Cowboys news: 4 names that could see a larger workload in 2026
4 young Cowboys ready for expanded roles in 2026- Terence Watson, Cowboys Wire
Pay more attention to these names heading into the 2026 season.
Phil Mafah
When a running back brings the size and power Mafah does to the table, it’s only natural to find ways to get him on the field and let him wear down opposing defenses. Fans likely would have seen more from the young back last season if not for the shoulder injury that sidelined him until the season finale, in which he punched in a goal-line touchdown. That’s the type of role Mafah needs to carve out for himself as he battles for more snaps this year.
Dallas would love to keep starting running back Javonte Williams fresh and healthy throughout the season, and one way to accomplish that is by handing more of the goal-line work to Mafah. At 6-foot-1 and 232 pounds, he has the frame to punish defenders and move the pile in short-yardage situations. It benefits everyone involved. Williams takes fewer unnecessary hits, while Mafah gives the Cowboys a true battering ram in the red zone, someone capable of turning tough yards into touchdowns.
Brevyn Spann-Ford
Like Mafah, Spann-Ford enters the season behind an established starter in Jake Ferguson. However he managed to carve out a role for himself last year as Dallas’ primary blocking tight end. This season presents an opportunity to expand that role. With Luke Schoonmaker’s standing on the roster far from secure, Spann-Ford has a chance to climb the depth chart if he proves he can be a more consistent receiving threat. The red-zone portion of training camp could be the perfect place to make that statement.
Standing 6-foot-7, Spann-Ford presents matchup problems few defenders are equipped to handle near the goal line. Rather than limiting him to blocking duties in those situations, Dallas should look for ways to take advantage of his size and create mismatches in the passing game. He’s shown reliable hands when given opportunities, and expanding his role as a receiver could help the Cowboys become more efficient inside the 20. Before that happens, though, he’ll need to overtake Schoonmaker and establish himself as the clear TE2.
3 Cowboys on the roster bubble who could steal the show in training camp- Maitland Rutledge, The Landry Hat
Roster cuts are on the horizon.
3. Traeshon Holden, WR
If Cowboys fans should keep an eye on one unknown receiver during training camp, it’s Traeshon Holden. CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin make up the top of the depth chart, but the fifth WR spot is up for grabs. That spot could be Holden’s if he has just as good a camp as he had last year.
Whenever Holden was on the practice field last summer, he made plays. The biggest was a one-handed catch in the back of the end zone on a Joe Milton throw. He also had long catches in the preseason games against the Rams and Ravens. That prompted Dallas to sign him to the practice squad. While he did not see the field in the regular season, he enters camp as one of the favored young receivers to make the team.
Dallas brought in veterans like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Denzel Mims, and Tyler Johnson, but there is no guarantee they make the team. Time is also running out for Jonathan Mingo. Despite all the competition around him, Holden should have a spot at least on the practice squad again if he catches everything thrown his way like last year.
Dallas Cowboys 2026 Training Camp Calendar, Dates, & Preseason Schedule- Josh Sanchez, Sports Illustrated
Mark these dates; football is fast approaching.
Dallas Cowboys 2026 Training Camp Schedule
July 27: Team Charter arrives in Oxnard
July 28: Opening Press conference (11:00 a.m. PDT)
July 29: First practice (11:45 a.m. PDT)
July 30: Open practice (11:45 a.m. PDT)
August 1: Opening Ceremony (11:15 a.m. PDT)
August 3: First padded practice (11:45 a.m. PDT)
August 4: Open practice (11:45 a.m. PDT)
August 6: Open practice (11:45 a.m. PDT)
August 8: Open practice (11:45 a.m. PDT)
August 9: Open practice (11:45 a.m. PDT)
August 11: Joint practice at LA Rams (TBD)
August 13: Open practice (11:45 a.m. PDT)
August 15: Dallas at Seattle (5:00 p.m. PDT)
August 17: Open practice (11:45 a.m. PDT)
August 18: Joint practice with New Orleans (2:00 p.m. PDT)
August 22: Dallas at Arizona (7:00 p.m. MST)
August 22: Return to Dallas ( Saints 08/28 @ 7:00 p.m. CDT)
Christian Parker Could Create an Unexpected Reunion in 27′- Cody Warren, Inside The Star
Looking further down the road.
Parker Will Get His Chance to Prove Himself
I don’t want this to get twisted into Parker being halfway out the door. He hasn’t earned anything yet.
I can be rough on defensive coordinators and I think most fans are with me. One week the new guy is a genius, and the next week, after a running back breaks loose for 140 yards, we all want him escorted out of The Star by security.
That’s the life of a coach for the Cowboys. The good is good, but bad is the worst in the league for us fans.
We can’t operate like that, but we do.
We need to give Parker enough time to build his defense instead of patching together someone else’s defense. If the first year is bumpy, we ride those bumps like driving on Oklahoma roads.
I want to see if the defense improves, and whether the young guys are developing. Let’s see if his plan makes sense in December, and if it does, keep building…
The Dan Quinn Connection is a Whole Thing
This hypothetical only works if Washington falls apart, Quinn gets fired and Parker eventually takes a head coaching job.
I know that’s a lot of dominoes to fall.
Still, Quinn and Schottenheimer aren’t strangers who shared a hallway once. They coached together with the New York Jets in 2007 and 2008, then reunited in Dallas in 2022 and 2023.
Daily discussion question: What is your bold prediction for training camp?
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