The Dallas Cowboys are set to open 2026 training camp in Oxnard, California. Led by head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the Cowboys feel their offseason moves have them trending in the right direction. <\/p>\n
Here are some storylines as the Boys invade Oxnard.<\/p>\n
New DC in Big D<\/p>\n
Perhaps the biggest move this offseason was hiring Christian Parker from the Philadelphia Eagles to serve as defensive coordinator. <\/p>\n
Dallas needed a change after last season\u2019s horrendous showing on that side of the ball \u2014 one of the worst in franchise history.<\/p>\n
Enter the 34-year-old first-time defensive coordinator, tasked with leading the charge. <\/p>\n
Schottenheimer called Parker a \u201csuperstar.\u201d Parker spent the past two seasons as the Eagles passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach. <\/p>\n
He was on the coaching staff that won Super Bowl LIX. Early feedback shows the team is buying in and enjoying his 3-4 scheme, and fans who attend camp will get a first look at Parker\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n
Shutdown safety in the making<\/p>\n
With an eye on making the defense stout, Dallas traded up to draft former Ohio State defensive back Caleb Downs 11th overall in April. Ever since joining the Cowboys at The Star in Frisco, Texas, Downs has done nothing but impress, drawing praise for his work ethic and football IQ.<\/p>\n
Downs has been taking starting reps since OTAs and is expected to be a Day 1 starter. Parker is known for developing some of the game\u2019s best young defensive backs and plans to utilize Downs\u2019 versatility across the secondary.<\/p>\n
Green dot for Overshown<\/p>\n
Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown is a force when healthy. The fourth-year backer had a healthy offseason and is ready to thrive under Parker. <\/p>\n
Overshown has earned the \u201cgreen dot,\u201d meaning he is the quarterback of the defense \u2014 permitted to receive radio communications from the coaching staff and relay play calls to the rest of the unit.<\/p>\n
Overshown is a talented player who will make the Cowboys\u2019 defense better if he can stay on the field. He has played just 19 games in three seasons due to knee injuries. <\/p>\n
One thing is certain: Few players bring a better outlook on life to the game than Overshown.<\/p>\n
Defense wins championships<\/p>\n
A vast majority of Super Bowl champions have been highly balanced teams. The 2025 Dallas Cowboys were far from that \u2014 great offense, horrible defense. That\u2019s why five of the Cowboys\u2019 seven 2026 draft picks play defense.<\/p>\n
Malachi Lawrence (EDGE) was drafted out of UCF in the first round to bolster the pass rush. Jaishawn Barham (linebacker) was selected in the third round out of Michigan for much-needed linebacker depth. The Cowboys also added Rashan Gary (EDGE) via trade with the Green Bay Packers and Dee Winters (linebacker) via trade with the San Francisco 49ers.<\/p>\n
Dallas was aggressive in free agency, signing defensive backs Jalen Thompson, Cobie Durant, P.J. Locke and Derion Kendrick, along with defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard. <\/p>\n
The Cowboys have overhauled the defense, and training camp will begin to show whether the moves will pay off.<\/p>\n
Pressure on Pickens<\/p>\n
Acquired in that big blockbuster trade last offseason, George Pickens has wasted no time proving he\u2019s a legit star alongside CeeDee Lamb. Those two have been the anchors of one of the league\u2019s most explosive offenses all through 2025. <\/p>\n
Now heading into 2026, with Dallas fighting to claw back into the playoff picture, Pickens is under the microscope as the only player in the NFL currently playing on the franchise tag. <\/p>\n
That tag puts real pressure on him \u2014 and leaves his future with the Cowboys beyond this season pretty uncertain.<\/p>\n
Continuing offensive excellence<\/p>\n
The Cowboys\u2019 offense has remained a bright spot even through some leaner seasons, and now it\u2019s primed for another leap. <\/p>\n
With a full season already under his belt \u2014 one that was legitimately exceptional \u2014 Schottenheimer returns all 11 offensive starters and brings deep schematic continuity into 2026. <\/p>\n
Dak Prescott heads into camp healthy, locked in and motivated, surrounded by a loaded arsenal: CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens on the outside, plus reliable tight end Jake Ferguson in the middle of the field, and a strong running back room ready to complement the passing attack.<\/p>\n
OL continuity and young talent<\/p>\n
The Cowboys\u2019 offensive line continues to be the bedrock of the whole operation. <\/p>\n
They\u2019re bringing back strong continuity with proven veterans like Tyler Smith, Terence Steele, and Cooper Beebe, while young standouts Tyler Guyton and Tyler Booker are ready to step into even bigger roles. <\/p>\n
That mix of experience and rising talent should help them protect Prescott at a high level and create consistent lanes for the running game. <\/p>\n
Schottenheimer has made it clear he wants to win in the trenches, so training camp battles and joint practices will be telling. <\/p>\n
If this front five gels like it\u2019s capable of, Dallas could once again boast one of the league\u2019s better offensive lines and set a physical tone up front all season long.<\/p>\n
Ferguson\u2019s expanded role<\/p>\n
Jake Ferguson has developed into a true security blanket and red-zone weapon for Prescott. <\/p>\n
Under Schottenheimer\u2019s creative offense, expect Ferguson to be used more as a versatile move-piece \u2014 aligning in different spots to create mismatches and exploit defenses across the formation. Training camp will reveal exactly how Dallas plans to feature him.<\/p>\n
The Dallas Cowboys are scheduled to open training camp in Oxnard, California. Here are the key dates:<\/p>\n
Monday, July 27: Team charter arrives in Oxnard<\/p>\n
Tuesday, July 28: Opening press conference<\/p>\n
Wednesday, July 29: First practice<\/p>\n
Saturday, Aug. 1: Opening ceremony<\/p>\n
Monday, Aug. 3: First padded practice<\/p>\n
Tuesday, Aug. 11: Joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams<\/p>\n
KSAT 12 Sports will have full coverage of all events. Our on-site reporting from California begins Monday when the Cowboys arrive in Oxnard. <\/p>\n
Stay locked in on KSAT 12, KSAT Plus<\/a> and KSAT.com<\/a> for the latest updates, videos and analysis throughout camp.<\/p>\n Read also:<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Dallas Cowboys are set to open 2026 training camp in Oxnard, California. Led by head coach Brian…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":387076,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[102,113,104,103,29245,154],"class_list":["post-387075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-cowboys","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news","tag-ksat-sports-now","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=387075"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387075\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/387076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=387075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=387075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=387075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}