The Dallas Cowboys kick off their 45th NFL training camp in Ventura County at River Ridge Fields in Oxnard. This will be their 18th camp in Oxnard since 2001. They spent 27 years at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks (1963 to 1989).

When the team arrives on Tuesday, this could truly be the start of a make-or-break year for many of the players on this football team.

After three straight 12–5 seasons under head coach Mike McCarthy, they have only been able to muster one playoff win, which is disappointing.

As noted, with camp starting this week, let’s see if you agree with three of my predictions that we could see unfold over the next month.

CeeDee Lamb Gets Paid

As we all should know by now, CeeDee Lamb has openly committed to not showing up until he gets his extension.

We’ve seen this movie before.

Dez Bryant told the world back in 2015 the same thing if no deal was in place. Although Bryant was on the franchise tag, he ended up with his five-year deal on July 15th.

A big reason why I think they will get a deal done sooner rather than later is one that many probably don’t know: an extension for CeeDee Lamb will not count towards the cap right now.

Dallas will gain $10 million in space on the deal, even one over $32 million per year, if constructed in the way the team intends.

It would be smart to sign your best offensive player who just came off one of the greatest seasons in the history of this franchise. Justin Jeffereson got paid, so why is it so hard to pay CeeDee Lamb?

Ryan Flournoy Shines

As things stand right now, it’s presumed Jalen Tolbert is penciled in as the third wide receiver on the Cowboys’ depth chart, behind CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks. While that may be true, keep an eye out for Ryan Flournoy.

He could make life tough for Tolbert over the next month.

Flournoy was drafted in the 6th round by Dallas this year, and going from a zero-star recruit from Chicago to a chance to make an impact early in the NFL is a fun story.

He performed his best at Southeast Missouri State. Over his final two seasons there, he had 121 catches for 1,841 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was first-team all-OVC both years and got national attention on the FCS all-American list.

The physical abilities of Flournoy compare favorably to several former NFL all-pro wide receivers.

Ryan Flournoy:

• Ran a faster 40-yard dash (4.40 sec.) and had a higher vertical jump (41 in.) than Antonio Brown
• Had the same time in the 3 cone drill (6.66 sec.) as Julio Jones
• Can bench press the same weight (350 lbs.) as DK Metcalf

That’s impressive!

Tolbert will have the front seat when it comes to who sees the field first, but Flournoy could be a guy that surprises us until September rolls around.

He could be a Diamond in the rough for this offense.

Mazi Smith Bounces Back

One of the most talked about players from the draft class a year ago is Mazi Smith.

He played in every game last season but only mustered 13 tackles and one sack. For a first round pick, that is not good enough.

He now gets a fresh start with Mike Zimmer, who will be the new man calling the defense for Dallas in 2024.

This should help.

I just want to see if his new habits are going to pay off. Talk is cheap right now, but let’s give him time to see what he does over the next month.

They are going to need him to be a force in stopping the run this year. Let’s hope he bounces back in 2024.