Cowboys Training Camp Preview: 3 biggest questions heading into 2024 trip to Oxnard
It's July and that means Dallas Cowboys training camp is in the horizon. Veterans and rookies will both report to Oxnard, California on July 24th. Shortly after that, pads will be coming on and fans will be enjoying the summer scrolling up through social media to desperately find clips from practice.Let's dive into the three biggest […]
It's July and that means Dallas Cowboys training camp is in the horizon.
Veterans and rookies will both report to Oxnard, California on July 24th. Shortly after that, pads will be coming on and fans will be enjoying the summer scrolling up through social media to desperately find clips from practice.
Let's dive into the three biggest questions I'm hoping to get answers to during Cowboys training camp.
1. What will be Micah Parsons’ exact usage?
There are a lot of reasons to be excited about Mike Zimmer's defense in 2024 but everyone's biggest question when it comes to his unit is how will he use Micah Parsons?
As Cowboys fans and media members know very well, the arguing about whether or not Parsons needs more off-ball linebacker snaps is unlikely to ever stop. Dan Quinn used him as an edge rusher (or at different positions throughout the defensive line) just about every single down. Will Zimmer deviate from that approach?
My impression is that in short, no. Parsons will remain primarily a pass rusher for two reasons: 1) That's in his best interest as someone seeking a new contract in 2025 and 2) That's where he's objectively been his best self, putting himself in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation in each of his first three years in the NFL.
That being said, I do wonder if we see a philosophical shift on defense with the way Zimmer plans things. With Quinn, linebackers and defensive backs often blitzed with the intention of drawing the attention from opponents' offensive linemen but there was never a true expectation that they'd get to the quarterback. Instead, the goal was mostly to free up Parsons on one-on-one looks and limiting opponents from "sliding" to Micah.
With Zimmer, I wonder how different that will look as his previous stops suggest he might flip that the other way around to try to get more unblocked blitzers as Parsons deals with double and even triple teams.
2. How does Trey Lance look? But with a caveat.
Here's one thing to keep in mind about Trey Lance's upcoming training camp as Mike McCarthy admits the preseason will be huge for him: There will be highlights. The fourth-year quarterback is capable of making some freaky throws and putting together electric runs thanks to his athleticism.
However, that's not what this training camp will be about for him. Instead, it'll be all about how he's seeing the defense in 11-on-11 drills. Is his footwork up to speed? Are his reads going well? The last thing Cowboys fans want to see this summer is the same version of Lance that objectively struggled with his vision at San Francisco.
Mike McCarthy's "quarterback school" might just change all of that. I'm more interested in seeing that part of his game than the not-always-translatable freak plays.
3. How does LT Tyler Guyton fare against Micah Parsons and friends?
They say iron sharpens iron and the Cowboys' first-round rookie will get to train every day against arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL. That could be a great way to speed up his development but a double-edged sword if Guyton is helpless against No. 11.
How he fares against him will be a big part of training camp, especially since the Cowboys appear to be convinced he'll start at left tackle since Day 1. Guyton and Parsons provide an interesting dynamic too, as the rookie's calling card is his athleticism and lateral mobility, which should match up well against the pass rusher's speed.
But if Guyton doesn't have the hand usage down by the time he's lining up against No. 11, he's in for the longest summer of all.
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