Blogging The Boys
Here is our most recent BTB Roundtable discussion.
Every week, we gather to discuss the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have David Howman, Jess Haynie, Tom Ryle and Brian Martin.
With Dallas Cowboys training camp looming, there are several intriguing position battles to watch this year.
With Dallas now hosting a backfield of Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, and rookie Jaydon Blue, there’s a fierce battle for snaps at the running back position. The three-way battle at first glance looks to be Williams vs. Sanders for early-down work, while Blue strives to carve out a role as a change-of-pace receiver. But keep watch in Oxnard to see how this closely contested and important position battle shapes out.
Defensive end sees a wild competition thanks to DeMarcus Lawrence’s departure. The key contenders behind Micah Parsons include Dante Fowler, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Sam Williams, Payton Turner, and Marshawn Kneeland.
With Trevon Diggs still rehabbing an ACL injury and Shavon Revel Jr. recovering from knee surgery, the depth at the cornerback position is extremely questionable. DaRon Bland has his position sealed, then it’s up to Kaiir Elam to prove himself and Revel to payback his draft capital if he recovers enough. Caelen Carson, Josh Butler, and others are fighting for a position here.
Jake Ferguson needs to show that last season was just a one off but the battle for TE2 is firmly up for grabs to watch for the fight between Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann‑Ford.
Howman: Low hanging fruit here but I’ve got my eye on the running backs. We know Brian Schottenheimer likes to run the ball, and figuring out who will actually do the running is important. I expect both Miles Sanders and Jaydon Blue to pop early, but I’m excited to see what Javonte Williams and Phil Mafah show us when the pads come on.
Jess: Running back should be the tightest given the options and unknowns. The one I’m most looking forward to, though, is at safety. Juanyeh Thomas has seemed ready for over a year and Matt Eberflus’ double-high scheme suits him better than Donovan Wilson. Hopefully the young guy is given his rightful chance to compete, because I believe the secondary would be better off with the change.
Brian: It’s a tie for me between running back and defensive end. I’m really interested in finding out how this whole RB situation is going to play out and who is going to take over for DeMarcus Lawrence at DE opposite Micah Parsons this season. The Cowboys could actually have two rookies at both positions (Jaydon Blue, Donovan Ezeireaku) play prominent roles and maybe even start this year.
Tom: While I’m also very interested in running back, particularly whether Deuce Vaughn still has a...
