiver spot. It’s imperative that Holden carry this progress into the coming weeks to force the coaches into a very difficult decision at the end of the summer. However, it was another exceptional day for the undrafted wideout.

Set Number: X161432 TK1 We’re counting down to the season opener (Day 34) 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 are running through 100 Days of Cowboys. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football. Today – number 34. Dez Bryant Born: November 4, 1988. Galveston, TexasPosition: Wide receiver Dallas Cowboys: 2010-2017Awards: All-Pro- 2014Pro Bowl– 2013, 2014, 2016NFL receiving touchdowns leader- 2014 Photo by Ray Carlin/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images Dez Bryant played wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys from 2010 to 2017, after being selected in the first round out of Oklahoma State. Known for his physicality, elite leaping ability, and emotional intensity, Bryant quickly became one of the NFL’s most feared red-zone threats. He earned three consecutive Pro Bowl selections and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2014, the same year he led the league with 16 receiving touchdowns. Bryant remains the Cowboys’ all-time leader in touchdown receptions (73), leaving a lasting impact on the franchise’s passing game. #Cowboys how good was Dez Bryant? pic.twitter.com/tdXDoAm1lC — Law Nation Sports (@LawsNation) June 7, 2025 Best known for:Bryant was best known for his highlight-reel catches, passion, and ability to dominate in the red zone, becoming the go-to playmaker for the Cowboys in crucial moments and having unbelievable chemistry with Tony Romo. Here are some of my favorite plays from Dez Bryant’s career with the #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/SmmWE2C5JS — Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) May 12, 2020 Lesser known fact:As a high school athlete in Texas, Bryant was also a standout triple jumper, winning a state title in the event. He was also a top hurdler, competing in the 110-m and 300-m hurdles. His track background helped shape his explosive leaping and body control, traits that defined his playing style as a receiver. ✭ 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 34Dez Bryant#DallasCowboys… pic.twitter.com/Qo2IlyNBfP — Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) August 1, 2025

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Who is the most surprising person you think will make the Cowboys 53-man roster? After a little over a week of the Cowboys’ 2025 training camp, we’ve already seen some ripples in this 91-man roster pond. Existing injury situations have been updated, some new ones have started, and players are making good and bad early impressions with their performance. With all of this info to work with, it’s a good time to check back in with our roster projection. One of the hardest parts of this exercise is not to overreact to these first glimpses out of Oxnard. While some developments will carry through to September, some are just the buzz of the week. A reported camp rock star can find that the music stops fast with a bad preseason showing. Conversely, someone who hasn’t made much noise on the practice field can quickly earn points in those games. So this is still very much a process, and we’re only just getting going. You can reference the last version of the projection if you want to see what’s changed from early last week. Mostly, it’s because of injuries. But we’ll address the revisions as we go. OFFENSE (25) Quarterback (3) Dak Prescott, Joe Milton III, Will Grier We need to see how Milton looks in preseason action before we can kick Grier off the roster. Remember, it was shaky play last August that hurt Milton’s stock in New England. And while his athletic gifts are plain to see, it will be how the second-year QB handles more in-game situations, even in preseason, that decides the team’s confidence level. Dumping Grier to save a roster spot makes a lot of sense, but Milton still has to do enough to facilitate it. Running Back (3) Javonte Williams, Jaydon Blue, Miles Sanders Fullback (1) Hunter Luepke We’re sticking with this foursome for now. We know Blue and Luepke are making it, and so far, Williams and Sanders have done their part to remain frontrunners. As good as Deuce Vaughn has looked, he’s too redundant with what Blue and KaVontae Turpin already offer. If anyone is going to worm their way into the mix, it’s probably Phil Mafah. But given the restraints of camp practices, the power-running rookie may not get to show his best stuff until preseason. Wide Receiver (5) CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Jalen TolbertJonathan Mingo, KaVontae Turpin Tolbert hasn’t made a big impression so far in camp. Again, it’s too early to make any big changes from that, but it’s definitely got us wondering how he stacks up right now in this competition. Ryan Flournoy and UDFA Traeshon Holden are two names to watch, who’ve already earned more attention so far. There’s still plenty of time for Tolbert to defend his spot, but he’s off to a slow start. Tight End (4) Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Brevyn Spann-FordJohn Stephens Jr. Because Hunter Luekple has versatility as a smallish TE, we can keep this quartet even after Spann-Ford’s ankle injury. He’s still expected back before the end of the preseason and was solidifying his roster spot before going down. It’s a big opportunity for Stephens to get more reps and prove he’s put the injury issues behind him. Offensive Line (9) Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler BookerTyler Guyton, Terence Steele, Brock HoffmanAsim Richards, Nate Thomas, Ajani Cornelius If Tyler Guyton can’t go in Week 1, they will probably call up Hakeem Adeniji from the practice squad for depth. Nate Thomas has been arguably the biggest riser of camp, going from the seventh round and IR last year to potentially starting against the Eagles on September 4th. DEFENSE (24) Defensive End (5) Micah Parsons, Dante Fowler, Marshawn KneelandDonovan Ezeiruaku, Sam Williams Nothing to change here. The biggest question now is how much they want to take Ezeiruaku off the field, given how good the rookie’s looked. But unless somebody gets hurt, it’s hard to see this group changing anytime before final cuts. Defensive Tackle (5) Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith, Solomon ThomasJay Toia, Perrion Winfrey Another unchanged group, and not necessarily for good reasons. Smith has been underwhelming so far in camp, but he’s also getting jerked around again with his role and weight. He has to adjust to the change, and hopefully has time to do so. Toia hasn’t made any big waves so far in camp, but he’s also the only true nose on the roster right now. So he’s in by default unless Dallas makes a move. Linebacker (4) Jack Sanborn, Marist Liufau, Kenneth Murray Jr.Damone Clark Murray has been absent so far while his family welcomes a new child, so the lack of news on him is understandable. Thankfully, the other three guys have all been looking good. Matt Eberflus made his bones as a linebacker guru and his influence is already bearing fruit. It’s especially nice to see with Clark, who fell into obscurity last year under Mike Zimmer. Cornerback (6) DaRon Bland, Kaiir Elam, Israel MukuamuKemon Hall, Andrew Booth, Troy Pride Jr. We had Elam in the projection last time mostly by default due to the injuries, but now he’s on there as one of the hottest names in camp. We just got bad news that Shavon Revel’s injury timetable will likely go into the regular season. We’re also assuming that Trevon Diggs, Josh Butler, and Caelen Carson, who just picked up a 4-6 week knee issue, start the year on some form of injury list until further notice. While still officially listed at safety, Israel Mukuamu is mainly working at corner right now due to the aforementioned injuries. We’re listing him based on where he’s most likely to get snaps. Safety (4) Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson, Juanyeh ThomasMarkquese Bell We had UDFA Alijah Clark here last week, but that was more for his supposed corner versatility. He hasn’t made a peep so far in camp, while some of the true corners are stepping up. So now, we’re just sticking with the core four