5 Cowboys Playing for Their Jobs in Training Camp
Another NFL season is on the horizon as the Dallas Cowboys aim to finally end their lengthy Super Bowl drought. There's still work to do before the regular season action, though, and it all begins when the Cowboys open their training camp in Oxnard, CA on July 25.
As with any training camp, Dallas' roster is composed by a mix of roster locks and bubbles players. While no one is question Dak Prescott or Micah Parsons' potential of making the 53-man roster, others' jobs are less secure whether they're new to the franchise or underperformed last season.
With some heated competition around the corner, here are five Cowboys who will be fighting for their jobs at training camp.
1. Cooper Rush, QB
The NFL announced last season that all 32 teams could carry a third-string quarterback who wouldn't count against the 53-man roster. The Cowboys opted to run with Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush as the top two options, respectively, while designating Trey Lance — who was acquired from the San Francisco 49ers in August — as the emergency QB.
Fast forward a year later when Rush and Lance's roles could be reversed.
All signs pont to Lance serving as Prescott's backup this season, at least. Head coach Mike McCarthy revealed earlier this offseason that the former 2021 third-overall selection is slated to have a significant preseason role, which likely wouldn't be the case if they weren't confident in his potential. If he lives up to his draft hype, Lance could help the Cowboys transition if Prescott opts to leave down as a free agent next offseason.
While Rush has more NFL experience and familiarity with the Cowboys than Lance, it might not mean much in the grand scheme of things. The 30-year-old is one of the better backup signal-callers in the NFL, however, he's unlikely to amount to more than that at this stage of his career. You can even argue that having Lance replace Rush wouldn't be that big of a change considering how the former owns an 84.5 passer rating in four career starts compared to the latter's mark of 83.6 in six starts.
Finances could also factor into management's ultimate decision. The Cowboys won't save a dime if they cut Lance this summer, however, they'll free up $2.25 million in cap space by releasing Rush. In an NFL world where every penny counts when constructing a Super Bowl-caliber roster, those savings might be too good for Jerry Jones to ignore.