Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys are done in Oxnard. They are back home ahead of their preseason game this Saturday with the Ravens and then conclude training camp in Frisco. The annual excursion to California is a time-honored tradition, but the change of scenery at this midpoint (more or less) of training camp also offers a perfect time for players to evaluate how they’re doing. Here are the biggest winners and losers from Oxnard.
Zion Childress
Perhaps the biggest winner of training camp so far has been Zion Childress, the undrafted rookie out of Kentucky who primarily played safety in college. He’s been getting work at cornerback in camp, both on the outside and in the slot, and has routinely turned heads.
In the last two weeks, Childress was doing so well that he began to get frequent reps with the first team. The caveat here is that Childress likely wouldn’t be seeing those reps if Trevon Diggs or Shavon Revel (or even Caelen Carson) were healthy, but nonetheless, Childress has done nothing but run with the opportunity he’s been given. His performance against the Rams was especially good.
As the Cowboys head home, Childress has done as much as he possibly could at this point to lock up a roster spot. Not only that, but he may even be on the field to start the regular season in Philadelphia.
Traeshon Holden
Another undrafted free agent who’s well on his way to making the roster, Traeshon Holden was a bit of a surprise to fall out of the draft. The former Oregon receiver signed with Dallas not long after, reuniting with his college position coach, Junior Adams. That familiarity has seemingly paid off.
Holden, who stands at 6’2”, has made several big plays throughout camp and consistently stood out among some of the other receivers competing for a roster spot.
The Cowboys don’t have a ton of open spots at wide receiver right now, but Holden is making a pretty convincing argument to be included. He led the team in receiving against the Rams with just two catches. If he keeps it up, Holden can cement his status.
George Pickens
When the Cowboys first traded for George Pickens, the general consensus around the league was that he had all the talent but it was unclear if the former Steelers receiver had the focus or drive to consistently play up to his talent level. The hope in Dallas was that Pickens would have a more stable locker room, led by Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, to keep him centered.
We’re obviously still very early in the year, but all signs from Oxnard point to a resounding yes. Pickens has quickly picked up the offense, and his chemistry with Prescott came on strong in the final two weeks. Pickens has created multiple highlight clips leaping over defensive backs to pull down 50/50 balls.
He’s also built a strong bond with Lamb, who could also be listed as a winner here. The two...
