OXNARD, Calif. — The Dallas Cowboys have arrived in California for Training Camp 2024, but as the eve of their first practice hits, the fan base that is often so loyal has been at an offseason-long breaking point.
"Ain't nobody else mad!" one Cowboys fan shouted back in January, after the Cowboys lost to the Green Bay Packers in the first round of playoffs. "We need help," another fan said, "we need Jesus!"
But the Cowboys losing in the first round of the playoffs isn't abnormal. There is ample scar tissue in place for Cowboys fans that one might think would guard against that loss stinging them too hard. Clearly not this time around – because the fan base is at a different level of despondency and frustration than we have seen in some time.
"I mean, you're just so used to it, it's like, well, maybe next year. But then..." Alex Castellon, a Cowboys fan from Oxnard, trailed off as he said it, knowing even as the words came out that he didn't really believe them.
"With the roster we have this year, it should be a pretty good season," Isiah Hill, a Cowboys fan from Ventura, CA said. "The thing is, with the Cowboys, toward the end of the season things kinda tend to fall apart."
Did that loss to Green Bay break Cowboys fans?
"I feel like the Cowboys fans are the new Browns fans," said Gino Velto, a fan from Simi Valley. "We're just accepting our fate every year."
That sounds like a resounding yes, to me.
"We're gonna do great in the regular season," Velto said, "and then we're going to lose our first playoff game."
At this point, it feels like the Cowboys could have a 15-2 season, win the NFC East, earn the #1 seed in the playoffs, and be touted by all the pundits as the best team in football... and at least a portion of Cowboys Nation would shrug and say "okay, sure, now prove it in January."
"I'm always going to be a Cowboys fan, regardless," Castellon said. "But I do want to see them win a Super Bowl in my lifetime."
This is coming from a man born in 1991. Actuarial tables would suggest he's got quite a bit of time.
"Yeah, I know. But I want to see 'em do it in my lifetime."
The Cowboys have quite a bit of work to do, to restore the trust of an otherwise incredibly loyal fanbase.
Things to look for as training camp gets underway
As the Cowboys get ready to take the field in Oxnard on Thursday, for the first practice, here are a few things to keep an eye on.
The Cowboys annual State of the Team press conference, initially slated for Wednesday morning, then pushed back to Saturday because of team owner Jerry Jones' legal schedule, has been moved back up to Thursday morning at 10:30, before the team takes the field for practice. Jones, his son Stephen, and head coach Mike McCarthy will meet with the media for what figures to be a 30-45 minute session before practice begins at 11:20. It will be the first opportunity of camp for Jones to attempt to set the narrative – and for reporters to dive into all the storylines of the offseason that got us here to this day.
Mike Zimmer's first training camp back with the Cowboys will provide plenty of intrigue, as he takes over a Dallas defense that was among the top units in the league for much of the 2023 season. Zimmer has a different approach than his predecessor Dan Quinn, and figures to bring a firmer hand to the group. Will that lead to growth, and a more disciplined unit? Or will that prove too old school for this young crop of defensive stars?
What will Dallas do in the running back position? The return of Ezekiel Elliott may be a nice storyline from a personal, relationship standpoint. But it does little to nothing to quell the concerns Cowboys fans have about the backfield. The running back by committee that is planned for Dallas is decidedly underwhelming, and figures to be one of the real weak points of the offense. Fans and media in Dallas have been clamoring for years for the Cowboys to value the running back position at a lesser level, more in line with the rest of the NFL. It seems they may have swung the pendulum too far. But hey, at least this is closer to par.
Can the rookie offensive linemen step up? Tyler Guyton figures to be the left tackle. The Cowboys' first-round pick is going to get a chance to show he can hold down that pivotal position, protecting Dak Prescott's blind side. That will allow Tyler Smith to stay at left guard, a position in which he's shown significant promise to be a high-level player. Meanwhile, Cooper Beebe will contend for the starting center position, along with Brock Hoffman. There is reason to believe the offensive line could be solid, but the Cowboys are gambling that the youth will pan out well.
Who takes the leap? Each year, we see players who have had nice starts to their career, but finally pop at training camp and reveal themselves to be impact players. Could Sam Williams take advantage of more reps off the edge, and become a more significant pass-rushing threat for Dallas? Can DeMarvion Overshown bounce back off his torn ACL to become the player Dallas initially envisioned when they drafted him last year? Might Marshawn Kneeland or Marist Liufau show they can earn snaps as rookies? Someone is bound to show outsized improvement over the coming weeks. Who will it be?
