OXNARD, Calif. — It's been a few years since the Dallas Cowboys publicized their training camp attendance figures.
So maybe take this exercise with a grain of salt, that we're trying to compare attendance between this year's training camp and previous without a direct figure to attach to the discussion.
But based on the eyeball test alone, it's tough to deny: Attendance at Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, California, sure feels like it's significantly down from years past.
Today offered the starkest example yet.
On what should have been a day that got the fans excited -- the team's first day of full-pads practice, and the closest thing to real football that we've seen yet this preseason -- the stands were strikingly empty. The fence line was perhaps reasonably filled up with fans, and there were indeed still some fans watching practice, to be sure. But compared to the large, loud and raucous crowds we've come to expect as normal here at the Cowboys' California home, it was a noticeable departure from the norm.
In fact, only attendance at Saturday's practice has felt "normal" to date. The crowd for the camp's opening ceremonies and practice on Saturday morning was solid. The stands felt like they were fairly full, the fans were loud and practice felt... well, like it often does.
But Sunday's practice -- obviously also on a weekend, and actually featuring a more lively practice than Saturday's mock game -- was light on fans as well.
Even Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott noticed the lack of crowds, mentioning when meeting with the media last week that he too has noticed fewer fans out here this summer. Asked why he thought that might be the case, Elliott laughed off the question, smart enough not to get roped into the discussion any further.
Could it be that Cowboys fans are making their feelings about the current team -- and more than anything the franchise -- known with their absence? We've heard from countless fans over this offseason about their Cowboys frustrations, and their lack of faith in the 2024 season being any different than recent years.
Of course, talk is cheap.
Now, it seems fans are finally acting out in a way the front office is sure to notice.
Tuesday Observations
As for the actual football we saw today, there were a handful of positive takeaways from the first day of full pads -- but the first has to be the rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton.
The 29th overall pick in the draft is a 6'8, 328-pound monster of a human, who has the even larger task of replacing Tyron Smith at the Cowboys' left tackle spot, protecting Dak Prescott's blind side. But his first day of full pads in an NFL practice showed that he may have the potential to fill the spot admirably -- and soon.
Guyton had a couple of impressive reps against Micah Parsons, showing both the foot quickness and the strength to deal with a speed rush off the edge from Parsons, as well as a bull rush into his chest. The former Sooner handled both moves well, and he kept Prescott clean in the process.
It's just one day of work, sure. But it was one good day of work for Tyler Guyton.
The other thing that caught my attention on Tuesday was the Cowboys' decision to let Trey Lance get a few first team snaps at the tail end of practice.
Now, before you get too excited or agitated, take a breath. It's not out of the ordinary, nor is it a sign of anything regarding Dak Prescott's job security, that someone else took a snap with the first teamers. They've done it with Cooper Rush in the past, too. There are a variety of reasons why a team might do this, including a desire to have their backups feel comfortable in that scenario, should they ever become needed in a real game situation.
However, it is noteworthy that Lance got those two first team snaps to finish up practice as it relates to his competition with Rush for the backup job. Lance looked solid on the two plays -- one a six- to seven-yard scramble after he broke out of the pocket, the other a short completion to the right side. Perhaps a source of confidence for the young QB, who still is in his infancy as a Cowboy?
Lastly, a really good sign for the Cowboys today: Trevon Diggs has come off the PUP List.
The All-Pro cornerback missed the first week of practice as he continues his rehabilitation from an ACL tear last year. But today, he was officially taken off the PUP list, allowing him to join his team in practice.
He didn't do much today -- the Cowboys will be very delicate with him, as they ramp him up to full go -- but we did see him working with reserve wide receiver Corey Crooms after practice today, covering him on a few pass patterns and starting to work himself back into a rhythm.
It's just a matter of time before he's back on the field in full.