4 standout players from Week 1 of Dallas Cowboys training camp

1. T.J. Vasher, WR

The injury bug has been a problem for Dallas early in camp. James Washington, who missed time with a foot injury during minicamp, was carted off the field on Monday with another injury to his foot. It was later announced he fractured his right foot and will be out as long as 10 weeks.

That means Dallas is now without Washington and Michael Gallup, severely limiting their receiving corps. Without many experienced options, some of the younger names are getting a chance to shine — including rookie Jalen Tolbert who has been delivering when called upon.

As good as he’s been, however, the player who has really been stealing the spotlight is T.J. Vasher. A product of Texas Tech, Vasher signed as an undrafted free agent in 2021 but didn’t play as a rookie after being put on the non-football injury list in August.

This year, he seems to be making up for the lost time. Vasher has been making several leaping catches, showing a knack for high-pointing the ball. He also made the catch of camp for Dallas, hauling in a pass with one hand despite tight coverage from Kelvin Joseph.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1553110337720750080?s=20&t=DgaryTepMCM4WfD_06U4ZA

Vasher has incredible size at 6-foot-6 with an 84-inch wingspan. He entered the league raw but has already made some huge progress, which the Cowboys have to be thrilled to see.

Dallas traded Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns in the offseason and extended Gallup. Recently, Gallup said he wouldn’t be ready for Week 1 as he recovers from a torn ACL. With him out — and Washington also expected to miss time — players such as Vasher could find their way to the field.

That seemed to be a scary prospect a week ago, but perhaps Vasher can take advantage and claim a spot going forward.