Hang in there, Dallas Cowboys fans. Summer break is almost over, which means training camp in Oxnard is right around the corner. Before you know it, we'll have more Cowboys content at our disposal than we know what to do with.
The hype surrounding the Cowboys is tangible given their returning most of their starters from last season's 12-5 finish and added Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore, who shore up two positions of need and bring a needed winning pedigree and more veteran leadership to the locker room.
For the sake of this conversation, though, we'll focus our attention on some younger players. Specifically, players who have garnered a ton of hype -- probably too much hype -- since the offseason started and might struggle to meet the growing expectations.
3. Eric Scott Jr.
The Cowboys surprised just about everyone when they traded up in the sixth round to select Southern Miss cornerback Eric Scott Jr. It sparked memories of the Nahshon Wright pick in the third round two years ago in terms of how unexpected it was.
While Scott was a pre-draft visit with the Cowboys, many draft prognosticators pegged him as someone who wouldn't get drafted.
During OTAs and mandatory minicamp Dallas' infatuation with Scott became apparent as he practiced with the first-team defense. ESPN's Todd Archer even labeled Scott as the team's "surprise offseason standout," and mentioned that the sixth-rounder impressed Dan Quinn, which can't be easy for a rookie.
"When you see a guy wanting the moment to go compete, like, you know, I'm balling my fists up and saying, 'I ain't leaving here,' that's what I'm looking for specifically for the rookies," Quinn said of Scott. "That kind of mindset and attitude is really what it takes for a young player to assert themselves into these moments because that responsibility is really to say, 'Hey, man, can we count on you when it's there?' Them learning to do that early on, that's a big deal, knowing that like the amount of work that goes into to say, 'I'm down for this challenge.' I've seen that from Eric so far."
That's big praise from Quinn, but fans should pump the breaks on Scott -- or at least temper expectations. While DaRon Bland balled out last year as a fifth-round rookie, the Scott hype seems a little premature for our liking.
2. Sam Williams
Don't get the wrong message, folks. We're higher on Williams than most, but the sheer hype he's received on Twitter has been a little overwhelming. So much so that fans are expecting an 8-10-sack season from the 2022 second-round pick.
Are we sure that's realistic with how many pass rushers Dallas has?
Between Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler, Williams is destined to split snaps. While Armstrong faded as a pass rusher in the second half of last season, the coaching staff clearly likes what he brings on first and second down.
Williams' rookie stats look nice, but he needs to show more consistency. There were multiple games last year where he'd blow up a running play or force a throwaway by getting into the backfield then disappear for 20 snaps.
Williams has the potential to be more than a splash player -- he could make that leap this season -- but not every young player experiences linear progression. There's reason to be excited about Williams' future, but let's take a pause for the cause before we go crowning him as D-Law's eventual successor.
1. Jake Ferguson
Again, don't get the wrong message. We like Ferguson.
That said, we've noticed an awful lot of hype on social media for a player who finished his rookie campaign with 19 catches and less than 200 receiving yards. Remember that a large percentage of Ferguson's production came on 4-5 plays that saw him get loose in the secondary or generate yards after the catch.
It's duly noted Ferguson played second-fiddle behind Dalton Schultz, but a large contingent of Cowboys fans expect Ferg to run away with the TE1 job and produce 500 receiving yards (or thereabouts) and four or five touchdowns. We're not so sure it's that cut and dry.
With Mike McCarthy taking over play-calling, Dallas might deploy a heavy rotation at tight end or simply not use as many as they did last year. Regardless, it's noteworthy that the front office watched his rookie year and still drew the conclusion that they needed to draft a tight end in the second round this year.
We're bullish on Ferguson and giddy on his future, but expecting him to morph into a weekly first-string tight end seems unrealistic this early in his career.