June is just a few days away, but it is never too early to talk about a few battles we could see when July 24th rolls around.
The Dallas Cowboys’ 2025 training camp is set to begin in Oxnard, California on July 24th. The team will hold their first practice on July 25ht.
With that said, I started finding a way to divide early into some battles that we may need to keep our eye on when the end of July rolls around.
Take a look.
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.
Dallas Cowboys projected Week 1 starters (at this point):
QB: Dak Prescott
RB: J. Williams/J. Blue
WR: CeeDee Lamb
WR: George Pickens
WR: Jalen Tolbert
TE: Jake Ferguson
RT: Terence Steele
RG: Tyler Booker
C: Cooper Beebe
LG: Tyler Smith
LT: Tyler GuytonDE: Micah Parsons
DT:…— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 7, 2025
Still, I think Beebe was one of the steals of the draft last season, and he very well could make a case for the starting center spot.
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.
This front office is going to try and make the Mingo trade work legit until the wheels fall off, and when you fork out a 4th round pick for a guy who is not worth that high of a pick in the draft at all, you have to ride it until you can’t anymore.
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.
Yet this is still going to be a battle for the WR3 spot. Turpin is just not a typical wide receiver and I would even put him over Mingo if the season started tomorrow.
Defensive Line
Dallas has added ten defensive linemen to the roster dating back to the 2024 NFL Draft. With 14 players in total there, new additions make up over 70% of the defensive line room.
The Cowboys invested heavily in Odighizuwa this off-season, but guys like Solomon Thomas, Mazi Smith and Jay Toia are question marks.
We know what Micah Parsons, Dante Fowler and the other defensive ends are going to bring, but what about the rest of the line? By that I really mean the defensive tackles.
This could be something to watch during the camp battles. I really like Thomas, but Mazi Smith has got to figure this thing out.
The numbers don’t lie. Smith’s 2024 stat line of 41 total tackles, one sack, and four tackles for loss, feels average. Even other first-round DTs drafted after Smith have outperformed him in splash plays and consistency.
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
Lets hope Matt Eberflus, the new defensive coordinator can get the most out of Smith’s potential.
His scheme demands that nose tackles play with discipline, anchor the run, and create chaos in the backfield, not just eat blocks. For Smith, this means no more excuses. He has to play lighter, faster, and sharper.
These are the three camp battles I will be watching come the end of July and if everything goes right we will see the best players rise to the top and not just hoping a traded pick or high draft selection gets the job.
