The Cowboys are only in training camp, but a few fringe players have already started forcing the issue. With the first preseason game set for next Saturday, this is the kind of stretch where a fast start can change a career path in a hurry. For three players in particular, the early work has created a real opening.
Michael Trigg is one of the names to watch. Dallas brought him in as an undrafted free agent after the draft and signed him to a three-year deal worth up to $3.1M.
He arrived with plenty of credentials, too - a finalist for the Mackey Award and an All-American in his final year at Baylor. Trigg doesn’t really play like a classic tight end.
He’s closer to a big wide receiver, which makes him a problem for linebackers trying to handle him in coverage. That mismatch has already shown up in camp, and people around the team are noticing.
His path got a little clearer when Princeton Fant suffered a season-ending knee injury. Fant was likely on the bubble already, and now Trigg has even more room to carve out a role. The Cowboys are expected to give him extended chances, and if he strings together a couple of strong preseason outings, the team may not want to let him get away.
Sam Williams is in a different spot, but the pressure is just as real. He’s been with Dallas since 2022, yet nothing about his roster status is settled.
Williams returned on a one-year contract with a base salary of only $1.4M, and the Cowboys have far more money and investment tied up in the players ahead of him. Still, he has made the most of the opportunity in front of him because the pass rush hasn’t exactly overwhelmed anyone so far.
That has helped Williams separate himself. His athleticism jumps out for an edge rusher, and he’s also shown value as a gunner.
At times in camp, he’s looked solid in coverage as well. The fight here appears to be between Williams and James Houston, who also had a good Monday and recorded a sack in practice.
Williams can win this job with his own production, but he may also benefit if the players ahead of him don’t do enough to hold him off. Entering his fifth year, this could be the moment where everything clicks.
Curtis Robinson is making his case in a different way. He hasn’t seen much NFL action since going undrafted in 2021, and most of his value has come on special teams.
Dallas has given him more to handle, though, including a role wearing the defensive green dot and relaying signals to the defense. That’s a meaningful responsibility, and it says plenty about how the staff views him.
Robinson also has a little more defensive experience than some of the other linebackers in the mix, including Justin Barron, and he has logged plenty of snaps on special teams coverage. That gives him an edge as he fights for one of the lower roster spots. There’s still plenty of camp left, but if Robinson keeps showing the coaches he can be trusted, he has a real chance to finish it with a job.
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Cowboys Suddenly Have A Worry They Couldn't Afford At Linebacker
Jaishawn Barham has been one of the more encouraging young pieces in Cowboys training camp, showing enough to get noticed in a linebacker group that could use every steady hand it can find. The rookies early work had started to create a little momentum around his role, especially with Dallas still sorting out depth and rotation options on defense.
Practice took an uneasy turn when Barham appeared to get banged up and was checked by medical staff before walking to the tent and then back to the locker room. The Cowboys have not offered an official update yet, which leaves some uncertainty around how long he might be out and whether Dee Winters would need to take on a bigger share of the snaps if Barham misses time. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Have One Ruthless Answer To Washingtons Stefon Diggs Splash
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Wagner would bring familiarity with the division and a track record that still plays in a room like Dallas linebacker group. His recent work in Washington showed he can stay on the field and handle a major role, which is part of why he keeps surfacing as a fit if the Cowboys want to counter the Commanders latest splash with something equally sharp. The question is whether Dallas wants to make a move that feels both practical and pointed, or keep looking for its answer elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]