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<\/p>\nEntering his 11th season, Dak Prescott is extremely aware of the expectations surrounding the Dallas Cowboys. He\u2019s been on four teams that have won at least 12 games during the regular season. None have gotten beyond the divisional round of the playoffs.<\/p>\n
The deep postseason run has eluded him and the franchise.<\/p>\n
Just making the playoffs would be a big step for the Cowboys after winning only seven games each of the last two seasons.<\/p>\n
Prescott, however, embraces Super Bowl-or-bust expectations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s always been my mindset,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s one thing I truly love about the Cowboys organization and the fan base is that it\u2019s that or nothing. That\u2019s what being a competitor is. If that\u2019s not how you\u2019re wired or if that\u2019s not how you think, whether you\u2019re a fan, whether you\u2019re a player, whether you\u2019re a coach, then I think you\u2019re in the wrong business. And honestly, I don\u2019t want you on my team. I love those expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n
What version of George Pickens will Dallas Cowboys get in 2026?<\/p>\n
Robert Mays<\/p>\n
And he \u201cabsolutely\u201d believes they are more realistic this season.<\/p>\n
Why?<\/p>\n
Because of the upgrades made to what was arguably the worst defense in franchise history. That began with hiring first-time defensive coordinator Christian Parker and continued with the veteran additions of outside linebacker Rashan Gary, safety Jalen Thompson, cornerback Cobie Durant and linebacker Dee Winters. They then used first-round picks on do-everything defensive back Caleb Downs and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence.<\/p>\n
Dallas also returns almost all of last year\u2019s offense that was one of the NFL\u2019s best.<\/p>\n
Beginning this week, the Cowboys will start to see if they\u2019ve done enough to get back into the playoff mix, and perhaps make that deep playoff run that has been missing for the last 30 years.<\/p>\n
The Cowboys travel to Southern California on Monday to begin four weeks of training camp practices in Oxnard. To get you ready, here are the five biggest topics entering camp.<\/p>\n
1. How much improvement was made on defense?<\/p>\n
There were no fully-padded practices or tackling in organized team activities or minicamp. That changes in training camp. What will Parker\u2019s new defense look like, moving from a 4-3 to a 3-4 base? They will have their hands full with a very talented offense.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re playing with a lot of confidence,\u201d Prescott said a month ago. \u201cYou can just tell by the way they\u2019re communicating, whether it\u2019s in walk-throughs, whether it\u2019s there at practice, 7-on-7, guys are taking ownership of what they\u2019re being asked. We\u2019ve got great energy from not only (Parker), but the rest of the coaches. It\u2019ll be a battle. They\u2019ve already gotten us on some of these days in OTAs and the rush isn\u2019t even there. Once you let Quinnen (Williams) and Gary and Kenny (Clark) and all those guys take off and put pressure on me, I\u2019m sure it\u2019s going to be tougher.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s iron sharpens iron. And super, super excited about it. A couple of those guys have already warned me that it won\u2019t be as easy as last year or as I\u2019ve had in the past. Even that trash-talking or fire-starting is awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n
2. Will Caleb Downs look like a rookie?<\/p>\n
The expectations haven\u2019t been this high for a rookie Dallas defender since at least Micah Parsons in 2021, and it might even go back to Morris Claiborne in 2012 or DeMarcus Ware in 2005.<\/p>\n
Downs is expected to make an immediate impact at the nickel cornerback position and safety. He could be near the line of scrimmage, possibly blitzing, on one play and back deep on the next. However he\u2019s utilized, any play the No. 11 pick makes will only feed the hype.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s as advertised,\u201d Parker said last month. \u201cWe spent significant time with him before the draft process, so we had a good feel on who he was and knew some people at Ohio State, at Alabama, in terms of how he was on the day to day that we maybe didn\u2019t see in that 30-visit or at the combine.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been doing great. He\u2019s a worker. He looks for coaching. He craves that. He wants to be corrected. He wants more information. And he works as hard as he can with the extras and everything else. So it\u2019s been good. He\u2019s been good to work with, and I think that he\u2019s trying to advance at the right rate.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n The Cowboys have high expectations for defensive back Caleb Downs, their top pick in the 2026 draft. (Chris Jones \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
3. Can Tyler Guyton lock up the left tackle spot?<\/p>\n
The Cowboys want Guyton to be their starting left tackle. That\u2019s why they used a first-round pick on him two years ago. However, he has underwhelmed, leading to a competition with swing tackle Nate Thomas. If neither can handle starting responsibilities, Dallas could turn to moving All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith out to left tackle. Everyone involved would like to avoid that move, one that would weaken an interior that should be a significant team strength.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got to come to work every day and get better,\u201d Guyton said. \u201cThere\u2019s obviously competition everywhere on the team. It\u2019s a football team and everyone wants to play, so friendly competition isn\u2019t bad. It brings the best out of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guyton called his first two seasons a \u201clearning experience.\u201d He has spent the offseason improving his overall strength.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing into the league I had a lot to learn,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve learned. I\u2019ve gotten stronger. I\u2019ve gotten better at football. I\u2019m learning more techniques and things like that, so it\u2019s just a learning process. I\u2019m going to continue to try to advance during this (upcoming) season.\u201d<\/p>\n
4. Can the offense take another step?<\/p>\n
If the defense can be at least respectable, this should be a playoff team. Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Javonte Williams, Jake Ferguson, Ryan Flournoy, KaVontae Turpin and Brevyn Spann-Ford are more than enough weapons to put up 28-30 points per game. Is there a way they could be even better than last year\u2019s group that averaged 27.7 points per game?<\/p>\n
An important piece could be Jaydon Blue. Dallas drafted the former Texas running back in the fifth round last year. While his skill set is the perfect complement to Williams, Blue didn\u2019t come close to having the expected impact, playing in only five games. The Cowboys didn\u2019t do anything in the offseason to upgrade the position, hoping that Year 2 will be a breakout season for Blue.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t start off like I should have,\u201d Blue said. \u201cMaybe if it was not practicing the right way or just on a maturity level, I think I wasn\u2019t really there. But just learning from all the vets, having the offseason that I\u2019ve had, I think I\u2019m ready to go.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust looking back on the things I didn\u2019t do too well and some of the reasons I wasn\u2019t on the field last year, taking the stuff my coaches were saying and making sure I apply them, whether that\u2019s this offseason or when I\u2019m by myself. \u2026 I think I made a 180 from where I was last year. I think I\u2019ve gotten a lot better, whether that\u2019s the football part, the physical part, my body, I feel really good. I\u2019m just ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
5. Will off-the-field things remain quiet?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s usually a lot to ask for from the Cowboys. However, they have had a very under-the-radar offseason, starting with Pickens signing the franchise tag and showing up to minicamp. Last year, the biggest storyline entering camp was Parsons\u2019 contract situation. Dallas currently doesn\u2019t have any of that drama lingering. Can it stay that way? Could training camp 2026 be all about what is happening on the field?<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously we\u2019re used to it,\u201d Prescott said in June of the offseason drama. \u201cSo, it wouldn\u2019t be absurd to have it. But it is good that we won\u2019t have that this year. George is going to be there. I wish he would get the long-term contract, but I\u2019m sure that\u2019s all being talked about and discussed behind closed doors. And it (doesn\u2019t) necessarily (have) to happen immediately. Hopefully these are the last of those questions and we can get him on some long-term (contract) whenever it\u2019s right.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just think the focus is in the right place.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Entering his 11th season, Dak Prescott is extremely aware of the expectations surrounding the Dallas Cowboys. He\u2019s been…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":387524,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[102,113,104,103],"class_list":["post-387523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-cowboys","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387523","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=387523"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387523\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/387524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=387523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=387523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=387523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}