KSAT.com<\/a> and KSAT\u2019s YouTube channel.<\/p>\nTo get you ready for camp, KSAT\u2019s Larry Ramirez and Mary Rominger have 12 keys they\u2019ll track closely from the West Coast:<\/p>\n
1 \u2014 Brian Schottenheimer\u2019s first year as head coach<\/p>\n
When talking with the Cowboys at offseason workouts at The Star in Frisco, they all mentioned the new \u201cenergy\u201d Brian Schottenheimer is bringing to the team this season. The players love it and embrace it. Schottenheimer, nicknamed \u201cSchotty,\u201d said his goal is to build the greatest culture in professional sports. <\/p>\n
He believes that starts with having strong relationships with his players, coaching staff and front office. His energy, both on and off the field, seems to have pumped new life into the organization. The Cowboys hope that helps deliver their first Super Bowl title since 1995.<\/p>\n
2 \u2014 Dak Prescott and his health<\/p>\n
Starting quarterback Dak Prescott said July 8, \u201cI\u2019m healthy as I\u2019ll be. I\u2019ll be full go for camp. I\u2019m healthy, yeah.\u201d <\/p>\n
Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9 last year. He was an on-field participant for organized team activities this offseason. In April, he said he could play, if necessary, but there\u2019s no need to rush back. <\/p>\n
Prescott, 31, hasn\u2019t been cleared for contact but believes that will happen before training camp begins July 22. He is entering the second year of his four-year, $240 million contract extension.<\/p>\n
3 \u2014 Addition of George Pickens<\/p>\n
In early May, the Cowboys made a big move by trading for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens. After three seasons in Pittsburgh, Pickens fell out of favor with the Steelers due to recurring behavioral issues. <\/p>\n
Pickens, a 2022 second-round draft pick, is very talented, which is why the Cowboys are taking a risk on him. Teaming him up with wideout CeeDee Lamb could produce one of the NFL\u2019s most lethal combinations. Prescott said he hasn\u2019t noticed any of the negative attitude connotations previously attached to Pickens. Pickens said a fresh start was needed.<\/p>\n
4 \u2014 Running backs<\/p>\n
The Cowboys\u2019 running back situation is a key storyline heading into the 2025 season. <\/p>\n
Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, Hunter Luepke, Deuce Vaughn, Phil Mafah and Jaydon Blue make up the running back room.<\/p>\n
Williams and Sanders are seen as favorites to win significant roles. The Cowboys drafted Blue and Mafah in the fifth and seventh rounds, respectively. A rotation is expected, rather than the Cowboys turning to a workhorse like they did in Ezekiel Elliott\u2019s days. The team ranked 27th in rushing last season.<\/p>\n
5 \u2014 Offensive line with three Tylers<\/p>\n
Led by starting right tackle and Steele High School alum Terrence Steele, the Cowboys\u2019 offensive line is undergoing a transition. <\/p>\n
Zach Martin, a future Hall of Famer, retired, leaving a significant void to fill. Entering his sixth season, all with Dallas, Steele is now the veteran of the group. <\/p>\n
Tyler Guyton is expected to start at left tackle. He struggled in his rookie season, and the Cowboys are counting on him to improve. <\/p>\n
Tyler Smith is back at left guard and is considered one of the best at his position. Center Cooper Beebe returns after a promising rookie campaign. Rookie Tyler Booker will likely replace Martin at right guard. The three Tylers are seen as key pieces in the Cowboys\u2019 O-line rebuild and development.<\/p>\n
6 \u2014 State of the Cornerbacks<\/p>\n
The Cowboys\u2019 cornerback unit enters training camp with a great amount of potential, but also health-related question marks. <\/p>\n
Trevon Diggs, an All-Pro ballhawk, and DaRon Bland, a rising star and pick-six machine, are a dynamic outside tandem when healthy, but both are recovering from 2024 injuries \u2014 Diggs from persistent knee issues and Bland from a stress fracture. <\/p>\n
Rookie Shavon Revel Jr., a third-round steal, brings upside but is rehabbing a torn ACL, leaving his Week 1 readiness uncertain. <\/p>\n
Kaiir Elam, acquired via trade, is looking for a fresh start after inconsistent play in Buffalo, while Caelen Carson and Jourdan Lewis give Dallas depth and versatility. <\/p>\n
Training camp will answer some of the questions that surround one of the NFL\u2019s best secondaries, which hinges on health.<\/p>\n
7 \u2014 Matt Eberflus takes the reins of the Dallas defense<\/p>\n
Matt Eberflus, the Dallas Cowboys\u2019 new defensive coordinator, brings a proven track record and a philosophy that could elevate a defense that struggled in 2024, finishing 28th in yards (355.2 per game) and 31st in points allowed (27.5 per game). <\/p>\n
Eberflus, who previously served as the Cowboys\u2019 linebackers coach (2011-17) and defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts (2018-21), has a history with his defenses consistently ranking among the NFL\u2019s best in forcing turnovers, with his Colts teams finishing top-10 in takeaways four straight years and his 2023 Bears unit tying for the league lead with 22 interceptions. <\/p>\n
His scheme prioritizes stopping the run, swarming to the ball, and limiting explosive plays, which aligns well with Dallas\u2019 need to address their 2024 run defense woes (allowing 4.7 yards per carry). However, challenges remain: injuries to key players, such as Diggs, Bland, and DeMarvion Overshown, may delay their integration.<\/p>\n
8 \u2014 Micah Parsons\u2019 contract situation<\/p>\n
Another year, another Cowboys\u2019 contract controversy. Micah Parsons\u2019 contract situation remains unresolved going into training camp, with the star pass-rusher secured for $21.3 million via his fifth-year option but seeking a record-breaking extension north of $41 million annually. <\/p>\n
The four-time Pro Bowler said he will report to camp but may hold out of practices without a contract, and delays could inflate costs, given recent deals for Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt.<\/p>\n
9 \u2014 Not Diggin\u2019 the salary deduction<\/p>\n
The Cowboys decided to reduce Trevon Diggs\u2019 2025 base salary by $500,000, dropping it from $9 million to $8.5 million, due to his failure to complete at least 84.375% of the team\u2019s offseason workout program, as stipulated in his five-year, $97 million contract signed in 2023. <\/p>\n
Diggs, rehabbing a surgically repaired left knee, did most of his recovery in Miami rather than at the team\u2019s Frisco facility, prompting the enforcement of a de-escalator clause \u2014 the first known instance of Dallas applying such a penalty.<\/p>\n
10 \u2014 Revel in excitement<\/p>\n
Shavon Revel Jr., the Cowboys\u2019 third-round pick (76th overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft, enters training camp as a high-upside cornerback with the potential to reshape the team\u2019s secondary. <\/p>\n
Standing at 6-foot-3 with a combination of length, speed (4.40 40-yard dash), Revel\u2019s pre-injury tape at East Carolina was impressive. Despite a 2024 ACL tear that truncated his final college season and dropped him from first-round projections, his surgery \u2014 performed by Cowboys team doctor Dan Cooper \u2014 has him on track for a full recovery by camp\u2019s start. <\/p>\n
Training camp will be crucial for him to make an immediate impact in his JUCO-to-NFL journey.<\/p>\n
11 \u2014 Home sweet Oxnard<\/p>\n
The Cowboys have a storied training camp history, with Oxnard, California, becoming a significant chapter since 2001. <\/p>\n
The team first trained in California at California Lutheran College in Thousand Oaks from 1963 to 1989 under legendary coach Tom Landry, establishing a West Coast tradition. <\/p>\n
After stints in Austin, Wichita Falls and San Antonio, the Cowboys returned to California, settling in Oxnard at the River Ridge Playing Fields. <\/p>\n
Since 2001, Oxnard has hosted 19 training camps, with a consistent run. A five-year extension agreement ensures the Cowboys will continue training in Oxnard through 2030, with the team paying the city $75,000 annually.<\/p>\n
12 \u2014 More Cowboys coverage from KSAT<\/p>\n
In 2025, the KSAT 12 Sports team bid farewell to its 30-minute Sunday sports show, Instant Replay. However, the team has now shifted to a Monday through Friday sports show available on KSAT Plus and KSAT.com<\/a>, meaning you\u2019ll have more Cowboys training camp coverage available at your fingertips all week long. <\/p>\nWatch live on KSAT\u2019s streaming platforms and watch replays of each episode on KSAT Sports Now on the KSAT YouTube channel.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2025 by KSAT – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The KSAT 12 Sports team will be in Oxnard, California, for the start of Dallas Cowboys Training Camp,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":222242,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2066],"tags":[230,229,257,2461,7,21492,6,9],"class_list":{"0":"post-222241","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas-cowboys","8":"tag-cowboys","9":"tag-dallas","10":"tag-dallas-cowboys","11":"tag-dallascowboys","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-ksat-sports-now","14":"tag-nfl","15":"tag-sports"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114886155010295861","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/222242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=222241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=222241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}