The Cowboys have spent the early part of training camp showing off the familiar names and a few rookies who are making noise in a hurry. That part has gone well enough. But the bigger story in Oxnard right now is the set of questions that keeps hanging around the edges of camp.
The first one is the most obvious: do they have enough pass rush?
Dallas has gotten some work from the back seven, particularly when it comes to defending the pass. Up front, though, the pressure hasn’t come consistently unless the Cowboys are sending extra bodies.
The interior defensive line is built to handle the run, but it hasn’t yet looked like a group that can regularly get after the quarterback. Donovan Ezeiruaku and Malachi Lawrence were supposed to help change that.
Ezeiruaku, though, was sent out of practice today because of his role in a scuffle, and frustration may have been part of that moment too. Rashan Gary brings veteran presence to the edge-rusher group, but his game is more about stopping the run. The front office has already floated the idea of adding veteran help, which naturally keeps the conversation around Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby alive.
The Cowboys know Crosby is unhappy with the Raiders, and the connection between Dallas and Las Vegas matters here because the two teams have an excellent working relationship. If the Raiders were willing to move a disgruntled player, it would not be a shock to see the Cowboys involved.
Still, the team could also just stay the course and let Christian Parker work with what’s here, hoping the pressure comes together before the preseason and the joint practices with the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints. There’s no need to hit the panic button yet, but the concern is real.
The linebacker room, on the other hand, looks a lot less urgent than it did earlier in the offseason.
For a while, the Cowboys were tied to veteran linebackers such as Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner, whether through trade or free agency. That chatter made sense when the room looked thinner.
Now, the picture has changed. Rookie Jaishawn Barham has been outstanding and has become one of the early standouts of camp.
DeMarvion Overshown also looks close to taking another step if he can stay healthy.
Beyond that, Dee Winters fits the team well and should be in line for a starting role to begin the season. Shemar James is entering his second season, and Justin Barron has also flashed over the last few days.
The Cowboys have a good chunk of change tied up in the former undrafted Syracuse linebacker, and he has made his presence felt lately. With that group in mind, linebacker doesn’t feel like the same pressing need it once did.
Then there’s the backfield, where Jaydon Blue has been one of the early camp stories.
Now in his sophomore season, Blue looks determined to claim a bigger role. He has been explosive in space, using his speed and agility to string together big run after big run.
On Tuesday, he added another highlight by turning a short screen pass into a big gain. He’s making it hard to look away.
That raises the next question: is the RB2 job already his to lose?
Phil Mafah is trying to push for the spot, and Malik Davis has yet to really stand out. If Blue has indeed moved ahead of the pack behind Javonte Williams, the ripple effect matters too.
Where does that leave Mafah? Has he done enough to threaten Davis, who did make a few big plays last season?
The first preseason game, less than two weeks away against the Arizona Cardinals, should start to bring some clarity. How much Blue plays, and how the Cowboys divide the work between Mafah, Davis and Israel Abanikanda, will say plenty about where this competition stands.
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