Caleb Downs getting ‘good learning experience’ in Cowboys OTAs – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
The rookie is gaining knowledge slowly but surely.
FRISCO, Texas – With five of the six OTAs practices in the rear-view mirror, the Cowboys are beginning to lay the groundwork and basic installs for their offensive, defensive and special teams units ahead of training camp and the 2026 season.
First-round pick Caleb Downs is among the newcomers in Dallas that’s not only getting accustomed to the way the Cowboys do things, but how the NFL does things.
“It’s going well,” Downs said. “A really good learning
experience for me. Get acclimated with everything, how we practice, what the standard is and everything like that. I think it’s an awesome time and I’m looking forward to next week in minicamp.”
There are learning opportunities all over the field for Downs to take advantage of. There’s his position room with veteran safeties like Malik Hooker, P.J. Locke and Jalen Thompson, who have a combined 25 years of experience playing the position at the NFL level.
“Just learning from their experiences. We have a lot of veterans in the safety room… All those guys, just trying to learn from them as much as I can,” Downs said. “They all have different experiences, so just pull from different pieces of them and try to create a good understanding of the league.”
Then there’s going up against the Cowboys’ offense in practice. Pro Bowlers and veterans like Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb certainly don’t make things easy for the rookie.
“I think it’s a tremendous blessing for me just to be able to speed up my growth,” Downs said of practicing against Dallas’ offense. “Playing against high level talent, different types of receivers in terms of [KaVontae Turpin], CeeDee, and then the other guys like [Ryan Flournoy] and Traeshon Holden], just a lot of different talents to go up against. And also the tight ends like [Jake Ferguson], it’s a really good talent pool to be able to compete against during practice.”
‘Very candid conversation’ pushing Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue to improve in second season – Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire
Dallas needs Jaydon Blue to step it up in 2026.
Jaydon Blue was supposed to be a major piece of the Cowboys offense last year. Instead, the fifth-round running back out of Texas spent most of his rookie season inactive, logging just 38 rushing attempts over the entire schedule.
Blue was a non-factor, asked about frequently in press conferences but with coaches generally making vague references to him “not being ready” and alluding to poor practice habits. The most standout moment for Blue in his debut season wasn’t even his first career touchdown, scored in the Cowboys’ season finale versus the Giants, but rather, the day it was revealed that his custom “Louis Vuitton” cleats gave him blisters after wearing them for a midseason practice.
The shoes have thankfully been set aside. And after making several other introspective changes and having some heart-to-heart talks with Dallas coaches about his disappointing rookie year, Blue says he’s ready to make a real impact in 2026.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer agrees.
“Most rookies have to figure it out,” Schottenheimer said of Blue to reporters this week. “He and I had a very candid conversation at the exit interviews, and we just kind of put it all out there, put all the cards on the table. He didn’t like being inactive, and so we had some really great conversations and he took that and he ingested it, took it in, and he’s come back with a great look on his face and a great work ethic.”
Blue hopes to parlay the second chance into a larger role in the Cowboys offense. Javonte Williams will still be the bellcow building on his breakout campaign, but Blue is among a group that currently includes Malik Davis, Phil Mafah, Israel Abanikanda, and rookie UDFA Dominic Richardson- each looking to be the RB2 uppercut to Williams’ jab.
Who’s No. 2? Joe Milton, Sam Howell in race to become Cowboys’ backup QB – Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News
Who will win the primary backup role behind Dak Prescott?
FRISCO – One quarterback was a sixth-round pick, has never started an NFL game, but played in five over the course of two seasons.
The other quarterback was a fifth-round pick by a division rival who started 17 games in his second season.
This is Joe Milton and Sam Howell, respectively. They are the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterbacks competing for the No. 2 job behind Dak Prescott.
Milton held that role last year playing in four games, mainly mop-up duty. He got extensive action in the 2025 regular season finale.
This offseason, the Cowboys signed Howell in free agency to compete with Milton. It’s part of coach Brian Schottenheimer’s objective to create competition at several positions.
The Cowboys have competition for the starting left tackle spot, backup running back, starting middle linebacker, slot corner and, of course, backup quarterback.
Both quarterbacks have rotated snaps with the second-team offenses during the OTAs. That will probably continue through training camp.
Last summer, Milton had the clear lead as the No. 2 over Will Grier and maintained it throughout the season. On March 10, the Cowboys signed Howell in free agency, and two days later, Grier was cut.
The Dallas Cowboys may have already revealed the winner of their most important position battle before training camp – Mauricio Rodriguez, AtoZ Sports
DeMarvion Overshown is ready to be the man at middle linebacker if called on.
In the eyes of fans and media members, the Dallas Cowboys defense faces a serious question: Who will be the team’s middle linebacker when the season starts?
It’s a question fueled by the fact that the Cowboys lack an experienced middle linebacker, or MIKE, on the roster. And while a battle to lead the defense will still take place, the Cowboys are making it sound like there’s already a winner before Week 2 of OTAs even begins. And it’s a rather surprising one.
DeMarvion Overshown reveals MIKE plans
The Cowboys linebacker situation took a significant turn during the second week of OTAs. DeMarvion Overshown, the explosive third-year linebacker, appears to be the odds-on favorite to take on the MIKE role and the green dot responsibilities that come with it.
According to him, it’s all part of a plan set in motion right after the NFL Draft.
“It was really when he got here after the draft and we started meeting,” Overshown told reporters. “It was just like, ‘we’re going to figure it out, but ultimately we want you to be our guy that everybody is hearing before each play.”
The Cowboys are clearly planning on a competition, as Overshown is also training at WILL (a role he’s more familiar with) and multiple players are rotating at MIKE. But for Overshown to say new defensive coordinator Christian Parker told him that’s the plan is a huge indicator of where this is going.
“I’ve been wanting to be Mike for the longest time, ever since my rookie year,” Overshown added. “I kind of felt like the time would come where I wore the ‘C’ on my chest and had the green dot. Now I’ve got it, so I’m excited.”
Daily discussion question: What does this season most hinge on?
