{"id":933045,"date":"2026-09-09T22:18:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T03:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/09\/cowboys-news-things-to-look-for-at-training-camp\/"},"modified":"2026-09-09T22:18:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T03:18:10","slug":"cowboys-news-things-to-look-for-at-training-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/09\/cowboys-news-things-to-look-for-at-training-camp\/","title":{"rendered":"Cowboys news: Things to look for at training camp"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pay attention to these storylines when the Cowboys open camp.<\/p>\n

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Cowboys training camp starts July 28th in Oxnard, California<\/a>, and I\u2019m ready for the guessing and speculation about players and positions to start. We\u2019ve spent the entire offseason thinking about what we think the roster will look like, what players will start, who will break out this season, and what will a Christian Parker defense actually look like. Everything up to this point is just talk until the pads come on. I don\u2019t want everyone to lose their minds over every practice clip, either. Someone will catch an amazing pass over a practice squad player or camp body and start thinking that player is the second coming of Jerry Rice. Let\u2019s pump the brakes right now. There are bigger storylines to watch.
Will DeMarvion Overshown and Shavon Revel Jr. Look Like Themselves at Training Camp?<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t heard anything to make me think these two will not be ready for training camp. Overshown\u2019s game depends on speed<\/a>, reaction, and playing without hesitation. Will he be thinking about his knee while trying to chase down offensive players? We will know pretty quick. I\u2019ll be watching how quickly he closes, how his change of direction is, and how he responds after getting a few physical practices in.<\/p>\n

Shavon Revel Jr.<\/a> has similar issues, just at a different position. We know a cornerback cannot play scared. I want to see how Revel plants his foot, turns, runs, and if he trusts his body with a receiver coming out of a break. If we see an aggressive Revel in press coverage and fighting with receivers, that will tell me more than a practice report. As a Cowboys fan and watching what this defense went through last season, two great players don\u2019t just need to be available, I want to see them being explosive.<\/p>\n

The Running Back Two Job Is Wide Open at Training Camp<\/p>\n

Javonte Williams enters training camp as the unrivaled number one back and that was solidified with statements from Will McClay<\/a>. Even without Will McClay\u2019s comment, I don\u2019t think anyone was going to argue who the lead dog is. The real battle will be behind him. As we all know, and I have heavily talked about in the past, Jaydon Blue has speed<\/a> on top of speed. This guy has the attributes to be the home run hitter on the ground. Blue\u2019s biggest issue last season was maturity and I think that has been fixed.<\/p>\n

Phil Mafah is the opposite of Blue. He\u2019s big, real big, and plays with force<\/a> and a blatant disregard for defensive players safety and I like it. This could be the guy who helps solve our red zone woes. Malik Davis came on strong at the end of the season<\/a> and should not be counted out. Yes, he has bounced around on a few teams, but seemed to put it all together at the end of 2025. He\u2019s not great at anything, but seemed to be good at just about everything. Sounds like a RB2. The two other running backs headed into training camp are Israel Abanikanda and rookie Dominic Richardson. Israel is a player the Cowboys liked<\/a> coming out of the University of Pittsburgh in 2023. He is a speedy back who broke Tony Dorsett\u2019s single-game rushing record<\/a> while at Pitt.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

What do you guys think? Do you agree this is the best player in Cowboys history to wear number 19?<\/p>\n

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Welcome back to The Landry Hat\u2019s series covering the best Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99<\/a>. Well, we\u2019ve officially reached the one-fifth mark of our journey, as we\u2019ve come to our 20th entry, and we\u2019ve got a nice little battle here for the No. 19 slot. So, without further ado, let\u2019s take a quick look at everyone who\u2019s donned the digit for America\u2019s Team over the years.<\/p>\n

Lance Alworth, WR<\/p>\n

Miles Austin, WR<\/p>\n

Brice Butler, WR<\/p>\n

Amari Cooper, WR<\/p>\n

Ryan Flournoy, WR<\/p>\n

Noah Igbinoghene, CB<\/p>\n

John Jett, P<\/p>\n

Keyshawn Johnson, WR<\/p>\n

Trey Lance, QB<\/p>\n

Clint Longley, QB<\/p>\n

Brett Maher, K<\/p>\n

Lance Rentzel, WR<\/p>\n

Kevin Sweeney, QB<\/p>\n

From an overall historical perspective, the most notable name on this list is Lance Alworth, who\u2019s the only player listed above to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But as he made his name with the San Diego Chargers and only played a pair of seasons with the Cowboys, he\u2019s out, although it should be noted that he won a ring in the first of those two campaigns, catching 34 passes for 487 yards with a pair of touchdowns in 1971.<\/p>\n

Going back to that same era, Lance Rentzel had a solid four-year run with Dallas from 1967 to 1970, catching 183 passes for 3,521 yards with 31 touchdowns. But he\u2019s on the outside looking in as well. When all was said and done, though, this became a two-man race between players who suited up in this century.<\/p>\n

Now, many might go with Amari Cooper in this slot. And he\u2019s certainly got a strong case, as he had a strong three-and-a-half-year run in Big D, catching 292 passes for 3,893 yards with 27 touchdowns and earning a pair of Pro Bowl selections. But our call here is Miles Austin, which might surprise some people. But it might also surprise some to know (or remember) that he also made a pair of Pro Bowls and that his best season was better than any that Cooper had during his entire career. Throw in the fact that he also returned kicks, and his value was just higher.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

As things heat up, keep a close eye on these hotly contested battles.<\/p>\n

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Training camp is where roster battles are decided, but some of the most interesting work in Oxnard come from players competing on opposite sides of the football. The Cowboys have a strong mix of established stars and young players looking to break out, which should create plenty of entertaining one-on-one matchups.<\/p>\n

These battles will not determine starting jobs on their own, but tell us a lot about which players are improving, who may be ready for a bigger role and where Dallas could still have concerns entering the season. Here are eight matchups Cowboys fans should be watching closely throughout training camp this year.<\/p>\n

8. Anthony Smith vs. Devin Moore<\/strong><\/p>\n

This rookie-on-rookie matchup could affect the back end of two unsettled position groups. Smith\u2019s size and vertical speed will test Moore\u2019s ability to turn and run, while Moore\u2019s length should challenge Smith to beat press coverage and win contested catches.<\/p>\n

7. Drew Shelton vs. L.T. Overton<\/strong><\/p>\n

Two fourth-round rookies will have plenty to prove when the pads come on. Shelton\u2019s athleticism will test Overton\u2019s ability to push the edge, while Overton\u2019s power and versatility should provide an early examination of Shelton\u2019s technique and anchor.<\/p>\n

6. Brevyn Spann-Ford vs. Jalen Thompson<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spann-Ford has an opportunity to overtake Luke Schoonmaker and establish himself as the Cowboys\u2019 second tight end. His size will create problems at the catch point, but Thompson\u2019s experience, instincts and physicality should provide a difficult test in both coverage and the running game.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Daily discussion question:<\/em> What do you believe will 100% happen through the first few practices of camp?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pay attention to these storylines when the Cowboys open camp. Cowboys training camp starts July 28th in Oxnard, California, and I\u2019m ready for the guessing and speculation about players and positions to start. We\u2019ve spent the entire offseason thinking about what we think the roster will look like, what players will start, who will break<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":933046,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22890,58],"tags":[7275,5300],"class_list":["post-933045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cowboys","category-things","tag-cowboys","tag-things"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/933045","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=933045"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/933045\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/933046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=933045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=933045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=933045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}