Cowboys Spotlight: 2025 Training Camp Preview | Dallas Cowboys 2025

Cowboys Spotlight: 2025 Training Camp Preview | Dallas Cowboys 2025

[Music] Go Cowboys. [Music] [Music] The Dallas Cowboys are ready for Oxnard. But is Oxnard ready for the Dallas Cowboys? For the 66th time, the Cowboys will open up training camp to get ready for the 2025 season. and it’s their 16th trip to the west coast with Oxnard, California. We’ve got Nicole Hutcherson. We’ve got Mickey Spagnola. I’m Kyleman soon to be joined by Nick Eatman, Patrick Walker, and Tommy Yish previewing the Cowboys training camp festivities this month on the West Coast. And really, there are storylines abundant for the Cowboys every year. But Mickey, what intrigues you whenever it comes to this year’s camp? Well, there’s so much newness to this Dallas Cowboys team, starting with the coaching staff, starting with the players they’ve uh brought in and there’s so many questions to answer. So, I think that’s going to be the thing that Cowboys trying to decipher just who they are with only 12 padded practices planned. Yeah. And one of those other big questions is who will be in that receiver room, right? There’s 12 wide receivers coming into training camp. they can only keep about five or six. I think that competition’s going to be a lot of fun to watch because you have guys like Jaylen Tolber who’s fresh off one of his best seasons here in Dallas. Jonathan Mingo, who they traded for a fourth round pick, of course, who’s starting to see that chemistry with Dak and this through OTAA. So, I’m excited to see who stands out in that wide receiver room. And there’s a lot of notable acquisitions throughout the offseason. One of which being George Pickkins in that wide receiver room. multiple names to keep an eye on going into camp that were not a part of this Cowboys team last year. Dante Fowler Jr. one that has been a part of the Cowboys previously. Which one of these names, Mickey, do you have your eye on? I got my eye on Caere Elum. And the reason why is the quarterback position is so much up in the air. They need him, a former firstround draft choice, to play like a former first round draft choice. With the amount of injuries they have coming into camp, guys trying to come back from injuries that cost them uh the season last year. Who knows when Trayvon Diggs is ready. Kaylin Carson’s trying to come back from shoulder surgery. They drafted Siobhan Rall in the third round. Is he ready to go? He tore his ACL three weeks into the college season. So, they need Caere Elum to step up and play like a first round draft choice. I’m going to go Tyler Booker, man, because Brian Shodenheimer has obviously emphasized the fact that he wants this run game to be established here in 2025. And it starts with this offensive line, right? I mean, you don’t have a future Hall of Famer in Zack Martin on this team anymore. So, that’s Tyler Booker. Insert him. This is a team that finished 27th in the NFL in rushing offense. also tied for fourth and last in the NFC East in yards before contact per attempt. That was 2.1 by the way. So, I want to see him obviously be a really key piece in this offensive line as as far as, you know, carving out those run lanes for these for these running backs uh and really take a step forward for this offensive line. And of course, blocking for Dak Prescott who is back in the fold this year after a severe hamstring injury in 2024. Having Dak back is already a great start, but what are the expectations for QB1 behind center? Man, it’s to win. I mean, Brian Shodenheimr was asked about what are the expectations? What will define success for Dak Prescott in 2025? And that’s some wins, man. I mean, I don’t want to see, you know, the wins, of course, when you play a Chicago Bears team who only won five games last year. I want to see, you know, you guys getting a win when it comes to Kansas City or, you know, Detroit Lions, Minnesota, two of the top NFC North teams in 2024. So that’s what I want to see. I want to see wins. I want to see poise, precise. I want to see that 2023 Dak that we saw in 2023. Dak 2023. I think everybody forgotten how well he played. He was runner up for the league MVP title, right? He he led the league in passing yards. He was second in quarterback rating. That’s the Dak I want to see. And he’s capable of doing it. remember only played eight games last year, got injured in the eighth. And while he and the and the offense was struggling, the defense struggled, too, giving up almost 28 points a game. As Bill Parcels always reminded us, the quarterback is not out there playing singles, right? So, if he can put up 2023 again, the Cowboys will be just fine on offense. Yeah, he is one of the key pieces of this very long Cowboys season that is just getting underway. And of course, it is year number one for Brian Shottenheimer as head coach. What is the make orb breakak element to his first year as a head coach in the NFL? The Dallas Cowboy spotlight is presented by AT&T, an official sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys, and by the Texas Lottery. Play the games of Texas with the Texas Lottery. Play today. [Music] I’m honored and privileged to be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Throughout Brian Shottenheimer’s first off season as head coach, we’ve seen a complete culture change. His high energy and bright smile has lit up the star in Fris. But how will his coaching style translate to the field? Some critics have their questions, and for good reason, because they haven’t played anyone quite yet. However, his off seasonason could be compared using a baseball metaphor. It’s one thing to hit home runs in batting practice. That’s never a bad thing. The swing looks crisp and the ball is flying out of the yard. That’s what Brian Shottenheimr has done so far. But it’ll be a completely new challenge and a whole new ball game when someone is actively trying to strike him out. [Music] It’s not going to be a three swing off at the end of the All-Star game like we saw in Atlanta this week. There are going to be curve balls thrown toward Brian Shottimer. Nicole, what does a a successful season look like for Shotti in year number one? You see what this says right here? You see this shotty ball. Shotty ball in the words of Tommy Yarish. And that’s what you already mentioned, just implementing his culture. He’s already started to do that. And getting a chance to hear from uh Kenny Gan, Kenneth Gan, excuse me, uh two-time Super Bowl champ, former safety for the Dallas Cowboys, also special teams ace. He had mentioned that, you know, playing under Jimmy Johnson that they implemented that family type of culture. So far, that’s what uh Brian Shodenheimr has already started to do. And when you do that, that makes these guys want to play for your head coach. And so far, I mean, we’ve seen the high energy, Kyle, like you already said. We’ve seen all the, you know, seat changes in the locker room, the good attitudes, the competition that he’s implementing. I now want to see that translate on the field, and I think it’s going to. Should I hold my headline up? Please do. One step at a time. Let’s remember this team was seven and 10 last year. Correct. Uh so to me, for him to have success, first and foremost, a winning record. Secondly, try to get into the playoffs. Next, be competitive to try to win the NFC East. And if you can accomplish those things, you get in the playoffs and I think everything takes care of itself. But remember, first year time head coach and almost an entirely new coaching staff. So this is not being set up as Brian Shottenheimimer coming in here to be the miracle worker. Yeah. And along with the head coaching duties, he also takes over as the play caller. He did not serve in that role in 23 and 24 despite being the offensive coordinator by title under Mike McCarthy. But he did have that role in Seattle. He actually last called plays for four games in 2021 with Jacksonville after they fired Urban Meyer. So, what does success look like as a play caller for Brian Shottenheimer, Mickey? Well, it’s the quarterback, right? The quarterback has to help the play caller, the offensive coordinator, the head coach. The thing I like about what he did when he was in Seattle. It wasn’t so many so much the points is in 2018, Seattle led the league in rushing with 160 yards a game. The next year they were fourth with 137 yards a game. So if he can get this running game going that only averaged a 100 yards last year, then uh I think they can have success on offense. And that’s one of the things they’ll have to iron out in training camp. Speaking of training camp, our brand new Dallas Cowboys training camp star magazine preview is up. You can beef beef up your Cowboys knowledge. Uh position analysis, scouting reports, every player on the roster is featured. That shoddy ball feature by Tommy Yish that Nicole was just talking about. Go ahead and get your copy online. Purchase at visiting dallascowboys.com/star. When we come back here on Cowboys Spotlight, Nick Eatman and Patrick Walker of DallasCowboys.com are up in the newsroom. They’re going to hit some of the top topics of training camp. [Music] Hey, one, two, cross. Run it. Lean, lean, lean, lean, lean, lean, lean, lean, lean, lean. Good. Beautiful. One, two, cross. Go, Mazy. Go, Mazy. There you go. Hey, way to battle. I don’t even give a about the towel. Good. Tight. Tight. Lean into it. Pick it up. Yeah. Stay inside. Great job, guys. what happens in the next 35 40 days plus what you do and get ready to camp and then strap that helmet up on a Sunday. That’s what really matters. Everybody’s the man in OTAAS. All right. We don’t play football in t-shirt and shorts. Feel me? All right. Break it down, man. I’ll see y’all in there. Aaron White Cotton, one of a number of new faces on this Dallas Cowboys coaching staff. He served as the Jets defensive line coach from 2021 to 2024. Here are some of the notable names, including both coordinators. Clayton Adams, offensive coordinator. Matt Eberfloose returns to Dallas where he was once a linebacker’s coach. 15 total coaching changes. That’s been a big storyline throughout the off season with more on the topics going into training camp. Let’s go to Nick Eatman and Patrick Walker in the newsroom. Thank you, Kyle. And Patrick, this season’s getting closer and closer. There’s a lot of question marks. It’s time to give some of the answers the best we can. Let’s go with cornerback. Let’s start at the cornerback position. What are your thoughts on that? When you when you think about how things have been this whole off season, where they’re doing right now, what do you like about the quarterback position? Um, since the deep exhale, uh, there’s some concern there, Nick. Obviously, when you talk about Trayvon Diggs and his injury, will he be ready for training camp? Will he be ready for the start of the season or is he going to start on the puck list? Because that’s a huge question mark. You also lost Jordan Lewis to free agency. Right now, you got Don Bland and Company. What does an company look like? Is it going to be, you know, rookie third round picks of own rebel? Is he going to step up? He’ll get some shots. Israel Muamu back on a one-year deal. He’ll get some shots. Kaylin Carson coming off of a season ending injury as a rookie. What does that look like? A lot of questions there. Don’t necessarily know who’s going to step up yet. Another guy that that you know, it’s his time, too, is Ka Elum. You know, he’s a guy that they traded for somebody that it seems like everybody in that room there’s a question about when they’re going to come back. Are they gonna bounce back? Even Don Bland as well. I mean, just is he gonna be what? Who is he? Is he the pro allp pro guy that’s gonna take everything to the house or is he that guy that that, you know, is a fifth round pick from Fresno State that maybe, you know, gives up a few plays here and there. I I like the fact that teams keep going at him because he’s going to he’s going to take some back. He’s going to make some interceptions, but a lot of question marks and I’m not sure that everybody that’s going to be, you know, at cornerback when the season starts is is on the team right now. I’m really not sure. They they could always do that. I could agree with that. There’s still some mercenaries out there. I mean, even as we have this conversation, Stefon Gilmore, he’s still a free agent. So, you know, there’s a relationship there. Maybe he gets a look, but even if he does not get a look, like you said, Kyrie Elim, they brought him in via trade. You got a lot of these young guys. Right now, again, it’s Don Bland and company. Now, we’re talking about players who need to step up at positions. There’s a couple of players that are really kind of under the gun going into 2025. Both former first round picks, Mazy Smith, Tyler Gayton, playing critical positions. Which one of these guys do you think steps up and has the biggest leap in in this season? Well, they hope it’s Tyler Gayton. I mean, it it’s got to be Tyler Gayton because of the position he plays and and also just the fact that this offensive line is is is one where they are certainly trying to to protect Dak in every way. Nobody protects it more than the than the left tackle there in the blind side. But, you know, it’s not that that Mazy Smith that’s definitely important, too, because if you can’t stop the run, you can’t stop anybody. But, I I’m going to say from that standpoint, I think they can do a little bit more to help Mazi and help the defensive line. But they’ve got to make sure that Tyler Gayton is that guy at left tackle. You know, I could see why someone would say Mazy Smith. Nick, um, as a Cowboys fan, you’ve got to be exhausted with seeing this team’s inability to stop the run on a consistent basis. But Tyler Gayton is protecting the blind side of a franchise quarterback who’s coming off of a season ending hamstring injury, who, by the way, suffered that industry that in injury trying to scramble to get away from pressure against the Atlanta Falcons in early November. You got to protect Dak Prescott. One of the key things to do is make sure Tyler Gen does so. And he’s he’s on track to do so. It’s okay that the answer here is both. Okay. It could be both. They both need. Yes. All right. Real quick, let’s this is we’ll have some fun with this question. Which player, you know, talking about stepping up. Which player is going to make this first Pro Bowl. Who’s going to have that that first Pro Bowl and really take that next level? Oh, Birdman hand rope. I’m going with Osa Odiga. He’s got the big contract now. It’s as far as the interior defensive line goes. It’s his show. He’s been stepping up every year, getting better and better, but now he has talent to spell him in Solomon Thomas, so he should be more durable in the fourth quarters. George Pickkins would be good here as well. Make his first Pro Bowl. How about the deep snapper? He never gets hands off. Trent C. That’d be pretty good, too. Whoever it is, they need these guys to certainly step up and have that that leap. So, that, you know, the Cowboys have a lot of superstars. They need more there as well. All right, Kyle, back to you. Thanks, guys. answering a lot of questions around this off season. And when we come back, Tommy Yarish answers the question as to what is happening in the Cowboys running back room. When we come back, [Music] the Dallas Cowboys spotlight was presented by AT&T, an official sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys, and by the Texas Lottery. Play the games of Texas with the Texas Lottery. Play today. Welcome back to our training camp preview episode of Cowboys Spotlight. And as the Cowboys prepare to go to their 45th training camp in the great state of California, we’ve got Mickey Spagnola on site here who has been here for 40 training camps. Look at some of this old footage. Mickey, you remember these days? Well, that looks like Thousand Oaks for sure. And it was also that that’s St. Neds in Austin. I can tell you that just looking at the background. Oh, when was this? Oh, that has to be after 1990. Cuz before that, I had a mustache. You had the mustache. No mustache here. So, this is the ‘9s. Mickey Spagnola. How great is that? I still have that shirt. I hope so. I hope so. We’ve got Nicole Hutcherson, Mickey Spagnola. I’m Kyleman. Let’s play a little game. This is not these guys 40th training camps. These are guests, the newcomer for the Dallas Cowboys. I’m going to start things off. We’re going to reveal just a little piece of the picture, piece of the puzzle. There’s your first guess, Nicole. Do you have any guess right off the bat? I’m going to go Cavante Turpin. That is He’s not a newcomer. Oh, my bad. I I missed it. I missed the question already. There’s the second one. Mickey Savon Rebel. That is not Savon Rebel. Yes. Who is it? George Mickey. It is George. I missed the question. I am so sorry. missed the question. Devonte Turpin, how how dare you. Let’s go to the second one. Let’s see what we’ve got here. These are newcomers to the Dallas Cowboys. That should give it away right there. Mickey, what do you think? Joe Jay Toya. Jay Toya. No, it is not. Anybody can jump in. What do you think? I’m going to go Solomon Thomas. That is right off the bat. You got it done. Solomon Thomas. I’m thinking the shoulders got to got to give it away at that point. An incredible. He went viral for that photo as well. Final one. Let’s reveal the first piece of the puzzle. Oh man, that one’s going to be tough. What do you think? Any guesses? Spent the off season trying to memorize numbers. Names and numbers at this point. Let’s reveal a second spot. Does that give it away anymore? I’m going to go. It’s hard without eyes. I know. Dante Fowler cuz technically he is a newcomer. He is technically a newcomer. It is not Dante Fowler. Who is that? That is Javante Williams. A little bit different. That’s okay. It’s Javvante Williams for the most part. There are newcomers all over this Cowboys roster, especially in the running back room. All four of these additions, the first four names are all newcomers. And then Deuce Vaughn, the lone returner in the running back room, provides a question. What is going to happen with these veterans like Javvante Williams and my Sanders? Let’s go to Tommy Yarish with more. All right, thank you, Kyle. running back certainly going to be one of the biggest position battles to watch at training camp in Oxnard. The Cowboys signed two veterans in free agency this last off season. Let’s go back in the time machine a little bit and take a look at what both of them bring to the table. We’re going to go back to maybe some sour memories here for Cowboys fans in 2021. This is Javvante Williams’s rookie year. You’ll see him lined up here next to Teddy Bridgewwater. And when we start this play, you’re going to see what made his rookie year version of himself so good. You see here he’s stopped by one about to be one, two, three players and somehow he finds a way to just keep his legs churning at the end of this play and break free, pick up those extra yards. And now you think later in Javvante Williams career, he suffers a major knee injury and that certainly is going to have an impact on running backs. This is from last year. You see him lined up back here behind Bo Knicks. And this is what the Cowboys are hoping that they can do with their heavily invested in offensive line this year. Watch these two. The center and the guard right here are going to team up on this guy. And then the guard and the tackle will go right here. And that’s going to allow Javvante Williams to have nothing but running room right up the middle. And this is exactly what you want to set your running backs up for. He’s got nothing but green grass in front of him. And now ultimately, you’re going to see the fact that when we start this play over again, he maybe could have gone a little bit more to the left side in order to pick up some extra yards, but still keeps his legs turnurning after that initial contact from the corner on that play to pick up extra yards. That’s what the Cowboys are hoping they can get out of him. Now, on the flip side, when you bring in Miles Sanders, you’re going to see him here lined up next to Andy Dalton on the right side. Now, I want you to watch not just Sanders, but also the right guard here. He’s going to pull on this play and come to this side of the ball. And as we run this play, you’re going to see the vision from Miles Sanders early on here in Carolina. This is a Pro Bowl running back for a reason. His last year with the Eagles. Didn’t get what he wanted in his time in Carolina. But you see some of those flashes on plays like this when when you start this play again, he follows his blockers, gets into the open field. And that’s the situation every running back wants to be in one-on-one with an outside player and he just turns the corner, turns on the Jets, and it’s first and goal for Carolina. Now, let’s go later on in a game against the Washington Commanders. And you see on this play, well, where where’s Miles Sanders at? He’s not on the screen. Oh, there he is. He’s coming in motion. And this is going to set him up pretty well because you’ve got one, two, three defenders on this side in comparison to one, two, get that in a second. One, two, three, four, five, and you got the guy coming in motion on the fifth side. So when you start this play, he’s going to get the ball and automatically be in open space. So now all he needs is this lead block and he’s got all this green grass to work with on the outside. And you see when we run this play that he takes advantage of it and picks up a chunk gain. That’s what both of these guys bring to the table for Dallas. And the Cowboys are certainly hoping that the two of them resurrect their careers with the star on their helmet. That is certainly the case, Tommy. Here are some of the dates where those guys can get off to a good start. Of course, the first practice getting in into the swing of things in Oxnard, California, starting on July 22nd. Then the first padded practice will be live to broadcast that week as well. for Nicole Hutcherson, Mickey Spagnola, Tommy Yarish, Nick Eatman, Patrick Walker. I’m Kyle Yman saying so long from Cowboys Spotlight. It’s about time to go to Oxnard, California. Where’s your favorite spot to hit up, Nikki? Where you going first? CJ’s Barbecue Place and Mississippi Southern Cuisine. Where are you going, Nicole? I’m going to the beach on an off day. That’s where I’m going. But my favorite place is obviously like the cafeteria there. I mean, on a Saturday, maybe the night. You never know. So often there’s

The Dallas Cowboys embark on their 66th training camp in franchise history and their 19th in Oxnard, California. Some of the biggest questions will be answered over the next few weeks as the team prepares for the 2025 season. Kyle Youmans is joined by Mickey Spagnola, Nicole Hutchison, Nick Eatman, Patrik Walker, and Tommy Yarrish to discuss the upcoming camp and the biggest Cowboys storylines.

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