2014 Dallas Cowboys Training Camp Expectations
By Kim Dunning
Expectations for the Dallas Cowboys training camp are starting to visualize with the fans. With less than 30 days until the Dallas Cowboys start training camp on July 24th, 2014 it’s time to start digging into the expectations, we as fans, want to see from the Dallas Cowboys. After numerous 8-8 seasons it’s hard to find positives and well training camp isn’t the most accurate place to gain some sense of what this team will be like.
In years past, Dallas fans have seen a team lose all their pre-season games and go and win a Super Bowl. Then on the flip side, fans have seen Dallas win all their pre-season games and have terrible seasons. The object of training camp is to look at the improvements and specifically the players. Does this always transition onto the field? Of course not, but it’s a start to see.
Last season, the Dallas Cowboys had a lot of injuries. The Cowboys defense was depleted by injuries starting off in training camp with the injury to defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford who tore his Achilles in training camp and thus was out for the season. The Cowboys have already had a blow with the loss of linebacker Sean Lee, but since his injury happened before pre-season, it gives someone else a shot to show what they have to offer the team. The biggest expectations for fans on this front would be to make it through training camp without any major injuries that would cost a player their season. Minor injuries are bound to happen because it is after all, the NFL.
Speaking of injuries, one of the other expectations that were pointed out in a Facebook Cowboys group was the hamstring injuries. According to ESPN blogger Todd Archer:
"“Twelve players suffered strains of varying levels and missed either game or practice time in 2013: Miles Austin, Morris Claiborne, Sean Lee, Justin Durant,Dwayne Harris, Bruce Carter, Danny McCray, Barry Church, Dez Bryant, Lance Dunbar, Gavin Escobar and Terrance Williams. “"
The Cowboys have already begun to address the hamstring issues by adding new equipment and changing the warm up stretching. The Cowboys have also added ballet elements into their training and in my opinion this not only works for stretching the muscles but will also help the Cowboys players with their overall football season simply for the balance and agility it will bring. It’s just another element to a well-rounded team.
Finally and what is considered to be the biggest expectation is to see this team with all the new faces and the players returning off season ending injuries and how well they work together. The Cowboys in the past have had the issue of not playing together as a team. There have always been the rumors and the just paying attention that showed the diva’s on the team. Currently, the Cowboys will go into the training camp phase with just a few big names on defensive since losing DeMarcus Ware to free agency and Sean Lee to injury. So from the fans point of view, training camp will be about how well these new players rookies and veterans alike perform together.
As it always is with the Dallas Cowboys fans, expectations are usually high and sometimes we as fans get grounded back to earth by the end of the season. This season, the best advice to fans would be, take it a step at a time. Slowly but surely, the Cowboys will get there. Just don’t expect too much from a team with some much change over the off-season.