Dallas Cowboys 2022 NFL preseason round-up: first day of training camp, Jalen Tolbert, Micah Parsons, Dalton Schultz…
The Cowboys are back in action after concluding day one of training camp, where there were some hints at what’s to come for Parsons, Diggs, and Tolbert.
Though day one of training camp in Oxnard California was a pad-less practice, it was the first day back to football for the Dallas Cowboys and their fans.
Dallas Cowboys training camp: Day 1 highlights
Jalen Tolbert on track to be WR2 while Gallup is out?
Third-round rookie receiver Jalen Tolbert is expected to be in the competition for the wide receiver two spot while Michael Gallup recovers from injury. Of course, the Cowboys also have newly signed veteran James Washington competing for the spot as well. After day one of camp, Tolbert is looking on track to play a significant role at the position. Washington, on the other hand, had a bit of a rough start as he failed to catch a deep pass from Prescott.
Tolbert said he’s getting “1% better every day”, and he may well be right. At South Alabama, he improved steadily every year for his four years there, ending his college career with back-to-back 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns in 2020 and 2021.
Ezekiel Elliott back to full health
Last season was an off one for running back Ezekiel Elliott. He was able to play in all 18 games last season, but he just didn’t perform like he usually does. In week four, he suffered a partial tear in his PCL and it limited his abilities on the field. Now, he’s back to full capacity after spending the offseason rehabbing his knee.
“It definitely was frustrating and definitely frustrating certain parts of the year,” said Elliott. “But it’s football. I think today might be the only day everyone’s going to be 100%. From here on out, everyone’s going to have a couple bumps and bruises and no one’s going to be 100. So just trying to do everything I can off the field to make sure I preserve my health and (be) ready for Sundays.”
Anthony Brown showing out on day one - battle of the cornerbacks
Cornerback Anthony Brown was the star of the show on Wednesday. He was the first to steal an interception from quarterback Dak Prescott, reading his eyes perfectly to set up the pick-six.
Brown earned significant time as the second cornerback behind Diggs last year, despite the Cowboys’ hopes that 2021 draft pick Kelvin Joseph would be the no. 2. It’s likely that Brown will again be the starter alongside Diggs going into 2022 too, and we should also expect to see more playing time from Jourdan Lewis if he performs well at training camp. Kelvin Joseph also has his chance to prove he’s worth the high draft pick and the drama he’s put the Cowboys thorough so far.
Dalton Schultz staying with Cowboys long term after all?
After the Cowboys failed to come to a long-term deal with tight end Dalton Schultz, he remained on the $10.9 million franchise tag. Of course, he would still play a significant role on the team in 2022, but beyond that is when doubts set in. Cowboys COO Stephen Jones isn’t concerned. He said that they are hoping to get the deal next season that they couldn’t reach this season.
“We tried,” Jones said. “It wasn’t that we weren’t necessarily talking about a long-term deal. … Sometimes it’s just when you’re getting your hands around what this team is not only going to look like this year but look like in the future, then you have to play that hand that way. I certainly understand where Dalton’s coming from. He represents everything we want in a Dallas Cowboy, on and off the field. …. He’s an available player who plays at a high level.”
Ezekiel Elliott isn’t worried about his future with Dallas
Rumors are about that this could be Zeke’s last season with the Cowboys. In 2019, Elliott signed a $90 million extension and this year, he’s got $12.4 million guaranteed. After that, though, there’s no more guaranteed money in the contract, and the Cowboys could cut him without suffering much of a loss. The running back has declined steadily since his rookie season in 2016, but it should be noted that he was recovering from the knee injury last year, which did contribute to the lack of rushes. Even still, he played every single game and never considered missing time. Elliott himself is not concerned about his future with the team.
“I think it is a big season, but I think you can’t look too far down the road,” Elliott said. “I think if I focus on every day, if I focus on having a good day of camp, if I focus on taking it week by week, I think everything will handle itself. And I don’t think there’s really a reason to look that far down the road. I think if I handle my business every day, then I’ll be in a pretty good situation at the end of the season.”
Trevon Diggs expecting more picks in 2022
Trevon Diggs came into the 2021 season and just casually tied the 40-year record for most interceptions in a season (held by Everyone Walls) with 11 picks. No one had even come close to that in 40 years. This year, Diggs plans on getting even more. “Beat my 11 and just keep going up, beating that,” said Diggs, who insists he knows a lot more and is continuing to improve going into the 2022 season. By now, his opponents know to steer clear, but if anyone can do it, it’s Trevon Diggs.
He told reporters at camp that he spent the summer working out with his brother and Buffalo Bills receiver Stefon Diggs, pushing each other and improving overall going into his third year in the NFL. In the three weeks at training camp in Oxnard, Diggs plans to improve his “intensity, sprinting the ball every play, be an example for the younger guys”. Those are some of his goals, plus helping his teammates - Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, Kelvin Joseph, Nashon Wright - get some interceptions of their own, too.
“That’s what we’re trying to do: We’re trying to make a statement across the league,” Diggs said. “Our unit, we’ve got a great group of guys. But I feel like we’re kind of underrated. I know how we work, I know how we perform, I know how we practice, I know what guys I got in my room. So I know what we can do, it’s just all on us to put it on tape and show it. We’re trying to hold ourselves to a very, very high standard so we can go out there on Sundays and perform.”
Micah Parsons has high goals too
Diggs isn’t the only Cowboy with big goals going into 2022. Star linebacker Micah Parsons is ready to get even more sacks this year. He spent all of his rookie season in 2021 proving that he is one of the best defensive players in the NFL, ever. Last year, he had 84 tackles and 13 sacks, winning him Defensive Rookie of the Year.
“I think everybody knew last year how good he was, and they couldn’t do anything to stop him,” said NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger. “His closing speed is his closing speed. Just because you know and you’ve seen how fast it is and how fast he can close on someone doesn’t allow you to build a protection to stop him.”
Last season, Parsons lined up at both defensive end and linebacker, and he dominates at both positions. Six of his 13 sacks last year came from when he played DE and seven came from when he played linebacker. Day one training camp drills suggest he’ll do the same in 2022.
Could Cole Beasley come back to the Cowboys?
Wide receiver Cole Beasley has been with the Buffalo Bills since the 2019 season, but spent seven years with the Cowboys before that. The Texas native wrote on Twitter that he wouldn’t mind playing with Dak Prescott again. While the Cowboys have not denied the desire for another wideout, they are trusting in CeeDee Lamb to be their number one, and have faith that Jalen Tolbert and James Washington will perform well as the second and third receivers while Michael Gallup recovers his knee.
Beasley is a free agent after the Bills, who have Stefon Diggs as their no. 1, signed Jamison Crowder and Tavon Austin and released Beasley, which saved them $6 million. Beasley is 33, but had a good seven seasons with the Cowboys and soared even further with the Bills, with 231 receptions and nearly 2,500 yards plus 11 touchdowns in his three seasons there. He could be an option, but it’s also possible there’s some bad blood between them. Back in 2019, Beasley tweeted about how the Cowboys’ front office meddles with the game plans and complained about his lack of involvement in the game. That, plus his refusal to get vaccinated and the controversy he caused over it could turn the Cowboys off. Then again, when has off-field drama ever kept them from singing anyone?