3 burning questions on defense/special teams the Cowboys must answer during training camp

The Dallas Cowboys are less than one month away from taking the field in Oxnard for training camp. The Cowboys' first team practice is Wednesday, July 26.

Fans already got their first look at some new faces during minicamp in May and June. Stephon Gilmore was seen in a Dallas practice uniform, and Brandin Cooks was catching long passes from quarterback Dak Prescott.

But there are still many question marks as the team heads into training camp, including on offense, defense, and special teams.

Training camp should answer a bunch of those unanswered offseason questions. Players will win starting jobs, players will get more reps with the first team than others, and new players will come in and try to earn a roster spot.

Here are three burning questions on defense and special teams that the Cowboys must answer during training camp.

3. How long will Jourdan Lewis be out?

Jourdan Lewis suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury in Week 7 and will likely start training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

It's not unusual to see Lewis start camp on the sidelines as he works his way back from the foot injury. The recovery timeline for a Lisfranc injury is between nine and 12 months. The end of July puts the cornerback around the nine-month time frame.

But just how much of Lewis will we see in training camp.

The end of August will put the cornerback around the 10-month recovery timeline, and he still might not be ready to play by then. Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman suffered a similar Lisfranc injury in Week 8. But, Bateman is expected to be ready for Ravens camp.

There's a likely chance that Lewis will miss the entirety of training camp and maybe even the first couple of weeks of the season. The Cowboys are already thin at cornerback, so they hope to get him back soon.

The good news, though, is that DaRon Bland will likely see first-team reps. The Cowboys' 2022 fifth-round rookie was excellent as a rookie.

Bland had five interceptions, seven passes deflected, and 54 tackles in 17 games last season. He started eight games and played 90% of the team's snaps in five of those contests. Most of his damage came after Lewis suffered the season-ending injury.

Whether Lewis or Bland starts in the slot this season remains a question mark. That question probably won't be answered during Training Camp due to the veteran's injury.

Either way, a healthy Lewis is a good thing. He'll give the Cowboys much-needed flexibility in their cornerback room because behind Trevon Diggs, Gilmore, and Bland are rookie Eric Scott Jr., Nahshon Wright, and Kelvin Joseph.

2. How much playing time will Sam Williams see in year two?

Sam Williams was Dallas' second-round pick last year, and he showed a ton of potential in his rookie season.

Williams had four sacks, 22 tackles (10 for loss), nine quarterback hits, and forced one fumble in 15 games. His best game came in Week 7 against the Lions, when he had two sacks, three tackles (two for loss), two quarterback hits, and a forced fumble on 14 snaps.

He didn't see much playing time in his rookie season -- only playing more than 25 snaps in just three games. But when given the opportunity, Williams stepped up. He finished fifth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2022.

Now heading into year two, the Cowboys expect big things from the second-year edge rusher. Head coach Mike McCarthy has raved about Williams this offseason and has noticed a year-two jump already.

It's encouraging to see Dallas say great things about the 24-year-old, especially after a solid rookie campaign.

But how will Williams fit in on defense?

DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons will be locked in as the team's top two edge rushers. Both also deserve to be in the game on almost every snap. Parsons has at least 13 sacks in back-to-back seasons, and Lawrence is a veteran who always seems to get in the backfield.

So, Williams might fail to play a ton of snaps to see a massive year two jump. He'll surely be the backup to Lawrence, but just how much he will play in 2023 remains to be seen.

Training camp will be a key determination in seeing just how Dallas plans to unleash the second-year edge rusher.

1. Who's the Cowboys starting kicker?

It's July and the Cowboys now have two kickers on the roster after they signed USFL standout Brandon Aubrey of the Birmingham Stallions. Aubrey nailed 14-of-15 field goals this season, including going perfect from inside 50 yards, and made all 35 of his extra point attempts.

If the season started today, though, Tristan Vizcaino would be Dallas' starting kicker against the New York Giants in Week 1. Vizcaino was signed to the Cowboys' practice squad in the playoffs after Brett Maher's extra-point blunder.

Vizcaino has bounced around in the NFL in his first three seasons. He had a stint with the 49ers in 2020, the Chargers in 2021, and the Cardinals and Patriots last year. The 26-year-old kicker has hit 11-of-12 field goals and 15-of-20 extra points in his career.

The numbers aren't terrible by any means, though Vizcaino's 75% conversion rate from extra points needs major improvement.

It'll be interesting to see how Vizcaino performs in training camp and whether Aubrey can supplant him as the favorite to start Week 1. If not, don't be shocked if the Cowboys pivot to a Robbie Gould or Mason Crosby, if they're still available.

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