The Dallas Cowboys have arrived in Oxnard, California, for the start of training camp and the team will take part in its first practice on Wednesday.
And so begins the slew of training camp battles set to take place. There will be both starting and backup roles up for grabs over the course of the next month, when the Cowboys take part in training camp practices, including joint sessions with the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints, and the preseason.
At the outset of training camp, there are three position groups that will see battles for starting jobs, with one on offense and two on defense. Let’s dive into the details.
Left Tackle
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said during the spring that Nate Thomas and Tyler Guyton would compete for the left tackle job, but so far it doesn’t look like much of a competition because Guyton has gotten all of the first-team reps.
Schotty said Tuesday that Guyton will begin training camp as the left tackle, but he added that Tyler Smith will “get some snaps at left tackle” as well, so the door is open for a shake-up if Guyton struggles.
We still believe Guyton will be the starter in Week 1. That said, it remains to be seen if he can keep the job all season.
Cornerback
The No. 2 cornerback job is up for grabs and that competition will at least feature Cobie Durant and Shavon Revel, and Caelen Carson might be in the mix, too.
What we don’t know is how entrenched the Cowboys view DaRon Bland, who has had his fair share of issues the past two seasons.
We would assume Bland is safe for now, but all bets are off if he struggles during the regular season. The Cowboys have options and they should explore them all if Bland isn’t at the top of his game once again.
Defensive Line
Dallas has two starters locked-in with Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, but the team needs to figure out who the third will be in Christian Parker’s 3-4 defense.
Otito Ogbonnia and Jonathan Bullard are the top candidates, but we also have to keep an eye on fourth-round pick LT Overton, although the deck is stacked against him due to his lack of experience.
Neither Ogbonnia nor Bullard offer much as a pass-rusher, but the latter is the superior run defender and that could be enough to put him over the top for more snaps in what will be a rotation between the two veterans.
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