What are your three biggest questions about the Cowboys heading into training camp?
It has been quite a busy offseason for the Dallas Cowboys. After making multiple trades and signing many mid-tier free agents during free agency, the team will now head to Oxnard for training camp to see how good their 2025 roster looks.
In 2024, the Cowboys did most of their free agent work after they arrived in Oxnard, signing Linval Joseph, Carl Lawson, and trading for Jordan Phillips. While that was not the case in 2025, the Cowboys will still be looking to churn the bottom of their roster and improve on positions of need if given the opportunity over the next few weeks. They will also be searching their own roster to see if guys step up to claim roles on the team.
Today we will look at the three of the biggest positions with question marks for 2025 training camp in Oxnard.
1-Technique Defensive Tackle
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Heading into year three, it is safe to say that Mazi Smith is in a make-or-break year for the former first-round pick. While a lot of the pressure on the defensive tackle room will fall on the shoulders of Smith, the lack of depth behind him is the real blinking light for the Cowboys.
Smith has struggled more often than not through his first two years, but showed signs of positive progression over the second half of the 2024 season. Behind Smith stands rookie seventh-round pick Jay Toia. Toia was a quality player coming out of UCLA, but expecting him to play a high percentage of snaps in year one could be an issue for the Cowboys run defense.
With questions surrounding the starter and the backup, the Cowboys could look to improve their depth at the nose tackle position. Whether that comes from roster cutdowns, free agency, or with a trade, don’t be surprised if the Cowboys look to bolster their defensive tackle room like they did last offseason at some point during training camp.
Offensive Tackle
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The development of Tyler Guyton over the offseason may be the biggest question mark surrounding the Cowboys heading into 2025. After a rough rookie season, the Cowboys elected to put trust in Guyton by not spending valuable resources at the position this offseason.
While most of the focus is on Guyton, the Cowboys lack depth at right tackle as well, and the last season or two has not been kind to right tackle Terence Steele either. With questions at both starting tackle spots, the Cowboys depth is a little sketchy. Asim Richards, Matt Walertzko, Hakeem Adeniji and Ajani Cornelius are among the candidates for swing tackle. The Cowboys will have to monitor this situation carefully to see if they have what it takes to go into the season with current personnel.
Running Back
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Another one of the big question marks for the Cowboys heading into training camp is who will be the starting running back?
With Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders the two veteran running backs on the roster, it is safe to assume one of them will come out of camp with the job. But last year, the Cowboys signed Ezekiel Elliott to be the starter, and it was pretty obvious during camp that he did not have the juice capable of being that guy. What happens if that same thing happens this training camp?
Rookie fifth-round pick Jaydon Blue could be an option, but could a trade for Travis Etienne, Dameon Pierce, or Rachaad White be on the table for the Cowboys to give themselves a sure-fire starter to start the season? Of the three positions, the running back position is the one they could find help most easily due to how many running backs should be released during roster cutdowns or available on the cheap in the trade market.