The Dallas Cowboys head out to training camp in California at the end of this month, and this means that after one week into August, they will have spent a week in Oxnard.
That point is important for today’s discussion because we are about to look into that exact spot in the future. Here are three headlines that we predict will emerge from the first week of Cowboys training camp.
Ryan Flournoy could start elsewhere
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 4: Ryan Flournoy #19 of the Dallas Cowboys stretches prior to an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 04, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 22: Ryan Flournoy #19 of the Dallas Cowboys runs during the first half of the NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Atlanta Falcons at AT&T Stadium on August 22, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 4: Ryan Flournoy #19 of the Dallas Cowboys completes a catch and runs for a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 04, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
1/3DETROIT, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 4: Ryan Flournoy #19 of the Dallas Cowboys stretches prior to an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 04, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Something we will likely see when training camp begins is the Cowboys taking things slow with George Pickens. CeeDee Lamb will also likely get a veteran day or two. Ultimately there are going to be more opportunities than normal for a player like Ryan Flournoy, and he has already made it a point to make the most of what he is given to work with.
This is the classic sort of headline that emerges from training camp, and if you squint your eyes enough you can even see a world where people are suggeesting trading him away for help elsewhere. Think about the conversations we would have when Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Michael Gallup were frolicking around Oxnard.
Caleb Downs is the best player on defense
May 1, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Caleb Downs (18) on the field during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
May 1, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Caleb Downs (18) on the field during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
1/3May 1, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Caleb Downs (18) on the field during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Obviously the Cowboys have had work sessions since drafting Caleb Downs, but training camp is a different animal. This is where the real and true work begins.
It stands to reason that Caleb Downs is going to really announce himself. His presence on the team feels similar to Micah Parsons’ in that they are both standouts on defense, but Parsons wasn’t exactly who he became during his rookie training camp. In this way Downs feels like someone he shares an alma mater with in Ezekiel Elliott.
The world of Cowboys Nation is ready and hungry for Caleb Downs to take center stage, and it stands to reason that we will see this exact phenomenon unfold.
Dee Winters is the veteran the linebacker group needed
Jun 16, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Dee Winters (53) goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 17: Dee Winters #53 of the San Francisco 49ers runs down field during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
November 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters (53) before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
1/3Jun 16, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Dee Winters (53) goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Chris Jones-Imagn Images
It is normal as humans to try and connect dots. We innately want to answer questions. The biggest question on defense right now is who is going to support the team at linebacker. We have been carrying this question for months, and the most significant answer by way of a roster move was the trade for Dee Winters.
Training camp is the exact opportunity where that work starts to be shown. Winters will have a legitimate chance to show that he is the proper piece in place for the heart of Christian Parker’s defense, and it would be a common training camp trope (not to say that it wouldn’t be real or legitimate) to hear that he is doing so in a successful way.
What headlines do you anticipate seeing after the first week of training camp?
Let us know in the comments below.