Blogging The Boys - All Posts

Cowboys training camp 2025 coverage from social media: Highlights from practice #10

2025-08-04T15:45:00-05:00

Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images

Here is what social media had to say about Monday’s Dallas Cowboys practice

Welcome to a brand new week in Oxnard as things gear up towards the joint practice with the L.A. Rams. Here are the highlight plays and noteworthy points made on social media from today’s practice for the Dallas Cowboys.

Some good news to start.

Tyler Smith is suited up and back at #Cowboys practice pic.twitter.com/WgZQE3wqXG
— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) August 4, 2025

Juanyeh Thomas is still “a week or so” from being fully healthy again (#Cowboys aren’t concerned longterm).

good sign here, though: helmet back on and participating in early portion. pic.twitter.com/PqouOAXqCV
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) August 4, 2025

And Micah Parsons was in attendance.

Daily update: Micah Parsons has his jersey on, but isn’t practicing. pic.twitter.com/KwjIZSJLVD
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) August 4, 2025

Micah Parsons with Matt Eberflus during individual drills. pic.twitter.com/mJ0VniT5Ln
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) August 4, 2025

DeMarvion Overshown doing more work and looks to be working hard to get ready for football as soon as he can.

DeMarvion Overshown doing rehab work. One note: I saw him do some LB zone drop backs and breaks for the first time today. He may have done it before, but that was notable. pic.twitter.com/BYoGABCU8G
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) August 4, 2025

CeeDee Lamb keeps doing CeeDee Lamb things.

88. #Cowboys #trainingcamp pic.twitter.com/WcrGFR3o8j
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) August 4, 2025

CeeDee Lamb pic.twitter.com/jc0sfD5TxR
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 4, 2025

And there goes George Pickens.

George Pickens pic.twitter.com/2CMxPOxSJL
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 4, 2025

Everyone loves Jaydon Blue and these plays will only get you to love him more.

Jaydon Blue pic.twitter.com/b3jK9Pg5hP
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 4, 2025

Jayden Blue slaloms in the hole. pic.twitter.com/ybzsKeVruW
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) August 4, 2025

We also got to see a little more of Javonte Williams. And after Brian Schottenheimer’s comments today on Phil Mafah, everyone got to see what the head coach was talking about.

Javonte Williams pic.twitter.com/tkaEn16x1y
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 4, 2025

Phil Mafah pic.twitter.com/KxkrMNd50b
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 4, 2025

We go back to Dak using his legs to make plays. Seeing this at every practice now.

Dak run pic.twitter.com/1iPhdzkscl
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 4, 2025

They let KaVontae Turpin fly again.

KaVontae Turpin pic.twitter.com/eh3pNeYg4m
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 4, 2025

Now we have Princeton Fant making elite plays.

Joe Milton with a dump off to Princeton Fant. Brian Schottenheimer said Milton needs to do more of that. pic.twitter.com/4m1bNEBYGv
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) August 4, 2025

And Jalen Brooks.

Jalen Brooks goes UP for this grab on the sideline pic.twitter.com/HKKnb5E4Qg
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) August 4, 2025

And we’ve seen Jalen Cropper do this more than once at Oxnard. The wide receivers are certainly in a battle here.

Jalen Cropper pic.twitter.com/ngpjUKiNoM
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 4, 2025

Really nice catch and run from Jalen Cropper on a pass from Joe Milton.

Assistant WR coach Tiquan Underwood yelled, “I see you Crop!” pic.twitter.com/uoMVoRmwWy
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) August 4, 2025

We finally get some 7-on-7. Life is good, and so is the offense.

How did Dak do in 7-on-7 redzone? Completed his first three passes with ease for touchdowns. Ceedee, Tolbert, and Mingo all with a grab #CowboysCamp pic.twitter.com/Xmas53cn5B
— Kyle Youmans (@Kyle_Youmans) August 4, 2025

Joe Milton with a dart to Traeshon Holden in the back of the endzone in 7on7 pic.twitter.com/s1KtW7IC26
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) August 4, 2025

Great day for Traeshon Holden. Back-to-back touchdown grabs in 7v7 red zone work.
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) August 4, 2025

Mazi Smith has found it tough here in Oxnard and now he’s picked up a medical issue.

Mazi Smith is heading to the injury tent #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/uI4wIy0qBX
— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) August 4, 2025

Highlight of The Day

George Pickens keeps shaking things up with smart plays like this.

Dak to Pickens.

but in slow motion for ya. #Cowboys #trainingcamp pic.twitter.com/Ng0W7IHm4M
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) August 4, 2025

Fan Section

Jerry actively sabotaging Schotty’s attempt at a culture change.

Who has it better than us
— CardiacCows (@cardiaccows) August 4, 2025

A dream come true would be the selling of the team by the Jones family.
— CJ-L860 (aka FireguyMaGroin) (@Cj_L860) August 4, 2025

Joe Milton , will he be the future QB
— B58 (@rayboogie21) August 4, 2025

So much for things changing. Sounds like this team is gonna keep leading the league in penalties.
— Paytheman (@Drake__Baldwin) August 4, 2025

Be sure to tag Blogging The Boys or comment on posts by BTB with your takes and feature in our Fan Section in each installment.

Cowboys training camp: Mazi Smith exits Monday practice with injury

2025-08-04T15:06:20-05:00

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Mazi Smith left Monday’s Dallas Cowboys practice with an apparent injury.

The Dallas Cowboys returned to practice on Monday and for the record Micah Parsons was still not a part of the on-field festivities. As you were.

Unfortunately the Cowboys received some more bad news once practice got underway as defensive tackle Mazi Smith left practice to head into the injury tent. Smith would go on to leave the tent and exit the practice field entirely.

Mazi Smith is out of the tent and leaving the practice field #Cowboys https://t.co/M80me2Kkkv pic.twitter.com/YG16q1A5xO
— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) August 4, 2025

The Cowboys have been dealing with a number of injuries ever since camp started with several of them coming along the offensive line. There is not a ton of depth along the interior of the defensive line and even though he has struggled to live up to his draft pedigree, Smith has figured to be a big part of the plan moving into the 2025 season. Any serious injury to him would be significant for the team at large.

We’ll have to wait and see what ultimately is going on with Mazi Smith.

Countdown to the season opener: Day 31 Erik Williams

2025-08-04T14:30:00-05:00

Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images

We’re counting down to the season opener (Day 31) with some Cowboys history

We’re counting down the days until the Dallas Cowboys battle the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener of the 2025 NFL season. To pass the time and mark the days, we are running through 100 Days of Cowboys. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football.

Today - number 31.

Erik Williams

Born: September 7, 1968. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Position: Offensive tackle
Dallas Cowboys: 1991-2000
Awards: Super Bowl champion- XXVII, XXVIII, XXX
All-Pro- 1993, 1995, 1996
Pro Bowl- 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999

Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images

Erik “Big E” Williams played offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys from 1991 to 2000. Drafted in the third round out of Central State University, Williams developed into one of the most dominant right tackles of the 1990s. Known for his aggression, power, and mean streak, he was a key part of the Cowboys’ legendary offensive line that paved the way for Emmitt Smith and protected Troy Aikman during the team’s three Super Bowl victories. Williams earned four Pro Bowl selections and three All-Pro honors, and was considered elite in his prime.

Best known for:
Williams was best known for being the enforcer of the Cowboys’ offensive line, consistently overpowering defenders and setting the tone physically in both the run and pass game during the dynasty years.

Lesser known fact:
Williams suffered a near-fatal car accident in 1994 that severely injured his knee and face, threatening his career. Though he returned to play at a high level, many believe the accident prevented him from becoming a surefire Hall of Famer, highlighting both his talent and toughness in overcoming adversity.

Cowboys 2025 training camp practice #10 live thread: Updates and open discussion

2025-08-04T13:45:00-05:00

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Here is our open thread for Monday’s Dallas Cowboys training camp practice.

Greetings Cowboys fans. We have reached NFL training camp time as the Dallas Cowboys are holding training camp practices out in Oxnard, California. We’ll open these threads for every practice so that the Blogging The Boys community will have a place to congregate and discuss what is going on out at practice.

Unfortunately, dropping a Twitter List into this page no longer functions the way that it used to due to changes that the platform has made. We do have a list we recommend if you want to follow it in another tab. You can access it right here.

In order to keep the flow of things as smooth as possible though we’ll be dropping in updates and news items in this thread. Give us your take on them in the comments.

Here we go.

Editor’s Note: This post will be updated throughout practice with relevant news, information and highlights. The newest ones will be placed at the top so if you miss practice or want to see/read in chronological order make sure to scroll down to start.

Injuries are the worst part of camp.

Mazi Smith is heading to the injury tent #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/uI4wIy0qBX
— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) August 4, 2025

Micah is present.

Micah Parsons is here #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/B8EFl0Z8Xh
— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) August 4, 2025

Hmm...

Brian Schottenheimer said, if he had to list a depth chart today, Jalen Tolbert would be the No. 3 WR. He added he wants competition too.

On Tolbert: “He doesn’t get noticed out there sometimes, but he just does a great job in every phase.” pic.twitter.com/XTP7Y0hEl0
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) August 4, 2025

La’el Collins position update.

Brian Schottenheimer said Tyler Smith will be fine and the day off was more about maintenance. Could do more today. La’el Collins will continue to be ramped up and spend time at right tackle with some ability to move inside.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) August 4, 2025

Injury update.

Brian Schottenheimer says that Tyler Smith will maybe be a bit limited today in practice, but it's more of a maintenance deal and not anything concerning. #Cowboys
— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) August 4, 2025

Something good in the Parsons saga.

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Micah Parsons has been “really good in the meetings” and “very engaged.” Similar on-field from him expected today to what we’ve been seeing pic.twitter.com/Bmx464liCo
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 4, 2025

Micah Parsons taking a page out of Myles Garrett's book with trade request

2025-08-04T12:30:00-05:00

Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Micah Parsons may be using a familiar tactic to push contract negotiations along.

Micah Parsons sent shockwaves throughout the NFL last Friday when he officially asked the Dallas Cowboys for a trade. This isn't an uncommon tactic for professional athletes to take when contract negotiations aren't moving along as they would like. In fact, it's pretty similar to the situation Myles Garrett was facing with the Cleveland Browns not long ago.

Myles Garrett has requested a trade.

His statement: pic.twitter.com/yx5Q9Exa0V
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 3, 2025

Unhappy with his current contract, Myles Garrett was seeking an extension from the Browns despite the fact he had two years remaining on the five-year, $120 million contract extension he signed in 2020. His tactic of requesting a trade worked and ended up earning him a four-year, $160 million extension.

Micah Parsons is no dummy. He saw how this situation unfolded between Garrett and the Browns and likely filed it away in case he needed it for future use. Feeling frustrated and probably a little disrespected about how his own contract negotiations were going with the Cowboys, he decided to use the same tactic by requesting a trade.

As ugly as the situation seems right now, it still seems highly unlikely the Dallas Cowboys will trade their four-time Pro Bowler. In fact, Jerry Jones has even said as much. And, if you want to ease your concerns even more that Dallas' star pass rusher is unlikely to get traded, take comfort in what Parsons’ own brother posted recently on Twitter/X.

Yall chill lol Myles asked for a trade too
— Terrence Parsons Jr (@Tpars_boii) August 1, 2025

While these words are encouraging that Micah Parsons is indeed taking a page out of Myles Garrett's book and using the "requesting a trade" tactic in the hopes of getting some serious discussions to take place about a contract extension, it unfortunately doesn't make the situation suddenly disappear. It could very well be a legitimate request.

Until all of this is finally resolved it will continue to be a festering wound for all parties involved. Ideally this would have all been taken care of months ago, but the longer it continues to fester, the more messy it could become.

All anyone can do right now is sit back and wait to see how all of this ends up playing out. Odds are Jerry Jones and Company will finally offer Micah Parsons the contract extension he so rightly deserves, settling things once for all. But, until that happens trade speculation will continue to circulate.

Jerry Jones hints at potential number for Micah Parsons contract

2025-08-04T11:00:00-05:00

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jerry Jones offered a slight hint at a potential contract number for Micah Parsons.

The contract negotiations between the Dallas Cowboys and Micah Parsons have come to a complete standstill entering the third week of training camp. Many fans and media members hoped that by this point, the franchise superstar would have his contract finalized and be back on the field, putting an end to the summer distractions.

Instead, Parsons has taken an extreme stance and publicly posted on Twitter (X) that he no longer wants to be a member of the Cowboys organization and sent a trade request specifically to Stephen Jones. Not ideal.

Speaking with the media for the first time since the request, owner and general manager Jerry Jones brushed off the request and still expects Parsons to be with the team for a long time. There has not been much conversation about what the hold up is or figures surrounding the deal, but Jones may have slipped and hinted at a ballpark number for a Parsons extension.

#Cowboys Jerry Jones talking to the media about the Micah Parsons negotiations:

“…It’s a highly sensitive time when you’re guaranteeing somebody almost $200 million…”

As @clarencehilljr pointed out, is this a hint at a figure that’s been talked about?

( : @dallascowboys) pic.twitter.com/1lOHX3ElIr
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) August 3, 2025

Jones mentions that negotiations that involve guaranteeing someone almost $200 million is highly sensitive. That’s a lot of money. Is this actually a number that’s been discussed from the original conversations between Parsons and Jones back in March?

$200 million is a number we have not heard before. David Mulugheta, of Athletes First, is always finding someway to get his players top of the market or record setting contracts. See the contracts he’s worked on with Deshaun Watson, Jalen Ramsey and Jordan Love.

Looking at the edge rushers, the current leader in full guarantees is Myles Garrett with $123 million. If Parsons is remotely close to the number Jones spoke of, that not only blows the edge rusher guarantees out of the water, but is flirting with the money quarterbacks make in the NFL. For reference, here is the top six at the quarterback position in total guaranteed money.

1. Josh Allen — $250 million
2. Deshaun Watson — $230 million
3. Dak Prescott — $229 million
4. Joe Burrow — $219 million
5. Patrick Mahomes — $208.1 million
6. Trevor Lawrence — $200 million

There’s no question Parsons is deserving of a record-setting contract given all he’s accomplished up to this point in his career and where he’s projected to grow over the next few years. The Cowboys path to the playoffs would be so much more difficult sans Parsons.

Is the delay in giving Parsons $200 million in fully guaranteed money due to the front office trying to negotiate that amount down? Or is the issue related to the number of years in the contract, which is often a hurdle for the Cowboys when working out extensions? Parsons has already stated that he doesn’t intend to miss any games, but if the situation isn’t resolved before the season starts, could his stance change? This unique negotiation is bound to have an equally entertaining ending.

BTB Monday Discussion: What part of the preseason are you most looking forward to?

2025-08-04T09:30:00-05:00

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

What part of the preseason are you most looking forward to?

The Dallas Cowboys are going to play a football game this week. It will “only” be a preseason contest, but before the week is said and done a game of football will be played by players wearing a star on their helmet. It is a beautiful thing.

We have been waiting almost seven full months to see the Cowboys play and while there are no consequences from a standings perspective there are certainly things we are looking forward to seeing.

For our Monday discussion here at BTB we are curious... what is the thing that you are most looking forward to seeing? Your answer can be as specific as a certain player or a bit more vague like wanting to see how Brian Schottenheimer calls an offense. Heck, your answer could be as vague as simply being excited to watch the team play a game.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Cowboys Roundtable discussion: Camp standouts, under-performers, and Parsons’ contract

2025-08-04T08:00:00-05:00

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Here is our most recent BTB Roundtable discussion.

Every week, we gather to discuss the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have David Howman, Jess Haynie, Sean Martin, and Brian Martin.

Who has been your camp standout so far?

Since joining the Cowboys, George Pickens has been the clear standout at Oxnard. His comfort in the offense, elite hands, physical run‑blocking, and explosive route running have fueled high praise. Pickens is camp’s most consistent star through the first two weeks and should give fans immense confidence going into the season.

CeeDee Lamb continues to dazzle in practice with his explosive athleticism, crisp routes, and chemistry with Dak Prescott. He remains integral to the offense’s momentum and so far hasn’t disappointed.

Donovan Ezeiruaku has made an immediate impact, often described as “virtually unblockable.” He’s earned first‑team reps, logged multiple sacks and drawn coaching attention as a key future pass rusher.

Recovering from injuries and stepping into a thin cornerback room, Kaiir Elam has grabbed attention with a number of interceptions, strong positional awareness, and smooth on-field playmaking, earning praise from coaches and fans.

Howman: Low hanging fruit here, but Kaiir Elam is my standout early on. He looked good in OTAs but I was still waiting to see if he could carry it over to training camp. Not only has he done that, but he’s elevated his performance beyond what he had previously shown.

Jess: David beat me to Elam, who has not only been looking good but is doing it at a position of vital need. Not quite as needed is Donovan Ezeiruaku, but the rookie pass rusher has been one of the hottest names of camp. He had displayed exceptional technical ability for a young player, and he may force guys like Dante Fowler and Sam Williams into lesser roles quickly. With Micah Parsons not participating in drills, having Ezeiruaku to challenge the offensive line is a valuable camp asset.

Brian: Kaiir Elam obviously has been one of the top standouts so far, but I’m going with KaVontae Turpin. We’ve seen what he can do as a return specialist and gadget player, but there’s an emphasis on getting him more involved in the passing game right now in practices. With CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Jake Ferguson demanding most of the attention of opposing defenses, Turpin could be a dangerous weapon underneath if they can get him the ball in space with room to run.

Sean: I’ll go with Dante Fowler Jr., even though Jess sees rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku potentially pushing him into a “lesser role”. When a young player is doing this to a seasoned vet at any position, it’s a good sign of quality roster construction and depth. Early on in camp, this feels like a team building to win in a way familiar to Brian Schottenheimer during his time as OC. Rely on Dak Prescott to score points, get ahead on teams, take the ball away to gain extra possessions and score again, unleash the pass rush playing with a lead.

Whether or not the Cowboys can make this work again comes down to way more than just the play of Dante Fowler of course, but he is that pass rush specialist that can serve as a good litmus test for how well Dallas is executing overall. The more opportunities he gets off the edge the better, especially given that he’s seemingly made the most of them in Oxnard showing some juice and even mixing it up against the run.

Who has been a player you wish had stood out more?

There have been some underwhelming performances at camp so far. Names like Mazi Smith, Javonte Williams, Jalen Tolbert, and DaRon Bland have all shown to be inconsistent this camp. But there’s still plenty of time to bring claim to their name before the regular season begins.

Howman: Sticking with the cornerbacks, I’ll say DaRon Bland. Going into the final year of his rookie deal, and with so much uncertainty elsewhere at the position, Bland really needs to have a big year. So far, though, Bland has been mostly quiet, even before he left to welcome his son into the world (an incredible moment that has nothing to do with being listed here). With the hypothetical numbers being thrown around regarding his potential extension, I would like to see Bland start making some noise and playing more like Elam.

Jess: From each side of the ball, Mazi Smith and Jalen Tolbert. It’s still early, but neither has been getting much positive attention. It’s especially distressing for Smith given how much the team needs help at DT, but this is why yo-yoing him with his weight and role has been bad business. At least with Tolbert, you have cushion with other WR prospects.

Brian: It’s actually a tie for me between Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. Neither one of the veteran RBs has distanced themselves from the other as of yet to claim the starting job. Add that to the fact both haven’t been all that productive the past couple of seasons and it raises a concern about Dallas’ rushing attack this season. I think this could be a position the Cowboys monitor closely and maybe attempt to upgrade when roster cuts are made, either through trade or waiver wire claim.

Sean: I’m also going to go with Jalen Tolbert, although thankfully his slow start to camp has not meant a total lack of fireworks at wide receiver. Brian Schottenheimer’s offense seems to be favoring traits like route running, twitchiness, and the ability to make contested catches more than the things Tolbert does best. This is not at all a bad thing, as best case scenario for Tolbert was always WR3 behind both CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, who have these traits in spades for the Dallas offense. Behind them, we’ve seen Ryan Flournoy, Traeshon Holden, Jonathan Mingo, and of course tight end Jake Ferguson make a ton of plays.

Tolbert’s proven production, especially from a season ago, still stands out more over the unproven receivers who have quickly started proving themselves in Oxnard. The Cowboys have gone into the season relying too much on potential instead of production at receiver before, and it hasn’t always gone well to say the least. Getting more out of Jalen Tolbert would be a very welcome sight.

With another week of camp and no Parsons deal, on what scale out of ten are you in panic that the deal doesn’t get done after his recent comments?

Still no deal for Micah Parsons and things are getting tense when he left a message on Twitter (X) stating that he wants a trade from the team. After other comments and news from insiders like Jane Slater, it looks as though the Parsons debacle is taking a sharp turn. But there is some hope a deal gets done. Leave your thoughts in the comments on how nervous you’re getting that no deal will be made and we see Parsons eventually playing elsewhere.

So I’ve talked to a number of people with knowledge of this situation and accounts vary so I’ll keep it down the middle.
1. As of August 1st, there has not been one written offer sheet submitted to Micah’s agent. Nothing.
2. Numbers were discussed as it related to what Micah… pic.twitter.com/QEjR6Md8uX
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) August 1, 2025

Howman: I’ve long believed we’re headed for a franchise tag with Micah Parsons, and any resolution earlier than that would be icing on the cake. It’s simply the way this front office works, unfortunately. So I’m not panicking, although it still frustrates to no end the way this front office feels zero urgency to get their best players locked up.

Jess: Still zero for me. We’re playing the Eagles in Week 1, which gives Parsons a lot of leverage. We have over a month before there’s any real threat of him not playing in that game. Obviously, the front office has been working on some other things lately with the Jake Ferguson deal. I’m still fully confident that Parsons will get his within the next five weeks. It’s unfortunate that it’s reached the level of public vitriol we’ve seen, but that’s on the Joneses for their foolish way of handling things.

Brian: I’m personally not panicking at all. This is sadly the way the Cowboys choose to do business when signing their star players to big-money contract extensions. We’ve seen it with CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott recently, and I’m sure we will see it with Micah Parsons at some point. It’s not the best look for the Cowboys, but it’s their own doing.

Sean: Going zero here would, in theory, give the Cowboys front office too much credit, because anything is possible. So I’ll just say a one on a scale of ten. The Cowboys do things this way, we all know and get annoyed by the way they do it, and at the end of the day their best players and ones they don’t want to let get away still take the field and all is forgotten when football starts. Parsons is even still on the fields at Oxnard in some capacity. The whole situation is still not ideal, but Parsons not being a long term Cowboys great is not something I’m concerned with in the slightest.