2022 Training Camp: What’s new with the Dallas Cowboys

Training camp has finally arrived for the Dallas Cowboys. After six months of sadness without football, frustration with offseason decisions and hoping the organization is right about their strategy, reality is about to set in for fans everywhere. Dallas made the decision to rid themselves of some really good players, no matter the reason, and they don’t look as good on paper as the team that won the NFC East and went to the playoffs last season.

However, the ultimate goal is not to win the division. Cowboys fans have been there and seen that in the last 26 seasons. The objective is to make a deep postseason run that ends holding the Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl champions. That journey begins in training camp and here’s what’s new as the team places one foot in front of the other.

The offensive line

(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

The Cowboys decided to have a small rebuild on the offensive line after a season where the unit faltered late and played a role in the playoff loss.

Out is right tackle La’el Collins, whom the Cowboys could no longer trust. Collins followed a rough 2020 season, where he showed up out of shape and then saw a car accident end his year before it began, with a worse 2021. The suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, was made worse when Collins tried to bribe the drug test collector. That may have been one of the last straws with Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys.

Also out is left guard Connor Williams, who became a magnet for penalties and never lived up to his status as a second-round pick.

In is rookie Tyler Smith, who has impressed the team with his work ethic. The Cowboys surprised some by making Smith the 24th overall selection, but they see Smith as the immediate starter at LG, while possibly grooming to be left tackle Tyron Smith’s eventual heir.

Smith doesn’t need to be a Pro Bowler player right away, he just needs to be an upgrade over Williams.

Third-year veteran Terence Steele will take over at right tackle. Steele has improved each season and the hope is he continues his ascension.

Replacing two starters on the offensive line is dicey, but the Cowboys felt it was a needed to help the offense get better.

Wide receiver

(AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Wide receiver Amari Cooper was traded to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round pick, which means CeeDee Lamb is now the unquestioned leader in the receiver room. Lamb’s had two solid years since he’s arrived in the league, but now he’ll have a chance to prove he’s one of the best WRs in the game.

Cooper’s exodus was expected, but the offense also lost WR Cedrick Wilson. That makes two of the top four receiving options who are no longer with the Cowboys.

The team brought in veteran WR James Washington to ease the losses and drafted South Alabama wide out Jalen Tolbert in the third round. Washington hasn’t been consistent in his last few years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tolbert will have a sharp learning curve. Replacing Cooper and Wilson, who accounted for 113 catches, 1,467 yards and 14 touchdowns won’t be easy.

Lamb is the one sure thing the Cowboys have receiver, at least until WR Michael Gallup returns from his ACL injury. There’s three WRs being thrust into a new role for quarterback Dak Prescott, a far cry from where the team was last year.

It’s a drastically different group from the 2021 season, hopefully it doesn’t cause an offensive regression.

Pass rushers

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Cowboys went into the 2021 campaign with a good set of edge rushers in defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory. Unfortunately, Lawrence was hurt just before Week 2 and wound up playing in just seven games.

That injury meant Gregory had to take on his largest role since he entered the league, which led to him tying a career high in sacks with six. Gregory also missed time during the 2021 season, which led to the Cowboys finding some new pass rushers to step up.

With more opportunity, defensive end Dorance Armstrong double his career sack total and the Cowboys found out that rookie linebacker Micah Parsons was a pass-rushing menace. Parsons led the team with 13 sacks on his way to an All-Pro season, rookie of the year and second place in defensive player of the year.

What Parsons brought was more than Gregory ever produced and with the veteran pass rusher moving onto the Denver Broncos, the Cowboys went about replacing him with other options. Armstrong was re-signed, veteran edge rusher Dante Fowler was added and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn can lean on Parsons to get after the quarterback.

Pairing Parsons with Lawrence, and bringing in Fowler gives the Cowboys three players with double-digit sacks in their careers. It’s been a long time since Dallas’ had that potent of a pass rush, even if Fowler hasn’t regained his early career form.

Lawrence has been the best pass rusher on the Cowboys for a long time, but Parsons can stake his claim to that title with a repeat performance. No one knew what Parsons was capable of at this time last year, but that isn’t the case now.

If Armstrong and Parsons continue their ascensions, Fowler gets back to near-peak form and Lawrence stays healthy, this could be one of the best pass rushing groups the Cowboys have had in some time.

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Story originally appeared on Cowboys Wire