Cowboys Roster Projections, Offense: Top 3 OTA Position Battles
FRISCO - Dallas Cowboys training camp in Oxnard is still two months away, but as Tuesday's OTAs approach here inside of The Star, we think there is a great deal of 53-man roster clarity already, especially on offense.
In fact, there may just be three major position battles to be waged here, and only one of them for a starting job.
Our educated guesses at the offensive side of the 53:
Quarterback (And Battle No. 1)
Dak Prescott is the starter. And then ...?
Garrett Gilbert, Cooper Rush and Ben DiNucci - probably in that order - might be competing for just one backup job ... and none of them may win it.
Veteran free-agent quarterback Brett Hundley has been given a look. Before that, so was Jeff Driskel, who eventually signed with Houston. Robert Griffin III would like a look.
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Yes, Dallas at QB is all about Dak, and he will do "most of the work'' at these OTAs. But once we get to September? The Cowboys will need at least a "bus driver'' as his backup - and there is no evidence that they have that player.
We wonder if they'll eventually keep just two on the active roster - and if No. 2 isn't here yet.
Running Back (No Battle)
Ezekiel Elliott is putting in the work to get back on top of the NFL. Tony Pollard is his sidekick. Rico Dowdle was the third back last year.
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We don't see much changing here.
Wide Receiver (And Battle No. 2)
We can see six guys making it: Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, of course. Cedrick Wilson is valued here. Noah Brown has been here forever without having accomplished much. And along comes 6-4 Stanford rookie Simi Fehoko, with whom Dak wants to "light up the league.''
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The first three guys will again shoot for 1,000 yards x 3. And surely there will be competition among them. But it's the possible rise of Fehoko that is intriguing. He talks of wanting to be the best receiver in this draft class. The process might start with him becoming better than Brown, and pushing up from there.
Tight End (No Battle)
Blake Jarwin returns from injury to provide Dak with a down-field weapon. Dalton Schultz, pressed into action last year, emerged as a capable helper with 63 catches for 615 yards and four touchdowns. Newcomer Jeremy Sprinkle comes from Washington as a backup blocker.
Offensive Line (Battle No. 3)
The first four are easy: Tyron Smith and La’el Collins are the tackles. Zack Martin is the right guard. And second-year man Tyler Biadasz is the center.
And then it gets interesting.
Connor Williams has been a fixture at left guard, but Dallas wants to get better there; can Connor McGovern finally be better? If McGovern wins the job, Williams becomes not only the backup at both guard spots, but also somebody capable of playing center and tackle - the ultimate utility O-lineman.
If Williams is a backup, does Dallas need 35-year-old backup tackle Ty Nsekhe? Or will Nsekhe get bumped because rookie Josh Ball wins the swing tackle job?
Also, Brandon Knight has position flex. And Terrence Steele has fans on the coaching staff. And seventh-round rookie Matt Farniok is here to be a utility guy, too.
The Cowboys could keep 10 or 11 O-linemen here, but who? And where? They'll need these OTAs, and these two months, to help them decide.
