OXNARD, Calif. — With the first few days of training camp in the books for the Dallas Cowboys. It’s official, football is back!
There’s nothing like the excitement of a new season, and the beginning of camp came with the traditional press conference from owner Jerry Jones, executive vice president Stephen Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy. The forum usually makes for some funny quotes, but the real work begins when the team takes the field.
Although the first two workouts in Oxnard didn’t include pads, that doesn’t mean the practices weren’t intense and the Cowboy got in some good work. Here are the highlights from the early portion of training camp:
Who’s missing
With camp just beginning, perhaps the biggest storyline right now is the absence of All-Pro guard Zack Martin. It was a surprise for Martin to announce that he wanted a new deal, but even more shocking was the timing. Dropping the news just before the Cowboys were about to embark on a new season was not something fans expected.
However, as Martin’s representatives mentioned, they’ve been asking for a new contract for most of the offseason, so it shouldn’t have been as big a revelation. Either way, the Cowboys would love to have their starting All-Pro right guard back, especially considering he’s one of the best offensive linemen in the league. Being as such, it would behoove the organization to pay him. Currently, Martin is the 10th highest paid guard in the league (according to Spotrac.com) at $14 million annually. Martin’s deal has him earning over $6 million per season behind the top guard in the NFL, which makes it understandable for why he is requesting a new contract.
This feels like an easy fix for the Cowboys, in an offseason where they’ve put themselves in the best position to compete for a Super Bowl, they should extend Martin with a contract to make him happy. Martin has re-worked his deal numerous times since signing an extension prior to
the 2018 season that allowed the team to stay under the salary cap. Martin remains an elite player at a position where they have no alternative options.
Who’s in and out
When Dallas began their camp workouts, there were two players missing, and notably, two players practicing. Missing was cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who had a foot injury that caused him to miss games last year, and second-round rookie tight end Luke Schoonmaker, who has been dealing plantar fasciitis. Lewis was expected, but the hope was that Schoonmaker would be able to be ready for camp.
Lewis is a veteran who should be able to work his way back easily, the bigger issue is Schoonmaker. The rookie has been dealing with the injury for most of the offseason and falling behind at a position that is difficult to adjust to at the pro level is less than ideal. The Cowboys used a high pick on Schoonmaker, and instead of working his way into the rotation, he hasn’t seen the field. That’s a big problem.
On the positive side, the Cowboys were happy to see running back Tony Pollard and right tackle Terence Steele practicing and not on the PUP list when camp opened. Both had late year injuries and the hope was that both would be ready to practice, which turned out to be the case. With Pollard ready to be the starter at RB and Steele the unquestioned best RT on the roster, it was a pleasant surprise to have them both available.
Who’s hurt
The worst part of training camp is always the injuries, it crushes the excitement of a new campaign, and the Cowboys couldn’t get through the first session without having two scares.
Starting safety and the recently re-signed Donovan Wilson exited the teams first practice on a cart, which sent panic throughout Cowboys Nation. Wilson’s injury turned out to be a strained calf, which isn’t a long-term thing, but it is one that is expected to keep him out for the entirety of camp.
Calf strains can be an injury that lingers, but with Wilson likely ready to go Week 1 it feels like the Cowboys dodged a bullet.
Wilson going down might not have been as big of a deal if one of his top replacements, third-year man Israel Mukuamu, hadn’t gone down with a hamstring issue as well. Mukuamu is listed as a safety, but Dan Quinn lined him up as CB last year and he became one of the defenses more versatile pieces by the end of the season. Big things were expected from Mukuamu in 2023 and now he’s out, possibly until the start of the regular season as well.
The absences now give second-year safety Markquese Bell an opportunity to earn a larger role. He made the roster as an undrafted free agent last year and he can work his way into more playing time with a good camp.
Who’s opened eyes
There has been limited work through two days without pads, but that hasn’t stopped a few players from standing out. Prescott has connected with new wide receiver Brandin Cooks on a few long passes to build their chemistry for the regular season and pass rusher Micah Parsons had an impressive Day 2 with would-be sacks on back-to-back plays, but his elite play is expected.
However, receiver Jalen Tolbert has stood out. Tolbert is answering a disappointing rookie season with a great start to his sophomore year.
It has been a great offseason for Tolbert, who is determined to prove that his rookie season was just growing pains. If Tolbert becomes the WR that the team expected when they drafted him in the third-round last year, it could be among the deepest receiving groups in the league.
Rookie first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith has also displayed his impressive power early in camp. We’ll see if that continues when the pads come on and the physicality is allowed to be ramped up, but Smith’s shown the traits that made him Dallas’ top pick.
Who’s happy
The Cowboys got one important contract out of the way when they extended their emerging cornerback to a deal worth up to $104 million. Diggs’ deal was one of a handful of contracts that the team needs to get done and he agreed to the five-year, $97 million deal with $42.3 million guaranteed. The deal put Diggs among the highest paid corners in the league, but didn’t break the bank, a win-win for the team and the player.
Getting Diggs extended was a great way to start camp, with a positive feeling for one of the Cowboys’ best players getting rewarded. There should be more to come.
Do you think the Cowboys will make it to Week 1 relatively unscathed? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.