DALLAS — Training camps and preseason football is just around the corner as players are preparing to get back to work. For the Dallas Cowboys, the biggest early worry is whether or not wide receiver CeeDee Lamb will show up for camp after staying away from the team all offseason as he awaits a contract extension.
Regardless of what happens with Lamb, the rest of the Cowboys will be ready to earn their way onto the 53-man roster by summer’s end. In reality, most of the team is essentially locked up, but there are always some surprises that arise and there will be training camp battles to watch. Fighting to make the team and grab a place on the depth chart will be determined over the next several weeks leading up to September.
Here are five offensive training camp battles to watch at training camp:
Cooper Rush vs. Trey Lance
No one is taking starting quarterback Dak Prescott’s job, but this could be the year that Rush gets beat out for the backup gig. The Cowboys invested a draft pick and significant money for Lance, and they’ll be expecting him to earn the No. 2 spot.
While Rush has done an admirable job when called upon over the last few years, Lance has more upside and the traits to be the better option. However, Lance hasn’t done much since entering the league as the third overall pick in 2021 and needs to prove that he can play.
Head coach Mike McCarthy has praised Lance’s work this offseason and fans should be prepared to watch Lance get extended work in camp and the preseason.
Whether it translates into taking over as the backup QB remains to be seen, but it’ll be interesting to watch the Lance vs. Rush battle, especially knowing that the team expects Lance to win the job.
Deuce Vaughn vs. Royce Freeman
The Cowboys have a group of mediocre running backs and it’s expected that veterans Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle will fight for most of the carries. After the top two, Vaughn and Freeman look like they’ll be battling for the third RB spot on the roster.
Vaughn is a second-year runner who made the roster as a sixth-round selection last year, but didn’t get much opportunity after a solid preseason. The pint-sized RB turned 23 carries into just 40 yards as a rookie, which wasn’t good enough to stop the Cowboys from bringing in the veteran Freeman to compete. Freeman is a bigger RB who’s had more success in the NFL and ran for over four yards per carry on his 77 opportunities with the Los Angeles Rams last season.
If Vaughn makes the jump in year two, and shows the signs that made him an electric runner in college, he could make the roster and earn more carries in 2024. If those skills don’t translate to the NFL, Freeman could have the advantage as the team’s third RB.
Jalen Tolbert vs. Jalen Brooks
Not every camp battle is about a roster spot, but where you place on the depth chart. Both WRs are expected to make the team, but who winds up as the third receiver for the Cowboys is up for grabs. Tolbert and Brooks have the edge in pursuit of the job, but who wins it will come down to who has the better camp and preseason.
Heading into his third year, Tolbert has the look of a WR who is ready to take the next step. After boosting his play in a sophomore season that still saw him put up modest numbers, Tolbert has been working with veteran wideout Brandin Cooks in hopes of making another, bigger jump this season into a quality option. The former third-round pick has the skills to be a bigger part of the passing game, he just needs it to translate onto the field.
Brooks, meanwhile, was a seventh-round selection in 2023 that expects to make a leap in his second year. There were few opportunities for Brooks as a rookie, but he did catch all six of his targets and he earned his way onto the roster as a special teams contributor. Brooks can stick on the roster due to his special teams prowess, but the young WR turned heads during last year’s training camp and should be in the mix for a bigger role if he improves from his rookie season.
Peyton Hendershot vs. John Stephens vs. Brevyn Spann-Ford
Tight end is a place where McCarthy and the Cowboys routinely keep four players, but which one – or two – extra that the team will keep heading into the season will be fun to watch. All three are undrafted free agents who could make a claim to a spot on the roster after the top two TEs Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker.
Hendershot is the incumbent who looked like a great find two years ago, but injuries limited him in his second year. After a rookie season that saw him catch two touchdowns, Hendershot caught just four passes, none for scores, during the 2023 campaign.
Stephens was well on his way to making the roster last summer after a strong camp and preseason, but an ACL injury cost him the year before the regular season began.
Now healthy and almost a full year removed from the injury, Stephens could pick up where he left off and earn his spot on the 53 with another good camp.
Spann-Ford has the potential to be the next big find at TE. The Cowboys paid a premium cost to sign Spann-Ford and keep him away from potential suitors as a free agent, signaling that they love his potential. Spann-Ford could be the best two-way player of the group, making him someone to watch at training camp. Don’t be surprised if he makes the roster despite being less entrenched than his peers.
Cooper Beebe vs. Brock Hoffman
The battle for the starting center job could prove to be the best one in camp. While the expectation is that the rookie Beebe will win the job, don’t be shocked if Hoffman holds him off.
Dallas loves the toughness and fight of Hoffman, who continued to show signs of improvement last season. In the two games that Hoffman started in 2023, the Cowboys averaged 158 yards rushing, so he’s shown the ability to open up holes in the running game.
Beebe is a third-round pick who will be playing center for the first time in his career. Despite being green at the position, there is little doubt about the young, versatile offensive lineman’s ability to get the job done and be an anchor in the middle. Beebe is a road grader who is stellar in the running game, and gave up just two sacks throughout his collegiate career. The former Kansas State Wildcat is also cerebral enough to make the calls and direct the line at center.
Who lands the job as lynchpin in the middle of the line will be one of the best position battles to watch as training camp moves along.
Which Cowboys camp battle will you be keeping your eye on this summer? Share your thoughts with Ben on X (formerly Twitter) @BenGrimaldi.
