As of right now, the breakout star of Dallas Cowboys training camp is a linebacker, but not the one anybody expected. Meet Justin Barron.
The second-year pro, who spent all but one week on the practice squad a year ago, was the dominant player when Dallas had its joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams, perhaps locking up a roster spot with three weeks still to go before the last round of cuts.
Dallas also got a good day from tackle Tyler Guyton, though it was another offensive lineman who got some early shout out as a potential future Hall of Famer. Here is what Dallas is doing.
Dallas Cowboys’ linebacker Justin Barron dominates
Barron began Tuesday, Aug. 11, joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams are one of the more anonymous players on the Dallas Cowboys roster. That anonymity has now ended.
The second year pro, who spent all but the last game of the 2025 season on the practice squad, intercepted three passes at the joint practice, including one from reigning league MVP Matthew Stafford. He also had several stops in the run game as he may have locked up a roster spot already.
Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com wrote this about Barron’s day: “One of the biggest questions entering training camp involved the LB corps, but that’s getting sorted very quickly, including its depth pieces. Against the Rams, Barron grabbed not one, or two, but three interceptions — two against Stetson Bennett and one against Matthew Stafford — helping to send the message that Parker’s defense will be as advertised. Look for Barron to try and stack onto this performance when he takes the field against the Seahawks on Saturday.”
Barron was an undrafted free agent last year out of Syracuse, who was cut right before the season and re-signed to the practice squad. He was elevated to the main roster for the season-ending game against the New York Giants and didn’t record a statistic.
Tackle Tyler Guyton returns from minor injury
Guyton, a former first-round draft pick, began camp in a position battle at tackle with Nate Thomas and quickly won that. He’s continued to impress and had a good joint practice against the Rams.
Tommy Yarish of DallasCowboys.com had this to say about his day: “During one of the Cowboys offensive team periods, left tackle Tyler Guyton got shaken up and stepped out for a few plays while seemingly getting his arms looked at by Dallas’ medical staff as Nate Thomas filled in. Guyton was dealing with a sore elbow earlier in training camp. A few plays later though, Guyton jumped right back in and went on to conclude the joint practice.
“‘I thought what I saw was really, really good,” Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said of Guyton. “I want to see the tape before I speak to it, but he’s been stacking a lot of really good days, and because of that, I’m proud of him. I’m not gonna shy away from it, he’s one of the most talented tackles I’ve ever been around.’”
Dallas Cowboys heading to the Hall?
Apropos of the Hall of Fame game, ESPN.com rolled out a list of every current player in the NFL who, on some level, has a shot at making the Hall of Fame, including 17 who Bill Barnwell thinks are already locks.
No Cowboy reached that level, but guard Tyler Smith made the “keep it up list” for players playing at a Hall of Fame level but have more work to do. The next category down from that is titled “Work to do” and that includes guard Tyler Booker, receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, quarterback Dak Prescott and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
Of Tyler, Barnwell writes: “Of all the big names on the roster, Smith is the one who has played at a high level most consistently over the past three seasons. The best way for interior linemen to earn Hall of Fame consideration is to rack up Pro Bowl appearances early and often, and the Cowboys’ left guard has three of them in three seasons since kicking inside from left tackle after his rookie campaign. He had a viable case as an All-Pro last season and turned 25 only earlier this year, which could mean that his best football is still to come.”
Of Prescott, Barnwell wrote: “Prescott’s potential Hall of Fame case is the sort of thing that should fuel morning debate shows in the 2030s. Postseason success has obviously eluded the quarterback, and he has missed significant chunks of time with injuries in three of his 10 years as a pro. But he has been steadily productive when healthy over the past seven seasons.”
The interesting omission on this list, in a year when kicker Adam Vinatieri was inducted, is kicker Brandon Aubrey. There are three pure kickers in the Hall of Fame, plus George Blanda, who played quarterback, and Lou Groza, who also played tackle.
Dallas Cowboys tickets 2026
Seat Geek is the official partner of the Dallas Cowboys, so this is where to get official tickets. The Cowboys are also offering packages for the Week 3 game in Rio de Janeiro against the Ravens, ranging from $1,200 to $5,750. That doesn’t include airfare and the cheap rate doesn’t include hotel.
Other places to buy tickets, which will be more expensive but with a much larger selection than the official tickets, include StubHub, TicketMaster and Vivid Seats. Those sites also offer tickets for away games.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached, bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Justin Barron makes his case for a Dallas Cowboys roster spot
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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By Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
