OXNARD, Calif. — The Dallas Cowboys open their 2022 NFL training camp here Tuesday at the River Ridge Residence Inn. Here’s a closer look at some stories:
What is the most compelling battle position? Maybe he’s the opposite starting receiver. Cee Dee Lamb, at least at the beginning of the season. Or the battle to replace Randy Gregory (Sam Williams, Dante Hunter, dorance amstrong). But for the Cowboys to be a true contender, it will all come down to their offensive line. The Selected Cowboys Tyler Smith in the first round with the idea that it would be Tyron Smith‘s eventual successor at left tackle and his left guard in 2022. He and Connor McGovern will enter Oxnard in a competition for the job. McGovern is entering a contract year but was unable to keep the job last season after replacing connorwilliams, who left via free agency for Miami. For years, the Cowboys’ line has been called “among the best in the NFL,” deserved or not. Tyler Smith or McGovern could help the unit by winning the job and not winning it by default because one played poorly.
Who is the player who has the most to prove? Dak Prescott. Not because he has a $40 million-a-year contract. Not because he faces a win-or-not mandate that coach Mike McCarthy appears to face. Not because he’s not one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The Cowboys are banking on Prescott to elevate the passing game, having traded the receiver. amari cooper and not adding a big-money replacement or receiver in the first or second rounds. The last time Prescott entered training camp with a group of receivers with so many questions was in 2018, his third season, when the Cowboys took a committee approach with Allen Hurns, Deonte Thompson, Cole Beasley and rookie miguel rooster. That didn’t pan out, but Prescott is a much different quarterback now than he was then. This time he has Lamb as his No. 1, but Gallup (knee) is expected to miss at least a couple of games in September, and Prescott has had limited work with signing free agents. james washington Y Jalen Tolbert, a third round, in the offseason. Prescott will be asked to improve the group.
Bigger question: What can defensive coordinator Dan Quinn do for an encore?
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He took over a defense last season that allowed a franchise-record 473 points in 2020 and made an immediate improvement. He was helped by the addition of the Defensive Rookie of the Year. micah parsonsthe rise of cornerback Trevon Diggs and a group that bought his teachings. Additionally, he changed his modus operandi from playing mostly individual tall defenses to more man coverage. The results were remarkable. The Cowboys led the league in steals and gave up just 358 points. With questions about the offense, the defense will be asked to carry more of a load than it has in years. It will be up to Quinn to stay ahead of opponents who had an offseason to get a read on his new look.
What is the fiercest battle related to fantasy? is not that much Tony Pollard against Ezekiel Elliott; it’s Pollard versus the rest of the offense. Much has been made of Elliott’s drop in production and how he ended last season, but few mention that he played most of the season with a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament. Before getting injured, it looked like Elliott could contend for a rushing title. The Cowboys’ goal should be to maximize Pollard’s touches, and they can do that without minimizing Elliott’s impact on offense. Pollard played more as a catcher in college than as a running back. The Cowboys have doubts about the receiver with Gallup’s injury and unproven depth. Pollard will have to show that he can run multiple routes, but if he can, that should increase his touches and his fantasy value.
camp prediction: Williams will claim the starting defensive end job against DeMarcus Lawrence as Gregory’s replacement. The Cowboys’ second-round pick has all the pass-rushing skills Quinn loves to work with: speed around the rim, the ability to double up, solid hands. Armstrong and Fowler are more knowledgeable about the NFL, and while being a “starter” may be overrated since Quinn likes to rotate his defensive linemen, Williams’ talent will get him on the field early. Look for him to come close to matching Gregory’s six sacks of 2022.