Tidbits, whispers from from first week of Dallas Cowboys camp: Dak MVP, GOTI, Barham, Downs
· Yahoo Sports
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said for the team realize their expectations of GOTI, they must be better in the red zone. The Cowboys were 16th in red zone touchdown percentage last season.
The first week of Dallas Cowboys training camp is over and the pads start popping on Monday but there is already been some fireworks when it comes to standouts, stars and whispers of potential additions.
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- As much fans and the Cowboys want to get excited about the young guys, quarterback Dak Prescott remains the unquestioned star of team. The game has simply slowed down for him. MVP talk should be real for Prescott in this offense.
- Left tackle remains a huge concern for the Cowboys and that means Tyler Guyton. As much success as the offense had last season despite the struggles of Guyton and Nate Thomas, it’s not lost on the Cowboys that Prescott got sacked 31 times, fourth most his career, and got hit a ton. That he didn’t get sacked more was due to his ability to move in the pocket and avoid sacks but he got as he was delivering the ball too many times for the Cowboys.
- Receiver CeeDee Lamb is on board with Prescott’s GOTI nickname, Greatest Offense There Is, for the Cowboys after what they accomplished last season. He said they are not resting on their laurels and want to better and more explosive in 2026. That starts with him staying healthy for a full season and the offense being better in the red zone. The were 16th in red zone touchdown percentage last season. “It’s a standard for us,” he said of the GOTI nickname. “Obviously, we know and we pay our dues to everybody and all the offenses that’ve been successful. And shout out to The Greatest Show on Turf, as we all know. They’re the standard, you know what I’m saying? “But, as for us, we hold ourselves to a higher standard, and we just gotta be able to execute. We can say these things and have these acronyms for ourselves but, at the end of the day, we’ve got to come out here every day and execute. And we are reminded of that every day. That’s our stepping stone, and making small, gradual steps every day, and being the best version of ourselves. You know the playmakers that we have, so you look top down, it’s real.”
- Linebacker remains a position of focus for the Cowboys. There are still concerns about DeMarvion Overshown staying healthy for 17 games, an issue that is even more acute if he is asked to play middle linebacker and take on blocks for a full season. Overshown is at his best at weakside linebacker he and run sideline to sideline and blitz off the edge. The Cowboys tried to trade for Jordyn Brooks from the Dolphins in offseason. It’s a trade they will likely revisit.
- Outside Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and rookie safety Caleb Downs, rookie third-round pick Jaishawn Barham has stirred out the most buzz through the first week of camp. He has been splitting some first-team reps with Dee Winters next to Overshown. Barham certainly looks the part at 6-foot-3, 248-pounds. The Cowboys know he can run and hit. But they have been impressed with his ability to quickly pick things up mentally. “I would say his ability to apply the things we’re coaching,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “We’re putting them in some different spots. I’d say that’s been the thing’s been most impressive. You see and know the physicalness, the ability to pick it up and apply it. I think has been great.”
- Pass rush is still an issue for the Cowboys. The Cowboys are hoping for the best from Rashan Gary and Donovan Ezeiruaku as edge rushers. But it’s still all an unknown. It’s a reason the talk of trading for Maxx Crosby won’t go away. If they are going to make the move, the sooner the better.
- Rookie safety Caleb Downs continues to draw praise for his attitude, demeanor, smarts and performance. He will also be challenged to handle the twitchy slot receivers in the slot as the slot cornerback. CeeDee Lamb is baptizing him daily. But few receivers in the league are as good as Lamb. “The guy’s phenomenal,” Lamb said of Downs. “He’s a great football player. Can’t wait to see what he doing Sundays.
- Don’t look for tight end Jak Ferguson to increase his yards after catch in 2026. Those numbers are more a product of his route tree and what he is being asked to do rather than an inability to run down the field. Last season he was asked to chip and help out the tackles before releasing into a route, which means he caught the ball a lot his back to the defense. He didn’t run as many seam routes as he did earlier in his career. Until the Cowboys find a real answer at left tackle, that is not going to change.