The Dallas Cowboys' first week of training camp is in the books as they take Monday off ahead of their first day in pads, which will take place on Tuesday.
There's only so much you can learn from unpadded practices, specially when it comes to those in the trenches, but even still, takeaways can be had.
Let's dive into some of the biggest things we've learned days into camp with insight from those with their boots on the ground over in Oxnard, California.
Tyler Guyton silences Micah Parsons
First-round rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton is being asked to earn the first-team reps at camp as Chuma Edoga is currently getting the most playing time with the starters. The approach is not unlike what we've seen from the Cowboys before so it doesn't necessarily mean he's off to a slow start.
In fact, in the words of Dallas Cowboys TV's Kyle Youmans, Guyton "silenced" Micah Parsons on Sunday's practice. Even without pads, the rookie out of Oklahoma managed to make a very positive impression.
Everyone wants to see Guyton do it with the pads on but so far it isn't crazy to think he'll do better than expected. Parsons will try to sharper iron with iron in time for the rookie to handle a tough early-season schedule of top-tier pass rushers, starting with Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett.
Micah Parsons at LB?
Speaking of Parsons, one of the biggest takeaways after one week of action is the fact that Mike Zimmer is moving him around on defense. For the entirety of the offseason, and even before that, Cowboys fans and media members have argued if this is the right move or not.
We'll save that for another time: The big thing to keep in mind right now is that it's happening.
The question now becomes how does that look like in-season. Parsons' value as a pass rusher has invariably earned him Defensive Player of the Year considerations. Do the Cowboys put him at LB every now and then or will it get anywhere close to a 50-50 split?
Trey Lance has yet to earn QB2
Mike McCarthy said earlier in the offseason that Trey Lance needed all the reps he could get. The Cowboys are and will continue to be patient. However, it's become clear that Lance will need to evolve if he's to dethrone Cooper Rush as Dak Prescott's backup.
"If the Cowboys were opening the season tomorrow, Lance would be third on the depth chart behind Prescott and Rush," The Athletic's Jon Machota writes . "Lance hasn’t pushed the ball down the field much. It’ll be interesting to see how that changes as camp goes along."
Fortunately for the young QB, the Cowboys were probably expecting his development to take some time.
"I’m gonna try to get Trey as much work as possible," McCarthy told reporters on Sunday. "That’s the plan. Not only in practice, but also in the preseason games.”
Tyron Billy-Johnson gives coaches something to think about
The Cowboys are unlikely to carry more than six wide receivers so barring any injury, it seems unlikely for Tyron Billy-Johnson to make the roster. However, he sure is giving coaches something to think about with a strong start in Oxnard.
Per Patrik Walker, Billy-Johnson had eight catches in nine targets on Sunday, with the last one being the one in the video above. He's considered by many one of the biggest winners from the early portion of camp and is someone to keep an eye on in the preseason.
Mazi Smith is off to a hot start
Smith will have to prove himself when the pads come on but two big things are noteworthy about his start to camp:
- He's bigger, reporting at 310 pounds . Getting his weight up was always going to be one of the biggest challenges for the second-year player who struggled to maintain weight as a rookie. McCarthy revealed the team's goals are for him to be bigger but he's getting there.
- Patrik Walker reports he's seen Mazi "get off of the snap on several reps quicker than even defensive ends not named Micah Parsons."
Related: Dan Quinn shares wholesome exchange with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
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