Dallas Cowboys training camp begins next Wednesday on July 26th.
We finally get to see the pads come on, pinning one of the top offenses in the NFL versus one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Below the surface of the established starting lineup is another battle between players itching for a spot on the roster.
This is my training camp battle series, and you can catch up by utilizing the following links:
Wide Receivers
Established Starter(s): CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup
Battle for Backup: KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Tolbert, Simi Fehoko, Dennis Houston, Jalen Brooks, Jalen Moreno-Cropper
The top three wide receivers on the depth chart are locked in.
CeeDee Lamb is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, and is primed for his best season now that he’s eligible for an extension.
Brandin Cooks, also known as “Mr. 1K”, was acquired by trade in an aggressive move not typical for the Cowboys’ front office.
Terrible quarterback play last year in Houston resulted in Cooks missing out on the 1,000 yard milestone for just the second time in eight seasons.
Michael Gallup was not yet recovered from an ACL injury when Dallas decided to sign him to an expensive contract.
His 2022 season was spent trying to get back on his feet, and Dallas expects him to return to form.
Beyond those top three, the remaining roster spots are wide open for the taking.
Those roster spots will be taken by three, maybe four of the following hopeful players.
KaVontae Turpin
Everyone knows KaVontae Turpin’s story at this point.
He was the MVP of the USFL, and his elusiveness won him a job as the primary returner for the Cowboys in 2022.
One thing the fan base was clamoring for the whole season was to see him more involved in the offense.
People forget he played an entire season in the USFL, and was barely able to rest his feet before joining the Cowboys.
There’s a reason he wasn’t involved in the offense. He was tired!
Now with a full offseason to rest, Turpin will be given the opportunity for a larger offensive role.
Jalen Tolbert
The second year player out of Southern Alabama was deemed to be NFL ready when drafted in the 3rd round last season.
As Maury Povich would say, the results determined that was a lie.
Tolbert famously finished the season with only two catches for 12 yards in just eight active games.
He showed delays in picking up the playbook, and struggled to get open in his limited opportunities.
The young wide receiver has spent a good chunk of the offseason working closely with Dak Prescott in the DakYard.
Dallas needs him to step up this season and take that WR4 spot to match his 3rd round draft cost.
There are many questions about the future of the wide receiver room, and Tolbert can ease some of those questions by living up to his potential.
Simi Fehoko
Simi Fehoko is a 5th round pick from the 2021 draft who has started five games in each of his first two seasons.
Perhaps the most interesting fact about Fehoko is that his size matches what Head Coach Mike McCarthy has coveted in his wide receivers.
Players like Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, James Jones, and Donald Driver come to mind.
Fehoko also has elite speed, clocking in at 4.37 during his pro day at Stanford.
The drafting of Tolbert and the addition of Brandin Cooks make the hill steeper for Fehoko.
In his third season, it’s time to break out.
Dennis Houston
Dennis Houston is far from being a menace on the field, but he did show flashes last offseason.
Houston quickly became a favorite target of Prescott last year in training camp, and was rewarded by being promoted to the active roster for two games.
He managed two catches for 16 yards.
The fact that he was running routes at all was a testament to how much the Cowboys lacked proven talent at wide receiver.
It would be difficult for Houston to break into any sort of offensive rotation this year.
Jalen Brooks
The Dallas Cowboys drafted Jalen Brooks in the 7th round of the 2023 draft.
Brooks stands at 6’2″ 205lbs, and fits the size McCarthy likes as mentioned above.
It will be difficult to for Brooks to make the team unless he shows out on special teams.
Jalen Moreno-Cropper
I’m convinced the Cowboys are attempting to have a wide receiver depth chart comprised of men named Jalen.
All jokes aside, Jalen Moreno-Cropper was added as an undrafted free agent for rookie mini-camp, and the coaching staff likes his traits.
Moreno-Cropper is on the smaller side, measuring in at just 6’0″ 180lbs.
His quickness and route running make him a prime candidate for a slot wide receiver in the NFL.
Predictions
The biggest question is how many wide receivers will the Cowboys have on the 53 man roster?
We have seen Dallas keep as little as five, and as many as seven in recent years.
The top three wide receivers on the depth chart do not play special teams.
Any fringe players would need to play special teams to make the roster.
For this reason, I believe Turpin is a lock, and hopefully can contribute more on offense.
The Cowboys aren’t the type of team to give up on draft picks after just one season.
Because of this, I believe Tolbert will be given every opportunity to improve and be a bigger part of the offense.
That makes five wide receivers, and now it gets tricky.
My gut tells me Dallas will feel obligated to keep six wide receivers on the roster.
Should they decide to do this, Fehoko is the obvious choice to take that last spot.
He brings a combination of size and speed that is unmatched by any other wide receiver on the roster.
On top of that, we discussed how much McCarthy values those traits in the type of offense he wants to run now that Kellen Moore is gone.
That leaves Dennis Houston, Jalen Brooks, and Jalen Moreno-Cropper as practice squad hopefuls.
They could also be challenged by Dontario Drummond, Jose Barbon, and Tyron Johnson.