The Cowboys will report to their usual spot in Oxnard, California in less than a month with rookies and veterans expected to arrive on the same day – Monday, July 21.
With that comes excitement. This means football is oh so close again, and for the first time in some years, it felt like the Dallas Cowboys front office at least attempted to make the team better. Yes, trading for George Pickens is about the best thing they have done in years.
Nonetheless, when training camp gets here, there will be a few things that I will be keeping my eye on. They might not be at the top of the list for everyone, but for me take a look below at my picks to watch out for during training camp.
Beebe Or Hoffman?
The battle for the starting center position with the Dallas Cowboys is between Cooper Beebe and Brock Hoffman.
Zach Martin is now retired and Beebe’s natural position of guard is open for competition.
Last season, Brock Hoffman filled in admirably when Martin was injured, but by no means did he slam the door shut for competition this year.
Hoffman’s more natural position is center, so it stands to reason he’d be a better option in the middle where strength and athleticism are less of a factor, and Beebe’s a better option at guard since that’s what he played at Kansas State.
I think both are going to start, but do they trust Hoffman enough to start him at center and just move Beebe to guard? We should find that out very soon.
Mazi Smith
One thing you might all agree with me on is that this very well could be the last chance for Mazi Smith, right?
He posted an abysmal 34.7 PFF overall grade, marking his second consecutive season of earning a sub-48.0 grade.
To be clear, Smith’s PFF grade puts him among the worst defensive tackles in the NFL — 207th out of 219 eligible players at his position.
New Cowboys DT Jay Toia joins a defensive tackle room that includes Osa Odighizuwa, Solomon Thomas and Mazi Smith.
Toia is being brought in to stop the run.
“I think I’m going to be a great fit. My play style, how violent I play. Just looking forward to learning from the vets,…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 26, 2025
I mean he can’t get much worse, so I will be keeping my eyes on Smith during training camp and well into the preseason. I know it doesn’t mean much until the real games start in September, but at least show us something. Maybe Matt Eberflus can get the best out of him.
Wide Receiver 3
Would you rather see Jonathan Mingo or Jalen Tolbert? That is the biggest question I will be looking forward to in this training camp.
Tolbert, with backups 90% of the year, finished with career-highs in catches (49), targets (79), receiving yards (610) and touchdowns (seven) in 17 games (15 starts).
Mingo has 585 yards in his two years in the league, so remind me again why the Dallas Cowboys traded a fourth-round pick for him? I don’t see any value in him at all.
I just hope Pickens can do what he needs to do, but with him at least on the roster, it sure as heck makes this a lot easier to watch, knowing one of them will be a WR3 and not have to be the other guy outside CeeDee Lamb.
Running Back
Who is going to take the bull by it’s horns and run away with the starting running back spot?
Javonte Williams or Miles Sanders? I don’t think Blue is going to be the guy right away, but he could be his shot early if both of these guys struggle.
Sanders authored a Pro Bowl season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, earning 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns behind one of the best offensive lines in football. Then he inked a four-year, $25 million deal in Carolina, and things went sideways.
Williams has not been the same since his knee injury in 2022.
