The Dallas Cowboys 2016 Training Camp begins the end of this week!
We’re as excited as you are! To whet our appetites even more for the return of football, our Inside The Star team worked together to compose a six-part Camp Preview Series.
To kick things off, we each shared what our most anticipated position battle will be for this 2016 camp:
Brian Martin ( @bmart0204 ) I’m really interested to see how the wide receiver position shakes out, but let’s be honest, starters are pretty much set.
I think the best position battle will end up being the cornerback position. I think Orlando Scandrick will start on the left side and Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne will compete to see who starts on the right side.
Scandrick’s return makes this position battle really interesting.
Bryson Treece ( @BrysonTreece ) – Wide Receiver. Terrance Williams, Brice Butler, Cole Beasley, Lucky Whitehead… who lands where will have a huge impact on the season. The guy lining up opposite Dez Bryant will have opportunities to change the outcome of games.
Ian Koplowitz ( @BleedingTheStar ) – While the wide receiver situations seem far from set for both Terrance Williams and Lucky Whitehead, I can’t help but to think that the battle for defensive end, on both sides, will be heated.
What people think is that the battle is between guys like Mayowa, Russell, Irving, Crawford, and Tapper, but you can’t take Randy Gregory out of the conversation. Just because he’s sitting out the first four games, doesn’t mean he can’t be beaten out when he gets back. He wants that starting job when he gets back, and he’ll have to fight for it in Oxnard.
Jess Haynie ( @CowboysAddicts ) – It has to be Brice Butler and Terrance Williams, right? Not only is a starting job on the line but both guys are free agents after this year. Fighting for pride and playing time are great, but history has proven that money is what pushes guys to new heights. Will one of them crack under the pressure?
Kevin Brady ( @KevinBrady88 ) – The most intriguing position battle to me is at wide receiver. I expect the Cowboys to keep five receivers, and with Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, and Cole Beasley already just about locked into the roster, there are only two spots left with three guys competing.
Lucky Whitehead is going to be hard to cut given his versatility, and Brice Butler will be hard to pass on given his length and promising attributes. That leaves Devin Street, whose time in Dallas may be up come training camp.
RJ Ochoa ( @RJOchoa ) – Among the saddest things in Cowboys lore (Danny White’s inability to reach the Super Bowl, the 1994 NFC Championship Game, the 2015 season, etc.) resides the 2016 Dallas Cowboys Middle Linebacker competition.
Sean Lee is there, sweet action, but that means he’s in line for some serious wear and tear. Rolando McClain isn’t there, but he is… so hip, hip, hooray. It’s going to be very interesting to see who comes out on top between Justin Durant, Damien Wilson, Mark Nzeocha, and the rest of that fun bunch.
Sean Martin ( @ShoreSportsNJ ) – I’m going to be keeping the closest eye on the battle between Brice Butler and Terrance Williams. While having Dez along with Romo and Ezekiel Elliott is a great start, this offense is not going to be elite without a consistent play maker at WR2.
For Williams, the problem has been falling off the map entirely, and that is something that will need to change throughout camp. Butler, of course, does not have the same chemistry but could be a guy that benefits greatly from working with Romo. If Kellen Moore was able to get the ball into his hands at the end of 2015 (with some explosive results), watch out for what a healthy Romo can do for Butler.
At the same time, I really do expect Terrance Williams to make this competition interesting. Williams has the upper-hand over Butler if he is even close to productive – knowing how much this coaching staff values continuity.
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Here are the categories still to come this week…
Biggest Name to be Cut – Tues
Strongest Position – Wed
Weakest Position – Thurs
Favorite Dark Horse – Fri
Most Likely Starting Job Change – Sat
All of this, and much more, as Inside The Star helps get you ready for another season of Dallas Cowboys football!
