Rank’Em: 10 Position Battles to Watch at Camp

10. Kicker Again?: Last year, we didn't expect a change at kicker but when the rosters were finalized before the season, veteran Dan Bailey was not on it. During camp, Brett Maher out-performed him with a steady dose of consistency. Factor in the savings in salary and it made more sense after the fact. So don't expect us to forget this position this year. Now it's Maher trying to hang onto the job. And even if Kasey Redfern is more of a punter, he will get chances to kick. If Maher struggles, it might not be Redfern who gets the call but don't be shocked if someone else from the outside will get the call. For now, it's Maher's job to lose.

9. Goodbye to a Veteran Safety?: When this defense lines up against the New York Giants on Sept. 8, I think Xavier Woods and Jeff Heath are going to be the starters. The question now becomes, who are the backups? Kavon Frazier, Darian Thompson and Jameill Showers are the holdovers from last season. Frazier is a core special teamer, but he has yet to take that next step in the secondary. Thompson showed range and the talent to make plays during the OTAs, while Showers will be a long shot to make the squad and is out of practice squad eligibility. The new additions are George Iloka and rookie Donovan Wilson. Iloka is a savvy veteran who is best around the line of scrimmage, while Wilson has flashed some playmaking ability when he has received the chance. This is another one of those positions at which the Cowboys could go long. It would be surprising to see them carry five safeties, but they might keep a guy like Wilson on the roster to allow him to develop. If they decide to just carry four then Woods, Heath, Frazier and Thompson would be my guess, unless they wanted to switch out Frazier or Thompson for Wilson.

8. Quality at Cornerback: The position looks solid now, but what happens after this season? Byron Jones and Anthony Brown will be free agents in 2020. Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis are nearing the end of their rookie deals as well. The way the front office sorts this unit out might be more about the future than the present. This is a group where the staff might want to go long with C.J. Goodwin, Donovan Olumba and Mike Jackson. You could also include Chris Westry in the mix, but he appears to be more practice squad-worthy than final roster material. Goodwin is one of the best special teamers on the roster, so that would give him a leg up over Olumba and Jackson at this point. If the front office once again decides to protect their draft, then Jackson makes a lot of sense, which means Olumba will have to outplay Jackson to make this roster. What I worry about with Olumba is his consistency. There are snaps where he is in perfect position to finish, and then he struggles. Then there are other times when he's able to close the deal. Olumba is going to have to work hard in this area if he's going to make the club.

7. Sixth Linebacker: Linebacker might be the deepest position on the roster, so finding that final guy will be interesting. Chris Covington would be considered the odds-on favorite, given his experience with the club, but this spot will likely come down to the guy who can help the most on special teams. Overall, it's a veteran group so keeping a guy like Covington or some other young developmental player would make a ton of sense. The front office also needs to factor in that this is likely Sean Lee's final year. Not to mention, Lee's injury history requires that you keep a versatile player as a potential replacement. Kyle Queiro did a nice job on the practice squad last season and he should be in the mix. Luke Gifford, Andrew Dowell and Nate Hall flashed skills during the OTAs and minicamp practices and will need to carry their efforts over to these training camp practices and preseason games. As much as I like Covington, I am intrigued by Queiro, who was a strong safety at Northwestern. There is some athleticism to his game that translates to this scheme. I have a feeling that he's going to give Covington a run for his spot.

6. Final Roster Spot at Defensive End: The staff has done a nice job of putting together this defensive line – not only from a depth standpoint, but a talent one as well. Depending on what happens with Randy Gregory, that final spot could come down to Kerry Hyder or rookie Joe Jackson. Generally, the front office will protect the draft by keeping those selections on the roster and making them inactive each week. Hyder is a veteran, but he's on a contract they can easily manage if he makes the roster. His work during these practices has been outstanding. To the staff, Jackson was a steal in the fifth round. As a group, they viewed him as a third-round prospect, so moving on from him will likely be difficult – but Hyder has the skill to make them think about it if he plays well. This club has a history of hitting on those defensive ends off the street who not only make the roster but are productive during the year.

5. Swing Offensive Tackle: At this moment, the job of swing offensive tackle belongs to Cam Fleming. The front office has so much confidence in Fleming that they offered him a two-year deal. If you remember, he only signed a one-year contract after coming over from the New England Patriots in 2018. Fleming was asked to make two starts while Tyron Smith was injured and he played well in those appearances, so it's understandable why the coaches wanted to bring him back. As good as Fleming was last year, there were practices this spring when he didn't look like the same player. His strength levels and balance were poor. He was defeated by rushers that he should have been able to handle with ease. Fleming will not likely lose his job to Jake Campos, Mitch Hyatt or Brandon Knight, but he if struggles in training camp or the preseason games, we could see the staff choose to move Connor Williams to the outside to get their best five on the field. Putting Williams at tackle when needed and moving Joe Looney or Adam Redmond to guard would be an option.

4. Third Tight End: The big question here is whether the one-game suspension the league gave Rico Gathers ends his days with the Cowboys. Gathers was going to be in a battle with Dalton Schultz for the third tight end spot on the roster, but that's clearly up in the air now. During the OTA and minicamp practices, Schultz had been seeing snaps ahead of Gathers. The majority of Gathers' work came on the days when Jason Witten didn't practice. I will say, though, that there was improvement to his game. It appeared that Gathers had a better understanding of his responsibilities and techniques. Those days when he didn't know who or how to block weren't as noticeable. If Gathers is going to make this roster, he's going to have to convince the staff that carrying him is an absolute must and missing the opening game against the New York Giants will not affect the remainder of the season. Gathers has the ability to play his way on to the roster, so he needs to make the staff think about how they want to handle his future.

3. Third Running Back: I don't see how they're going to be able to keep more than three running backs on the roster, which leaves four guys battling for two spots. Despite the addition of Tony Pollard and Mike Weber in the draft, I don't see Darius Jackson going quietly. Jackson is now two seasons removed from knee surgery and appears to be healthy. He is not only ready to compete for a spot on the roster, but I think he'll make a push to be the primary backup to Ezekiel Elliott. When we get to Oxnard, I expect to continue seeing Jackson getting those snaps behind Elliott until he proves he can't do the job … or until Pollard, Weber or Jordan Chunn prove they are just better. This battle will likely come down to which one of the backs is more complete in his skill level and gives them a boost on special teams.

2. WR Depth: The locks are Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb. After this week's release of Allen Hurns, it's wide open after that. Noah Brown makes sense for a spot due to his body type and special teams ability. That leaves maybe two spots for a talented group of players. It feels likely the Cowboys will go with a receiver that they can develop, which could spell trouble for Tavon Austin and Lance Lenoir, who they know. The young guy who showed up the best in the spring was Jon'vea Johnson, but can he hold off Cedrick Wilson, Reggie Davis and Jalen Guyton? Whomever is the top finisher of this group is going to end up with that final spot.

1. Backup Quarterback: As good as Dak Prescott was during the OTAs and minicamp practices, Cooper Rush and Mike White were not. That should be a major concern going into this training camp. Ideally, the coaching staff would like both Rush and White to battle daily and have one of them clearly win the job. The problem going back to the previous season was that Rush regressed from his rookie year, and White didn't perform as well as he did during his days at Western Kentucky. Neither quarterback was able to gain any traction in the opportunities given to them. Having to carry an extra quarterback on this roster would be a luxury, so either Rush or White needs to step up and take the job behind Prescott. There will be no excuse for poor, ineffective play with the depth on the offense. The quarterback who can consistently move the ball will get the job, but if not, this front office will try to locate someone who will.