Cowboys news: Joint practices could provide early indication of improvement
Dallas needs to see how they fare against real competition as soon as possible.
It’s why when the Cowboys announced they’re practicing against the New Orleans Saints this year in camp, it was extremely good news for anyone hoping to gain accurate perspective of the roster. If the Cowboys edge rushers impress against the Cowboys tackles but flounder against the Saints tackles, it potentially says bad things about both of Dallas’ unit.
Ideally, internal battles are all well-balanced fights day in and day out and then when practicing against the Saints everyone with a star on their helmet shines. It’s not that the 6-11 Saints are a litmus test of awesomeness or anything, but they are a source of perspective. If Dallas finds their pass rushers are less than optimal, they could look for trade solutions mid-camp. If the linebacker group struggles to take shape, it might be time to pull the trigger on another trade. Finding out early what they have is important because once the season begins, upgrades are much harder to find.
Practicing with other teams is hardly a new development for the Cowboys. They routinely face off against preseason opponents during their time in Oxnard but that doesn’t make this situation any less noteworthy. Minicamps, pad-less practices and internal matchups can only show so much. It’s these multiteam practices that really tell the tale of training camp.
Quite the vote of confidence.
“Just honestly, I can say in just the month, or whatever, I’ve been around the kid and watching the kid, hell, I think I take it as a compliment when those comparisons come around,” Prescott via The Dallas Morning News.
What really stood out for Prescott was the quiet confidence that Downs carries himself with, which should excite Cowboys fans for the future.
Dallas’ defense was putrid in 2025 and lacks an established leader, and Downs appears to be a player who could step into that role sooner rather than later.
“How professional he is, how calm he is; quiet, yet confident,” Prescott added. “It’s contagious. You feel it. He’s a man who’s sure of who he is. When you are that way in this business, you know you can speak up, speak out. You can say things you believe, and age doesn’t really matter, because you know you’re doing the right thing.”
Fans will miss you, Osa.
And so it was a bit of a head-scratcher when Jerry Jones traded defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa amid the chaos of free agency. Yes, his contract was probably too high for a player of his caliber, but he was still young and a significant contributor. Fans of America’s Team were truly mixed on the deal.
The hope is that linebacker Jaishawn Barham, whom the Cowboys used the third-round pick from the Odighizuwa trade on, can carve out a larger role for Christian Parker’s group, and the trade is a net positive for Dallas. Early reports from San Francisco 49ers OTAs, however, call that into question.
Former Dallas Cowboys DT Osa Odighizuwa impressing at 49ers OTAs
As fans remember, Odighizuwa was dealt across the NFC to the 49ers back in March. And although it is just OTAs, where contact isn’t allowed and full-speed reps can even be rare, Odighizuwa is making quite an impresison in San Francisco, according to 49ers Plus Minus Podcast host Matt Barrows.
“The other guy who stood out to me: Osa Odighizuwa,” Barrows said.. “He just kind of looks the part. … From a size perspective, he stands out. And also from a leadership perspective. I’d heard this, and I saw it today, is that he’s the guy that’s leading that group. And you can just see it in the body language. You can see it. He’s the first guy through the drills. He’s probably an underappreciated addition to this team. I think his impact is going to be big.”
Training camp could get very interesting.
Brevyn Spann-Ford Should Be Safe
If Jake Ferguson is the receiving tight end, I think Brevyn Spann-Ford will be the physical presence.
Spann-Ford caught 9 passes on 13 targets for 90 yards and 1 touchdown in 2025, giving him a 69.2 % catch rate. His real value, in my opinion, is his blocking.
Brevyn Spann-Ford played 300 offensive games and blocked 226 of them. That’s a 75.3% block rate. In those blocks he posted a 73.0 overall blocking rate. He also posted a 68.2 run-blocking grade, the best blocking profile in this room.
The pass protection numbers aren’t perfect. He allowed pressure at 31.7% rate. Still, I want him helping the run game, working in heavy personnel, and bringing some nastiness to the offense.
Luke Schoonmaker Should Not Be Protected By Draft Status
I feel like this is where the Cowboys have to be real with themselves about the tight end position.
Schoonmaker was a second-round pick, and that still carries weight, but he hasn’t shown enough to be handed a roster spot. In 2025, he caught 14 passes on 23 targets for 132 yards and no touchdowns for a 60.9% catch rate.
I don’t want that to be enough to make him safe.
The argument for Schoonmaker is blocking, but even that isn’t impressive. He blocked on 63.5% of his offensive snaps, but his grades were only 55.1 overall, 54.2 as a run blocker, and 54.1 as a pass blocker.
Dallas is using him like a blocking tight end, but he isn’t giving them high-level blocking results. If he wasn’t a former second-round picka former second-round pick, he would already be off the roster.
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