Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer needed an escape, so he pivoted from the emotions of talking about Father’s Day without his dad, Marty, and instead decided to break some news at the final press conference before training camp last month.
“Make sure you keep this note,” he told reporters. “The 2025 offseason sharpshooting champ is none other than [defensive end] Sam Williams.”
Williams was victorious over left tackle Tyler Guyton. For winning, Williams was rewarded with a big trophy, Schottenheimer said.
Whether it’s free-throw sharpshooting, or adding a ping pong table in the locker room, or even taking the players paintballing, Schottenheimer has put into practice a mentality of competition. The biggest, and most crucial competition, however, is right around the corner.
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Here are five position battles worth watching at Cowboys training camp.
AdvertisementTight end
At 6-foot-7, Cowboys tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford has a reputation that precedes him. He entered last season as someone the Cowboys, from a physical stance, believed they could count on as a blocker.
Heading into this season, the Cowboys are raising their expectations for him.
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“This guy is just not a run blocker and a pass protector. This guy can be a weapon,” Schottenheimer said of Spann-Ford, who had nine catches for 88 yards last season, “because of his size in the middle of the field, matched up on linebackers and safeties.
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“He’s another guy that when he puts the pads on you’re going to see on the field.”
We’ll also see if he can take a step above fellow tight end Luke Schoonmaker. The Cowboys have wanted more out of Schoonmaker since they selected him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He had eight catches for 65 yards in his rookie season. Last year, Schoonmaker finished with 27 catches for 241 yards and a touchdown.
Can Schoonmaker take another step? Or will Spann-Ford grow enough in Year 2 to overtake him as the second tight end behind starter Jake Ferguson?
AdvertisementRunning back
Times change, but sometimes the situation doesn’t. Consider the Cowboys’ backfield as an example. Last year, the Cowboys entered training camp with ambitions to have a backfield committee. That carried into the season, too, until Rico Dowdle emerged as the starter.
A year later, it’s looking like the Cowboys will once again have a committee approach early, unless someone emerges.
They have some candidates. Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders were two veterans signed in free agency. Both have struggled in recent years after early successes. The two were the only running backs to work with the starters during OTAs and minicamp.
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Could rookie fifth-round pick Jaydon Blue rise the ranks? He has the talent to do so, but if minicamp was any indication, he’ll be starting from behind.
Elsewhere, Deuce Vaughn and rookie Phil Mafah will also be competing for roster spots in the backfield.
Defensive line
The Cowboys will likely have a heavy rotation on their defensive line. They targeted quantity this offseason, signing multiple defensive linemen in addition to drafting multiple. There should be competition, both inside and outside, to see who gets more time in that rotation, however.
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On the interior, all eyes are on former first-round pick Mazi Smith, who will have his third defensive line coach and coordinator in his third NFL season. Does he have a stranglehold on the starting nose spot, or could someone else break into the starting lineup? Rookie Jay Toia spent some time with the starters during minicamp.
On the edge, the Cowboys have plenty of depth. They have high hopes for Sam Williams after a torn ACL the year before. They also signed Dante Fowler back to go with Marshawn Kneeland and rookie Donvoan Ezeiruaku — two second round picks who have the talent to make an impact this season. Oh, that Micah Parsons guy isn’t too bad either.
How will that rotation shake out?
Cornerback
Corner is perhaps the hardest position to predict heading into training camp. That’s because we aren’t exactly sure who will be healthy enough for the competition.
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The Cowboys are still awaiting the practice debut of rookie third-round pick Shavon Revel Jr. There’s a lot of excitement about a player that could’ve been a first-round pick if not for a torn ACL early last season. They’re also awaiting the return of Trevon Diggs from offseason surgery. The Cowboys haven’t given a timetable for his return yet.
So far, the Cowboys have liked what they’ve seen from former first-round pick Kaiir Elam. He was a consistent starter during minicamp. He also impressed coaches with his consistency in both play — he broke up at least one pass per practice — and his effort. Schottenheimer pointed to his GPS numbers as proof of high effort.
Can Elam hold down an outside corner spot? Where will DaRon Bland line up? Can Caelen Carson, or Kemon Hall, or Israel Mukuamu be enough to hold the Cowboys until Diggs returns?
Strong safety
It’s felt for a couple years now that Juanyeh Thomas, a former undrafted free agent, has knocked on the door of being a full-time starter. Is this the year he can break down the door?
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Thomas started during minicamp and OTAs at safety while Donovan Wilson recovered from offseason surgery. Wilson is expected to be ready to go for camp.
Wilson is also in the final year of a three-year extension. The Cowboys could save $7 million in cap space this year if they cut him before the start of the year. In order for the Cowboys to even consider that, they’d have to feel good about what’s behind him. That goes beyond Thomas, as well.
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