After all the talk about who the Dallas Cowboys should go get before the start of the season, there is a pundit who thinks Dallas should move on from one of its edge rushers who could be a better fit elsewhere. That seems to have driven interest in Sam Williams, typically one of the more anonymous Cowboys.
Dallas starts training camp on Wednesday, July 29, and one of the big storylines will be the battle for the backup running back spot. Is Texas alum Jaydon Blue ready to hit his potential in his second season? And just how much better is Dallas’ defense going to be?
Here is how Dallas is filling the final moments before training camp begins.
Sam Williams part of Cowboys trade rumors
Most rumors this offseason have involved the Cowboys finding another edge rusher or linebacker, but now Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks Dallas should be sellers.
In an article listing seven players who need a change of scenery before the 2026 season, Knox thinks Dallas should move on from edge rusher Sam Williams, a former second-round pick who just signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys.
Knox writes of Williams: “While he obviously has some familiarity with the Cowboys — though they have a new defensive coordinator in Christian Parker — he may be short on playing opportunities. Dallas suddenly has a logjam of edge-defenders.
”Rising star Donovan Ezeiruaku is back, and the Cowboys traded to add Rashan Gary to their edge rotation. They then used first- and third-round picks on Malachi Lawrence and Jaishawn Barham, respectively.
”Williams, who had 8.5 sacks in his first two seasons before suffering a torn ACL in 2024, has flashed promise. Landing with a team that has questionable edge depth would give him a better chance to reach his potential than staying buried on Dallas’ depth chart.”
Potential landing spots are the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers. Of note, none of the other six players on Knox’s list (49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk, Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte, Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, Cardinals edge Josh Sweat and Browns receiver Cedric Tillman) have Dallas as a potential landing spot.
Cowboys RBs
One of the training camp battles to watch for Dallas will be the backup running back spot behind last year’s breakout star Javonte Williams.
The most talented option is Jaydon Blue, a draft pick out of Texas last season who spent much of the year in the doghouse. He did seem to escape it in the last game of the season and his offseason has been scrutinized as he tries to work his way up to No. 2.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris quoted coach Brian Schottenheimer as saying, “Nothing would make me and the offensive staff more ecstatic than Jaydon Blue taking the next step that we know he can take.”
Reid D. Hanson of the USA Today’s Dallas Cowboys wire says this: “Blue’s task is prioritizing the game. Coaches need to trust him before they can play him, so the onus is on Blue to prove he’s trustworthy. If he isn’t, players like Malik Davis and Phil Mafah could benefit. Davis, a proven veteran, and Mafah, a promising second-year player, are hungry for opportunities. They don’t have the juice of Blue but are legitimate contingency plans should Blue fail to take a step forward.”
Hanson’s other two “contingency plans” are for tackle Tyler Guyton and cornerback DaRon Bland.
Is the Dallas Cowboys defense getting better?
A common question Dallas has gotten this offseason is if their rebuilt, reloaded defense can elevate the Cowboys to a contender this season. In fact, that’s Question No. 1 over at DallasCowboys.com, with Nick Eatman, Tommy Yarrish, Kurt Daniels and Patrik Walker having opinions on the issue.
The consensus is that the defense is going to be better, but maybe not enough to have Dallas contending for the Super Bowl.
Walker writes: “I think it’s telling that this is the No. 1 question on everybody’s minds in 2026, and not the usual ‘can the Cowboys win the Super Bowl this year?’ inquiry. That’s because calling the defense abysmal last season would’ve been a compliment, seeing as it was far, far worse than that. …
”There’s no way to know for sure until training camp and beyond, but I can say, unequivocally, that the energy/aura surrounding the defense under Christian Parker is a complete 180-degree turn from what it was under Matt Eberflus. The players are fully bought in (that never once happened in 2025), there’s a hunger to get on the field as soon as possible and the schematics combine with how the defensive staff has been constructed to fuel a rightful optimism. Can they match serve with the Cowboys’ offense to make Dallas a contender? My answer is yes — the real question being how quickly will it happen? Let’s all find out together.”
Dallas Cowboys depth chart
Offense:
QB Dak Prescott, Joe Milton III, Sam Howell
RB Javonte Williams, Jaydon Blue, Malik Davis, Phil Mafah
WR CeeDee Lamb, KaVontae Turpin, Anthony Smith, Denzel Mims
WR George Pickens, Marquez Valdez-Scantling, Tyler Johnson, Jordan Hudson
WR Ryan Flourney, Jonathan Mingo, Traeshon Holden, Camden Brown
TE Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spain-Ford, Luke Schoonmaker, Princeton Fant
FB Hunter Luepke
LT Tyler Guyton, Nate Thomas, Marcellus Johnson, Shiyazh Pete
LG Tyler Smith, Trevor Keegan, DJ Wingfield
C Cooper Beebe, Nick Leverett, Matt Hennessy
RG Tyler Booker, T.J. Bass, Chris Glazer
RT Terence Steeler, Drew Shelton, Ajani Cornelius
Defense:
DE Quinnen Williams Tydus Wheat, Tommy Dunn Jr., D.J. Withers
NT Otito Ogbonnia, Jay Toia
DE Kenny Clark, Jonathan Bullard, Kevin Gilliam Jr.
WLB Rashan Gary, James Houston, LT Overton, Marist Liufau
LILB DeMarvion Overshown, Jaishawn Bullard, Justin Barron
RILB Dee Winters, Shamar James, Curtis Robinson, Langston Patterson
SLB Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, Sam Williams, Isaiah Land
LCB Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel Jr., Caelen Carson, Darrion Kendrick
SS Jalen Thompson, Markquese Bell, Julius Wood
FS Malik Hooker, C.J. Locke, Alijah Clark
RCB DaRon Bland, Devin Moore, Josh Butler, Ameer Speed
NB Caleb Downs, Reddy Steward, Zion Childress
Special teams:
PK Brandon Aubrey
P Bryan Anger
PR KaVontae Turpin
KR KaVonte Turpin, Jayson Blue
LS Trent Sieg
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Dallas Cowboys trade rumors: Which Cowboy could be on the block?
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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By Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
