Dallas Cowboys: 5 Most Crucial Training Camp Position Battles to Watch

Training camp is important for every single player on the roster; however, it is exponentially more important for the players who battle for a starting spot or a place on the 53-man roster. These players' futures are on the line every day, and they are fighting to climb up as high on the totem pole as they can in every practice and preseason game. 

The Dallas Cowboys' roster is as good as it's been in a few years, which means there will be fierce competition to make the squad or become one of the 22 coveted starters. 

The Cowboys appear to be loaded once again on offense. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the game, an elite wide receiver corps and the best offensive line in football, which should make for some interesting battles throughout August.

On defense, the Cowboys appear to be much improved with the additions of Greg Hardy, Randy Gregory and Byron Jones. Furthermore, Sean Lee is returning from injuring, which should allow the Cowboys to play faster and much better in coverage on short and intermediate routes. 

Overall, the Cowboys will have a ton of competition throughout training camp, which is why we will take a look at the five most crucial position battles throughout training camp. 

Each battle is ranked based upon how much impact the winner of that position battle will have on the Cowboys season. 

5. Backup Quarterback

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One of the underrated position battles that no one is talking about for the Cowboys is the competition for the backup quarterback position. Everyone has already penciled in Brandon Weeden for that spot, but expect Dustin Vaughan to have something to say about that. 

Weeden had an awful performance in a winnable game for Dallas against the Arizona Cardinals last season, which called to question Weeden's ability to be a quality backup quarterback for the Cowboys. Meanwhile, Vaughan was sitting there as the No. 3 quarterback for the entire season. 

Hopefully, Vaughan took that time to work at his craft and improve his mechanics and footwork that plagued him throughout his first training camp and preseason. With one season under his belt, Vaughan will now have a chance to compete with Weeden for the backup quarterback position. 

While the backup quarterback doesn't affect the season at all in a perfect world, Tony Romo's back makes it all the more important. You never when Romo may take a shot and have to sit out a week or two, which makes it paramount that the Cowboys have a capable backup. 

Weeden may be the heavy favorite entering training camp, but keep an eye on Vaughan as he pushes the veteran throughout August. 

4. Swing Offensive Tackle

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In a perfect the world, the swing tackle wouldn't see a snap; however, that doesn't mean the swing tackle isn't an extremely important position. If Tyron Smith or Doug Free were to get hurt, the Cowboys have to have confidence that the backup can come in and protect Romo. 

The Cowboys know this, which is why they drafted two offensive tackles, Laurence Gibson and Chaz Green, in the 2015 NFL draft to vie for the swing tackle position.

Green's recent hip surgery likely leaves him too far behind to get the job, which means it will likely come down to Gibson and Darrion Weems for the job. However, if La'el Collins doesn't win the left guard position battle against Ronald Leary, he could be a candidate as well. 

Weems has to be the favorite at the moment because he has more experience and has shown some great flashes. The key for Weems is to remain healthy, which has been difficult for him to do the last couple years. 

Gibson is an extremely athletic offensive tackle who struggles with his hand placement and punch timing. He is still a little bit raw, so it may be a bit much to expect him to win this job. 

3. No. 5 Wide Receiver

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Normally, the battle for the No. 5 wide receiver position isn't so important and wouldn't warrant a spot on any ranking; however, the player who wins that spot with the Cowboys will likely be the main return man and play a huge role on special teams. 

The Cowboys appear to have a ton of players who will have the inevitable task of replacing Dwayne Harris on offense and special teams. Lucky Whitehead, Antwan Goodley, Deontay Greenberry and A.J. Jenkins are the four players with the best chance to win the job. 

They all have the ability to make an impact on special teams, while also having the talent to develop into a solid wide receiver down the road. 

Whitehead is probably the best return man of the bunch, and he has the skill set to develop into a great slot receiver in the future. Goodley has questionable hands, but he is a dynamic return man who can be a versatile playmaker on offense. Greenberry has the most potential as a receiver, and he has the talent to develop into a legitimate No. 2 receiver in a few years. Jenkins is likely the best receiver at the moment, but he has been underwhelming in game action since entering the NFL in 2012. 

Overall, this will be one of the most exciting position battles to watch, and it will have a bigger impact on the Cowboys' season than most people think. 

2. Left Guard

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One of the biggest stories of the offseason was how the Cowboys acquired Collins in undrafted free agency. Collins was thought of as a first-round pick, but because of a situation off the field—outlined here by Sport Illustrated's Robert Klemko—he fell all the way out of the draft. 

Collins has since been moved inside to offensive guard, according to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, where he will compete with incumbent starter Leary for the starting left guard position. 

Leary is a solid guard who uses his strength to create push in the running game, but he tends to struggle in pass protection because of his questionable anchor and slow feet. Leary is also inconsistent—you don't know what you're going to get from week to week. 

Collins, on the other hand, has fluid feet and can match Leary's strength at the point of attack. If Collins is still the player everyone thought he was pre-draft, he should be able to win this position battle without too much trouble. 

With the Cowboys' running game, it is extremely important for the guards to do their job or the play won't work. Furthermore, Romo doesn't deal well with pressure in his face, which makes the guards' job in pass protection all the more important.

1. Running Back

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The most important battle during training camp will be at the running back position. DeMarco Murray departed for the Philadelphia Eagles and took his 1,845 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns with him, which is a ton of production to replace. 

Joseph Randle has to be the favorite to win the job entering training camp. He has the most experience in this offense, and he showed that he could be productive behind this offensive line. He has the necessary vision and one-cut ability, and he is also a good receiver out of the backfield. 

Lance Dunbar won't likely win the starting job, but he has found a niche on this offense as a third-down running back and receiver out of the backfield; however, don't be surprised if Dunbar gets a larger role running the ball this year on early downs. 

Darren McFadden was brought in to compete for the starting job and push Randle throughout training camp. McFadden is the most well-rounded running back on the roster with his receiving and blocking ability. The negative with McFadden is that he isn't a good fit in the Cowboys' zone scheme. He doesn't have good vision on zone plays, and his stiff lower half limits his one-cut ability. 

Ryan Williams is a dark horse who could win the starting job. If healthy, he is the most talented running back on the roster. He is explosive with incredible one-cut ability and excellent vision. He combines that with the patience to allow plays to develop. Williams needs to improve in pass protection and prove he can be healthy for a long stretch.

The running back position will be extremely fun to watch, and whoever wins the job will be vital in the Cowboys' success or failure this season.