We’ve reached the end of our six-part 2016 Camp Preview series. If you’d like to see previous installments, there are links provided at the end of this article.
The Cowboys’ first practice in Oxnard is today. Some positions have already experienced change at the top of the depth chart. Others have a competition looming. So, we asked our writers…
Which Position Will Most Likely Have a New Starter?
RJ Ochoa ( @RJOchoa ) – We spent a majority of the offseason talking about how Brice Butler might unseat Terrance Williams for the second wide receiver spot, and we’ve already crowned Ezekiel Elliott as the primary ball-carrier. A position where the Cowboys have a precarious amount of depth is at the cornerback spot. The return of Orlando Scandrick solidifies him as a starter, but it wouldn’t shock me if a motivated Morris Claiborne does enough to earn the second gig over Brandon Carr.
Sean Martin ( @ShoreSportsNJ ) – Obviously, mentioning the running back position here takes away the fun of diving into some other position-switch controversy, but it is by far the “most likely” thing that is going to happen with the 2016 Dallas Cowboys. Darren McFadden became this team’s RB1 in 2015. Come week 1 of this season, it will be Ezekiel Elliott. Welcome to the league, rookie.
Brian Martin ( @bmart0204 ) – I was going to go with the obvious and say the middle linebacker position, but I’m going to go with Rod Smith and the fullback position. Rod Smith is a brother of Jaylon Smith and is currently competing with converted linebacker Keith Smith at fullback. Rod Smith offers a little bit more versatility than Tyler Clutts and he could be used as an emergency RB as well. It will be interesting to see how he handles the transition from RB to FB in training camp and preseason.
Ian Koplowitz ( @BleedingTheStar ) – If Morris Claiborne goes off in training camp, could we see him put Brandon Carr on the bench? I mean, think about it. Your first pick from five years ago has a lights out preseason (maybe an interception or two?), and you keep him as your third corner because you’re paying Carr more? I just can’t see that. You have to roll with the hot hand, and if #24 has a blistering summer, we may see him covering Victor Cruz come opening night.
Kevin Brady ( @KevinBrady88 ) – One player I have my eye on is cornerback Anthony Brown. As we do every offseason, we are expecting Morris Claiborne to take the next step forward and solidify himself as a legitimate corner in this league. Up to this point Claiborne has struggled with injuries and inconsistencies, though he did have a nice season a year ago. If Claiborne can’t get it together quickly, don’t be surprised if Brown starts to slowly take snaps away from him, until ultimately taking the position away outright. It is a bit of a longshot, but I really like Brown’s game and can’t wait to see what he can bring to this team.
Bryson Treece ( @BrysonTreece ) – Does the defense count? You got Mo, Scandy, and Carr all tossing in. Got Justin Durant, Lee, Hitchens, Wilson, Gachkar all tossing in. Got Irving, Mayowa, M. Collins, Crawford all tossing in. About the only sure thing is Byron Jones at FS. And you know what? I love it! Sure, it’s nice to have the starter pre-selected, like with Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, and even Ezekiel Elliott, but it’s also nice when who starts is just a matter of who plays best. Competition is a good thing.
Jess Haynie ( @CowboysAddicts ) – Brandon Carr has started every game for the Cowboys since arriving in 2012. As long as everyone’s healthy, I think that changes this year with Orlando Scandrick and Morris Claiborne being the starters. Carr will certainly get a lot of playing time in the nickel scheme, but I see the other two getting the nod in the base defense.
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Here are the previous parts of the Camp Preview series:
Part One: Best Position Battle
Part Two: Biggest Name to be Cut
Part Three: Strongest Position
Part Four: Weakest Position
Part Five: Favorite Dark Horse
