Stocks that have climbed in the early weeks of training camp shouldn’t be overlooked. The belittling of excelling in Oxnard because Kaiir Elam and others like him did well before regular-season flopping isn't fair.
There are plenty of times players look great and go on to have great seasons, building on camp momentum. Antwaun Woods was battling with Travis Frederick in training camp, and even though Frederick retired from the NFL, Woods took that confidence and ended up as a starter for Dallas. It's a story as old as time.
The Dallas Cowboys are looking for consistency in play; a drumbeat. Show up, make plays, outperform others on special teams or in their position groups, and try to be impactful to the coaches. On offense, the Cowboys have three
clear needs to fill: tight end, offensive tackle, and explosive rushing option, and these options are rising their stocks early on in camp.
TE Michael Trigg
Trigg has made some nice receptions in camp, but that’s what was expected based on his highlight reels from Baylor. What's truly raising his stock is his better-than-expected run blocking, along with the thinning out of competition, namely Princeton Fant's ACL injury. Luke Schoonmaker is still clearly TE3 due to special teams ability, but if Trigg continues to look like a better option on offense, the team could find a way to keep him on the roster.
OT Tyler Guyton
The Guyton worry has shifted in Year 3 from "can he play?" to will he play. When Guyton is on the field, he performs well enough to be a solid starting left tackle. Guyton unfortunately can’t be trusted to be on the field daily.
Even still, this is still stock up as Guyton went from a battle for the starting job to locking it down pretty quickly, as long as he can remain healthy. He's improved and stabilized, and with an athletic profile like his, consistency could lead to the highest caliber play possible.
RB Jaydon Blue
The highest stock up on offense is easily running back Jaydon Blue. The fifth-round pick, who was essentially redshirted until a meaningless Week 18 appearance, went from unreliable to seemingly undeniable. He has broken a big play in every practice; and not just training camp plays that would be two-yard gains if the defense could tackle. These are legitimately explosive plays.
Outside runs, cutbacks, and screens have all been successful with Blue carrying the rock. He has solidified himself as the change-of-pace option behind Javonte Williams, and his ability could be the last piece this offense needs to be the greatest offense there is this season.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Stock Up: 3 Cowboys on offense using camp to announce their arrival
