As we begin the first full week of June, Cowboys OTA’s are over, and Dallas will hit the practice field tomorrow and wrap up the three-day minicamp on Thursday.
OTA’s left us with a lot of positive news, young players making some noise, trying to prove themselves, and more.
With that done, the Cowboys still have a few outlying questions that need answered over the next three days, and beyond.
This has been one of the most productive offseason for Jerry Jones and the boys in recent memory.
As the minicamp starts this afternoon, I have three ideas and lingering questions that could find some clarity within the next few days.
They are clearly hundreds of more questions than the three I am going to address, but these are just the ones that jump off the screen for me right now.
Tight End
The first thing on my list is the tight-end room. Dalton Schultz left in free agency this offseason, but Dallas has some nice cushion with him gone.
Will one guy step up, or will it be by committee? Luke Schoonmaker was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft from Michigan but is already hurt.
He was limited in OTAs and could find only limited work during minicamp.
With that said, Jake Ferguson is the best out of the group and could see a heavy workload and have a chance to separate himself from the pack.
Peyton Hendershot dropped a pass last week that resulted in an interception, so he isn’t off to a great offseason.
Wide Receiver
The No. 4 wide receiver on the team is still wide open. Who will emerge as the guy behind CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Michael Gallup?
The team already said they aren’t signing DeAndre Hopkins, so let it go. They don’t need him after trading for Cooks.
Dallas has Jalen Tolbert, Simi Fehoko, and Dennis Houston, who have the most legitimate chance to end the offseason as that guy.
Personally, I am pulling for Tolbert. This week Mike McCarthy said he noticed a second-year jump with him and noted he made some nice plays in 7-on-7 and two-minute situations.
Fehoko, in the last few weeks, not only got work with the 2nd but got some run with the starting group.
Reporters for the Cowboys said he even got matched up against Stephon Gilmore and had a completion.
Houston started the season last year as the wideout No. 3 behind Noah Brown. He had a big chance to prove himself a year ago and did little.
Keep your eyes on Tolbert and Fehoko not only this week but right up until week one against the Giants.
Kicker
Man, is this team really going to stick with Tristan Vizcaino? Well, depending on his performance in minicamp, we might have an answer soon.
Yes, I have heard the talk the last month or so about the team possibly looking for a veteran, but it has been all talk to this point.
The team doesn’t even have anyone behind him to challenge him right now. That may be trying to make him less tense; I don’t know.
Vizcaino appeared in three games last season for the Cardinals and Patriots but only handled kickoffs.
In his three-year career, he has made 91.7 percent of his field goals (small sample size) but missed five of his 20 extra-point tries.
If he struggles this week, he might not make it to training camp. Plenty of big-name guys who have kicked at an ELITE level for a long time are still free agents.
This three-day window may or may not answer all of these, but it may clarify them before they get to training camp in July.
It is going to be a fun week. Let’s hope everyone stays healthy and we get some good results.