Dallas Cowboys training camp 2022 is upon us with things slated to get going from Southern California on July 27.
Dallas is coming off an NFC East division title in a season that culminated in an ugly loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild card playoffs. Head coach Mike McCarthy and Co. also lost several important players during the offseason.
This will create some training camp battles for the Cowboys. Below, we previous Dallas’ training camp with pretty much everything you need to know heading in.
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Dallas Cowboys training camp schedule
Cowboys training camp will open July 27 with fans being able to attend their initial practice. Here’s the full schedule.
- Wed., July 27: First practice (11:30 a.m. PDT)
- Sat., July 30: Opening Ceremony – Cowboys Back Together Saturday (10:45 a.m. PDT)
- Mon., Aug. 1: First padded practice (11:00 a.m. PDT)
- Mon., Aug. 8: Heroes Appreciation Day (11:00 a.m. PDT practice)
- Wed., Aug. 10 Last open practice for fans in Oxnard
Wednesday, July 27: 11:30 a.m. PDT – Open Practice
• Thursday, July 28: 11:30 a.m. PDT – Open Practice
• Friday, July 29: 11:30 a.m. PDT – Open Practice
• Saturday, July 30 – Open Practice: Cowboys Back Together Saturday Fan Fest & Opening Ceremonies
• Monday, Aug. 1: 11:00 a.m. PDT – Open Practice
• Tuesday, Aug. 2: 11:00 a.m. PDT – Open Practice
• Wednesday, Aug. 3: 10:00 a.m. PDT – Open Practice/Mock Game
• Thursday, Aug. 4: 11:00 a.m. PDT – Open Practice
• Friday, Aug. 5: 11:00 a.m. PDT – Open Practice
• Saturday, Aug. 6: 10:00 a.m. PDT – Open Practice/Mock Game
• Monday, Aug. 8: 11:00 a.m. PDT – Open Practice & Heroes Appreciation Day
• Tuesday, Aug. 9: 11:00 a.m. PDT – Open Practice
• Wednesday, Aug. 10: 10:00 a.m. PDT – Final Open Practice in Oxnard
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Dallas Cowboys training camp location
Here is the history of where the Cowboys have held training camp over the years, via Pro Football Reference.
- 1960: Pacific University — Forest Grove, Oregon
- 1960: St. John’s Military Academy — Delafield, Wisconsin
- 1961: St. Olaf College — Northfield, Minnesota
- 1962: Northern Michigan University — Marquette, Michigan
- 1963-1989: California Lutheran College — Thousand Oaks, California
- 1990-1997: St. Edward’s University — Austin, Texas
- 1998-2001: Midwestern State University — Wichita Falls, Texas
- 2001: River Ridge Playing Fields — Oxnard, California
- 2002-2003: Alamodome — San Antonio, Texas
- 2004-2006: River Ridge Playing Fields — Oxnard, California
- 2007: Alamodome — San Antonio, Texas
- 2008: River Ridge Playing Fields — Oxnard, California
- 2009-2011: Alamodome — San Antonio, Texas
- 2012-2019: River Ridge Playing Fields — Oxnard, California
- 2020: The Star in Frisco — Frisco, Texas
- 2021-: River Ridge Playing Fields — Oxnard, California
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Can you go to Dallas Cowboys training camp?
There are several days in which practice will be open to fans. Last year saw the Cowboys hold a fan fest called “Training Camp: Cowboys Back Together” after their camp was held in Frisco back in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re expecting pretty much the same thing in 2022.
This year, we’ll see 13 open practices for fans to attend in Southern California. That starts July 27. July 30 will represent “Cowboys Back Together Saturday Fan Fest.”
Related: 3 reasons Dallas Cowboys’ Micah Parsons will be NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate
Storylines for Dallas Cowboys training camp
Here are the top storylines and Cowboys’ position battles to follow in training camp this summer.
Dallas Cowboys battle for No. 3 wide receiver spot
The Cowboys training camp will be headlined by the battle for the No. 3 wide receiver spot following the trade of Amari Cooper. Free-agent signing James Washington and holdover Noah Brown are the two likeliest candidates to be Dak Prescott’s favorite target behind CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.
With Lamb and Washington sidelined to injuries during OTAs, Brown was getting more reps. According to the Cowboys’ website, the time is now for the former seventh-round pick from Ohio State to step up.
“This is where patience comes into play. Sometimes, teams can be too patient and the free-agent market has really dried up. But in this case, I think the Cowboys are totally fine with Noah Brown and Simi Fehoko getting these reps. If they’re ever going to take that leap, now is the time.”
Nick Eatman of the Cowboys’ official website
Entering his sixth season with the Cowboys, Brown has caught a mere 39 passes in 50 career games. As for Washington, the former second-round pick fell out of favor with the Pittsburgh Steelers over the past two seasons (54 combined catches). There’s also a chance that rookie third-round pick Jalen Tolbert from South Alabama enters the race during camp.
Finding a pass rush behind Demarcus Lawrence
Dallas’ loss of Randy Gregory to the Denver Broncos in free agency hurt big time. Not only did the star pass rusher pull a 180, he left the Cowboys with a major hole out on the edge next to Lawrence.
Jerry Jones and Co. signed Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency. The 27-year-old pass rusher recorded a mere 7.5 sacks in two seasons with Atlanta. The hope is that reuniting with former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn will help turn things around.
Outside of that, there’s not a lot to look at here. Dallas exhausted a second-round pick on troubled former Mississippi EDGE guy Sam Williams in April. It also has former Kansas star Dorance Armstrong Jr. potentially set to take on a larger role after he recorded five sacks a season ago. It’s going to be interesting to see how these guys perform during camp. If they struggle, the Cowboys might look to add a veteran on the free-agent market.
Jabril Cox as starting linebacker next to Micah Parsons
A fourth-round pick of the Cowboys back in 2021, Cox saw limited action as a rookie before suffering a torn ACL. But it’s the explosive plays he displayed at LSU that has some feeling optimistic that the 24-year-old linebacker can become a breakout player as a sophomore.
“I think he is coming along great. Should be a big plus for us this year. Will fill right in where Keanu left off. I think he has great coverage skills.”
Dallas Cowboys VP Stephen Jones on Jabril Cox
Standing in between Cox and a potential starting role next to Micah Parsons is an injury-plagued veteran in Leighton Vander Esch who has yielded a 74% catch rate throughout his four-year NFL career. With plus-level coverage skill, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Cox carved out a starting role during Cowboys training camp.