Cowboys training camp preview: Can young LBs step up; which O-linemen play where?

David Helman

Dallas Cowboys Insider

Wednesday marks the official start of Cowboys training camp, with the team hitting the field for its first practice of the new season. The harsh truth, however, is that it will take some time for the intrigue to ramp up.

Unofficially, the pads don’t go on until next week, after a four-day ramp up, which lessens the intrigue oh-so slightly. The overall point remains the same, though: starting now, we can get some answers to the questions that have plagued us for months.

These are the key storylines I’m looking at as practices begin.

Wide-receiver roles

At surface level, this sounds straightforward. The Cowboys employed two quality starters in CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, then traded for a third in Brandin Cooks. Finding out how head coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer intend to use them should be so much more fun. We know why Cooks is here. Even approaching his 30th birthday, the veteran possesses the speed and deep ball ability the offense lacked last year. Playing for a forgettable Houston offense, Cooks had three gains of 40-plus yards, which is more than Lamb and Gallup managed combined.

It’ll still be fun to see how the trio is used. It’s a good guess that Lamb will work primarily in the slot, where he can benefit from the attention paid to a speedster like Cooks. But Cooks is also versatile, having played about 29% of his snaps in the slot during three years in Houston. Smart money says Gallup will fill the role of the X receiver, as has been his custom. But with a full offseason to work back from last year’s ACL injury, the hope is he can rediscover the contested catch ability that marked his early career. 

The intrigue doesn’t end there, given that there’s little in the way of proven depth behind the big three. As exciting as that trio is, don’t lose sight of the fact that the 11 other receivers on the roster have combined for 31 NFL catches.

The obvious hope is that Jalen Tolbert rebounds from a disappointing rookie season, or that Simi Fehoko breaks out in his all-important Year 3. But the uncomfortable truth is that this unit is an injury away from looking just as uninspiring as it did last year. It’d be an awfully big deal if one of these youngsters shows out.

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The running-back situation

It’s strange to think that we’re in a completely new era of the Cowboys’ running game. Yes, we’re all familiar with Tony Pollard’s game and we know he’s wonderful. There should be no concern about one of the game’s most underrated backs stepping into a starting role.

Still, for seven years Ezekiel Elliott dominated this backfield. Last year featured Pollard’s heaviest usage by far, and he still only averaged 14.5 touches per game. For comparison’s sake, Elliott averaged 21 touches during his stint as the Cowboys’ unquestioned bell cow.

How do the Cowboys reallocate that workload? Obviously, Pollard is going to lead the way. But how many more touches will allow him to maximize his effectiveness without wearing him down? It seems like a guarantee he will log 200 carries in a season for the first time in his career, but can he handle 20 carries per game? Would the coaches let him?

Furthermore, who accounts for the secondary snaps? Pollard played 49% of the snaps last year. Even in 2021, when Elliott was more clearly the starter, Pollard accounted for 31% of the snaps. There’s a sizable role to be earned by someone.

NFL experience points to Ronald Jones II, the only other guy on the roster with more than 50 NFL carries to his name. But Malik Davis showed promise as a rookie, appearing in 12 games despite being firmly entrenched as the third running back.

And then there’s Deuce Vaughn, easily one of the most intriguing players on this roster. His incredible college resume suggests he should be a contender for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, but his 5-foot-5 stature and sixth-round draft status suggest he should be fighting for a roster spot.

Reality lies somewhere in between. How quickly can Vaughn acclimate to the NFL, and how big can his role be right away?

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The OL rotation

Now that camp is upon us, we can take stock of the fact that we don’t know what the hell is going on. The Cowboys have arrived in California with a new offensive line coach in Mike Solari, as well as a hodgepodge of different options to fill out their first team.

It’s easy to fixate on left guard because that’s the one position without a clear starter. Tyron Smith has built a Hall Of Fame resume at left tackle, and Terence Steele has staked his claim as a quality young right tackle. The issue is that Steele, while not starting camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list, is still coming off a major leg injury. And Smith obviously has seven years of injury history suggesting he’ll miss time.

Where does that leave Solari as he seeks to construct a quality line? Tyler Smith had a strong rookie season at left tackle in place of the elder Smith. Would it be hampering his development to play him at left guard, or is that a wonderful problem to have? It’s a good guess that Solari will play guys in multiple spots, Tyler Smith chief among them. But how will that shape the eventual starting five? Can veteran Chuma Edoga push for a starting spot? When will Zack Martin, unhappy with his current contract, report to camp?

From a standpoint of bodies, the situation looks pretty good. Now, to learn where all those bodies are going to line up this season.

Linebacker depth

It’s slightly terrifying to consider the truth of the situation here.

Leighton Vander Esch had a mid-career renaissance in 2022, playing effectively enough across 14 games to earn himself a two-year extension for $8 million. When healthy, he’s more than proven himself as a key piece of the Dallas defense.

While it’s fair to point out that Vander Esch has only missed three games in the last two seasons, it’s also true that he’s missed 20% of the Cowboys’ total games since he was drafted in 2018. That’s a reasonable track record at one of the game’s most physical positions, but it also raises depth questions.

Right now, that depth is incredibly unproven. Damone Clark played in 10 games and made 47 tackles as a rookie last year, which was honestly incredible given that he had spinal surgery prior to being drafted. That abbreviated season is the only other experience at the position, though. Clark’s LSU teammate, Jabril Cox, has yet to feature on defense heading into Year 3. Malik Jefferson has 16 tackles across five seasons in the league.

What does that mean for DeMarvion Overshown? The third-round draft pick is exactly the type of versatile player coveted by defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, with the speed to play against passing looks and the size to work against the run.

How quickly does that intriguing skillset translate to playing time, though? It’s easy to imagine Overshown functioning as an oversized safety in some of Quinn’s packages, but that’s only if he proves he’s up to the task.

If Clark and Overshown are ready for these roles, this could be an exciting position group. If they aren’t, a lot will hinge on Vander Esch’s continued good health.

David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing “Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion” about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.

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