Quarterback Dak Prescott hasn’t shied away from huge expectations for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, and he’s doubling down on that sentiment. During the first leg of training camp in Oxnard, players such as Shavon Revel, who’s coming off a challenging first season, have shined the most.
Rookie safety Caleb Downs has gotten to line up against CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens in camp, and it’s been a case of iron sharpening iron. The RB2 role hasn’t been decided yet, but veteran Malik Davis could
steal it from some of the younger talent.
Dak Prescott: ‘It is time’ for Cowboys to break through – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowboys have had some successful teams with Dak Prescott as the quarterback in the regular season, but the playoffs have been a different story. He says it’s time to change all that.
“It is time to break through,” Prescott said. “I’ve said it before, we can’t do it by ourselves, but we are asked to make up at times. We are responsible for what the position you put your team in. So I don’t take much into it.”
“[The media] and you people who understand me now, know me, I’m harder on myself that anyone is in high expectations and standards and goals. So when I hear it these days, I’m more just like, ‘cool,’ and ‘you’re right.’ I can’t even say that that’s inspiring or motivating me, because I’m moved and founded by much deeper. So hell yeah, absolutely I’m ready to win.”
5 standouts from Cowboys training camp in Oxnard: Shavon Revel Jr., George Pickens and more – Joseph Hoyt, Dallas Morning News
Dallas has wrapped the California portion of their training camp. Here’s a look at some of the players that have stood out so far.
WR George Pickens
If there was one player who had the potential to spark drama, it was Pickens. The Cowboys franchise-tagged him after a career-best season then told him they wouldn’t negotiate a long-term deal this year. It would’ve been understandable for Pickens to be frustrated, at the very least. Instead, Pickens showed up for all mandatory events and never showed an ounce of frustration. In fact, Pickens not only looked like the best player at Cowboys training camp, but also the happiest one to be there.
Cowboys rookie Caleb Downs already banking reps vs top WRs: ‘Confidence breeds success’ – Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire
Safety Caleb Downs came to the Cowboys with a ton of expectations as a first-round pick. Battling All-Pro wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens in training camp has prepared him well for his rookie campaign.
Downs has been practicing every day of this offseason against the likes of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, maybe the most potent pass-catching duo in the league. But he also lined up for several plays against two-time Pro Bowler Puka Nacua in the Cowboys’ joint practice with the Rams last week. And although the Saints’ Chris Olave got the better of him in this week’s scrimmage, the first-round draft pick knows being thrown into the fire so early is exactly what he needs.
“That’s where confidence actually comes from, just being in the situations, doing it actually at the level that you’re going to have to do it in the game,” Downs told reporters this week as the Cowboys prepared to close out the California potion of their camp. “It’s all just trying to get me to where I need to be: my best.”
Malik Davis will try to secure Cowboys’ RB2 job this week – Connor Livesay, Blogging The Boys
The battle for the backup running back spot behind Javonte Williams has been a major topic during training camp. Veteran Malik Davis has been somewhat of a forgotten man in the competition, but he could take the job in the end.
Most of the conversation around the Dallas Cowboys running back depth this offseason has centered around both of their second-year running backs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah. Most of the conversation heading into the Cowboys second game of the preseason is now centered around fourth-year running back Malik Davis.
While Davis may lack some of the flash that a player like Jaydon Blue possesses, or some of the Marshawn Lynch-type runs that a player like Phil Mafah brings, what Davis brings to the table is consistency, and that’s something we have not seen yet from any of the young backs.
Brian Schottenheimer drops what could be a very significant hint about the building of the Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster – Mauricio Rodriguez, AtoZ Sports
The preseason is approaching, and soon the Cowboys final roster will take shape. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer may have given some insight as to how it could play out.
Mingo is a veteran the Cowboys traded for in 2024. He’s had a solid camp and a solid preseason. The Cowboys believe he can contribute on special teams, and he had a touchdown-saving tackle in the preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks to back it up.
Brown is a different profile entirely. He’s the undrafted rookie who keeps making spectacular catches in camp and had two fantastic touchdown grabs against the Seahawks, one from Sam Howell and another from Joe Milton. He looks like a surprise rookie Dallas might want to keep on the team, and he has shown up on special teams as well.
As the Cowboys department Oxnard, they do so with real optimism for the season ahead – Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Dallas will head back to Texas after their preseason opener on Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals. Several weeks of productive practices in Oxnard has the confidence surrounding the Cowboys at a high level.
When quarterback Dak Prescott got off the team bus when it arrived in Oxnard on July 27, he wore a shirt commemorating the Cowboys’ last Super Bowl victory in the 1995 season. As camp has gone on, he hasn’t shied away from his high expectations for this group, and the camp itself as only increased his feelings around the potential of the year ahead.
“It’s been a successful camp,” Prescott said. “We can hang our hat on everything we wanted to do, we did. We still have [one] more week of training camp, so it’s a successful start. We’re right where we need to be … I feel great about the steps that we’ve made and what we came into training camp here in Oxnard to accomplish.”
Daily discussion question: What is the most important thing to learn tonight in your opinion?
