Cowboys Begin Training Camp With Rare Boost: Healthy Roster and No Holdouts

The Dallas Cowboys officially kicked off training camp in Oxnard on Monday, using the day to settle in before football activities began. Tuesday marked the start of camp with the team’s annual press conference featuring owner Jerry Jones, executive Stephen Jones and head coach Brian Schottenheimer.

One of the biggest takeaways from the opening day was that every player reported to camp under contract, with no holdouts or lingering contract disputes. Even more encouraging for Dallas, the roster enters camp in excellent health.

Unlike many NFL teams dealing with players on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) or Non-Football Injury (NFI) lists, the Cowboys currently expect every player to be available.

Stephen Jones shared the positive outlook, noting that the medical staff does not anticipate placing anyone on either the PUP or NFI list following the team’s initial evaluations.

A Significant Improvement From Last Year

The healthy start is a major contrast from last season, when Dallas opened training camp with four players recovering from injuries. Cornerbacks Trevon Diggs, Shavon Revel and Josh Butler, along with linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, all began camp sidelined.

Those injury setbacks carried into the regular season, with each player facing challenges returning to form. Diggs ultimately struggled to regain full health during the year.

This time around, the Cowboys are in a much stronger position, though the coaching staff plans to carefully manage a pair of key defensive contributors.

Schottenheimer Monitoring Two Defensive Starters

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said the team will keep a close eye on rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku and cornerback DaRon Bland after both missed organized team activities and mandatory minicamp while recovering from surgeries.

Ezeiruaku underwent a procedure to repair a torn labrum in his hip, while Bland had surgery to fix another broken bone in his foot.

Although both players are expected to participate without formal restrictions, Schottenheimer emphasized that the team intends to ease them back into action after their missed offseason work.

He added that the Cowboys are entering camp in outstanding health and hope to maintain that advantage throughout the preseason.

Dallas Still Looking to Strengthen the Roster

Having a healthy roster should allow the coaching staff to quickly evaluate talent on both offense and defense during training camp. Those evaluations will help identify any positions that may require reinforcement before the regular season begins.

Stephen Jones made it clear that Dallas is not done shaping its roster. He said the front office will continue exploring every opportunity to improve the team throughout training camp, the preseason and even during the regular season.

According to Jones, successful organizations are always searching for upgrades regardless of past accomplishments, and the Cowboys intend to remain active in adding talent whenever the right opportunity presents itself.