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.
2. Deuce Vaughn, RB
After Ezekiel Elliott's departure shook up the Cowboys' backfield last offseason, many thought that Deuce Vaughn had what it took to be the No. 2 running back behind Tony Pollard. The former 2023 sixth-round pick showed flashes of potential throughout training camp 2023, making it appear as if he had enough talent to overcome his diminutive frame to land an NFL job.
But despite a strong summer showing, Vaughn didn't see much regular-season action. The ex-Kansas State rusher was limited to just 61 offensive snaps across seven games without a start, resulting in 40 rushing yards on 23 carries and another 40 yards on seven receptions without a single touchdown. No matter how you slice it, 2.7 yards per touch does anything but inspire confidence.
While the path for playing time was clear last summer, that isn't the case this time around. Pollard may have left to join the Tennessee Titans, however, Elliott is back in town to reclaim the RB1 spot while Rico Dowdle is projected for the RB2 role after racking up 505 scrimmage yards and four TDs in a backup role last season, ascending past Vaughn on the depth chart in the process.
While the RB3 job is still up for grabs, Vaughn now has to compete against Royce Freeman for it.
The 28-year-old has more experience than his second-year counterpart after amassing 1,792 rushing yards, 532 receiving yards, and 11 total touchdowns across his first six seasons. Freeman also averaged 4.1 yards per career — the second-best rate of his career — on 77 touches with the LA Rams last season, which more than doubled Vaughn's rate (1.7).
With how harder it already is for shorter players to succeed in the NFL, Vaughn must find a way to step up or risking losing his job.
3. Nahshon Wright, CB
Cowboys fans were excited to see what Nahshon Wright could do at the NFL level after being selected 99th overall at the 2021 draft. He former Beaver showed a decent amount of tools during his time at Oregon State, leaving time to tell if he could make a similar impact at as a professional.
Unfortunately, Wright has struggled to earn himself a concrete spot on the 53-man roster. He's played just 32 of 51 possible games since his draft year, starting just three of those contests as he went on to record 27 solo tackles, four broken-up passes, and one interception. That's without mentioning how he missed 28.6% of his tackling attempts last season.
In his three-year NFL career, Wright has been targeted 37 times, allowing 25 receptions for 310 yards and a touchdown with a 91.0 passer rating. He's also averaged a 50.2 Pro Football Focus coverage grade per season, further highlighting his inability to do the one thing he was drafted for.
With the Cowboys' secondary stacked with talent, there's no reason to bring Wright back for another season. It's unlikely that he'll ever live up to the Day 2 draft hype and the fact that he's entering the final year of his rookie deal gives Dallas even less incentive to keep him around.
4. Josh Ball, OT
The Cowboys are blessed to have one of the better offensive lines in the NFL. Having gifted blockers like Zack Martin, Tyler Smith, and now Tyler Guyton makes the offense's life that much easier. With that being said, roster spots are limited, meaning Josh Ball could be one of the odd men out.
The Cowboys invested a 2021 fourth-round pick on the former Marshall blocker, however, it's clear that investment hasn't paid off. Ball has barely seen any action throughout the last three seasons, playing just 105 total snaps (64 special teams, 41 offense) across 13 career games with each of those appearances taking place during the 2022 campaign.
Ball didn't touch the gridiron in 2023 and that likely had to do with his shortcomings in the previous year. Although his 86.2 run block grade across 25 rushing plays was solid, his putrid 29.1 pass block grade on 17 passing downs left much to be desired.
Ball is still young enough (26) to have a solid career ahead of him, but he has to step up before the Cowboys give up hope. The 2024 year also marks the final year on his rookie contract, meaning he might be spending next season outside of Dallas if he can't convince McCarthy's staff that he's ready for a serious role.
5. Chauncey Golston, DL
Not only do the Cowboys have plenty of talent in the secondary and on the offensive line, but also when it comes to their defensive front. With too many bodies competing for too few spots, it wouldn't be shocking if Chauncey Golston is on the outside looking in when all is said and done.
Golston has been used in a backup role more often than not since being drafted 84th overall in 2021, starting in just three of 47 appearances. He recorded 38 solo tackles, 3.5 sacks, two defended passes, and one forced fumble throughout those opportunities. While those aren't the worst numbers, it's still worse than you'd expect form a former third-round pick.
Golston's best days could be ahead of him and, if that's the case, he must find a way to show that in training camp. Impressing new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer would go a long way in ensuring that the 26-year-old defender remains in Dallas for the foreseeable future, whereas failing to do so could see him booted from the new-look defense.
After all, the Cowboys would save just over $1.3 million by waiving or trading the ex-Iowa product at any point during camp.
Hopefully, Golston finally lives up to the hype by giving Dallas another reliable defender to count on. Otherwise, he might be wearing a different team's jersey come Week 1.
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