Dallas Cowboys training camp 2024: Position battles to watch

The Dallas Cowboys will report to training camp in Oxnard, California on Wednesday, July 24 with the first open practice on Thursday, July 25. While the offseason has been full of contract extension talks and the Cowboys’ inexplicable lack of moves in the 2024 NFL Draft and free agency, as they begin training camp, there will be some very interesting storylines.

Apart from the question marks about the future of quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and edge rusher Micah Parsons, there will be some position battles to watch. Here are the ones you should keep an eye on as we finally approach the kickoff to another NFL season.

Dallas Cowboys training cam key position battles to watch

Quarterback 2 - Trey Lance vs Cooper Rush

In 2023, the Cowboys traded a fourth-round pick to get 2021′s third overall pick, quarterback Trey Lance. Lance was drafted with high expectations by the San Francisco 49ers, who signed him to a four-year, $34.1 million deal. Unfortunately, in the last three years, he’s seen just fours starts. In his rookie season, he was the backup to Jimmy Garoppolo and in 2022, he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. That’s when Brock Purdy took over and Lance was no longer needed, seeing not even one snap in 2023.

So when the Cowboys traded for Lance, it was not only surprising due to his unproven potential, but also because they already have a trusted backup to Prescott - Cooper Rush. In his first NFL start (when Prescott was injured in Week 2 of the 2022 season), he threw for 235 yards and a touchdown to win the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He now has proven a trusty backup to Dak, with a 5-1 record as a starter.

The one big thing Lance has over Rush is his age. Rush is 30 years old and Lance is 24. Training camp will offer the opportunity for him to show what he can do and maybe win out the QB2 position over Rush.

Wide Receiver 3 - Jalen Tolbert vs Jalen Brooks

With the WR1 and WR2 positions decided and Michael Gallup gone off to Las Vegas, the Cowboys WR3 position is up for grabs. The two most likely candidates are the Jalens - Tolbert and Brooks. Tolbert is the current favorite. He was a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and did next to nothing that season. He made a big improvement in his second season though, with six starts, 22 receptions for 268 yards, and two touchdowns, leaving hope for the coming season.

He’ll have competition from Brooks though. Brooks was drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft in the seventh round. There wasn’t a lot of expectations around him, but he played well in training camp last year and was given a spot on the final roster. He ended the season with six receptions on six targets for 64 yards. Though that may not sound like much, it should be taken into account that his opportunities were few and he did catch 100% of passes thrown his way. He’s got a chance to bump Tolbert for the WR3 spot.

Realistically, this spot could potentially go to KaVontae Turpin or sixth-round pick, rookie Ryan Flournoy as well. So keep an eye out on all four of them.

Starting Center - Cooper Beebe vs Brock Hoffman

The Cowboys drafted Cooper Beebe in the third round of the draft this year. They lost center Tyler Biadsz and are in need of a replacement. That could be Beebe…or not. Brock Hoffman is a third-year, undrafted offensive lineman who could also be the guy for the job.

Hoffman has started just one game at center and one game at right guard in his 17 appearances last year. Although his experience is little, he has 156 snaps just last season - more than rookie Beebe can say, obviously. Beebe actually played as guard in college and didn’t take any snaps at all at center. For him, playing center will be a position transition. Then again, Beebe is young and has potential to keep getting better. But Hoffman didn’t allow a single sack and only allowed two hurries last season. It will definitely be a battle during training camp, and a close one at that.

Slot Corner - Jourdan Lewis vs Caelen Carson

The Cowboys took cornerback Caelen Carson in the fifth round of the NFL Draft this year and is meant to be the kind of aggressive defender new DC Mike Zimmer will love. He’s young and affordable, too.

Jourdan Lewis, on the other hand, will turn 29 soon and will make $2.6 million on a one-year deal if he’s not cut after training camp. If he is, the Cowboys would save on half that cost. But he’s an experienced veteran, which carries a lot of weight in a position battle. He’s done well for Dallas as a slot corner and should be able to do it again…just not without a challenge from a new, younger rookie.