Firstly, I know I haven't posted a lot of threads since the draft. It's mainly because I haven't had much to talk about until now. Plus, I've been very busy recently.
At any rate, the Cowboys will be beginning (
https://www.dallascowboys.com/training-camp/) their 2024 Training Camp in two weeks from now. Exciting stuff!! So, it begs the question, what are some of the things that you'll be evaluating? Here are my top 3.
- Firstly, I want to watch Trey Lance vs Rush for the backup job. We know what we have with Cooper Rush. However, Trey Lance has opportunity where he needs to prove what kind of QB he is. He has had most of last year and this offseason to learn the offense. I'm not necessarily expecting him to light up the scoreboard in training camp. What I am going to watch for from him are the following: his poise, his ability to manage his mobility vs his ability to throw from the pocket, his accuracy, and his decision making. By "his ability to manage his mobility vs his ability to throw from the pocket", I mean that I want to evaluate if he can keep his eyes down field and get the ball to an open receiver, as opposed to just tucking and running at the first sign of trouble. This does play into decision making, but I separate this because this is particularly distinctive to me for a mobile QB. This will be how I will determine what I think of him.
- Our run defence: this has been an issue for a long time. However, especially considering that we play the teams this year (particularly the entire AFC North and San Francisco) that are good at running the football, this is an area that needs particular attention. If we can't fix our run defence, this will be a painful season for us.
- Playing defence from behind: one of my complaints about DQ's system was that, it was great in situations where we had a lead or when we knew the opponents were going to throw the ball. What I want to see is us be more balanced in the sense that I want us to still keep the turnovers coming, but we need to be better in short yardage situations and playing from behind. I felt that DQ's system caused the defence to panic a bit trying to dig for turnovers (which they relied on) as opposed to playing technically sound football. This is largely due to the point above about our struggles against the run. Teams could sort of reduce Micah Parsons' impact by confusing this team whether they were going to run or pass. If they were forced to pass, that was when Parsons would tear them a new one. If we can shut down the run and play more technically sound, I think it'll help Micah Parsons stay fresh longer throughout the season, and it should keep the turnovers coming.
What are some things that you'll be looking for?
