Complete Dallas Cowboys Training Camp Preview

The time for football has finally come. The Dallas Cowboys will open up training camp on July 30 in Oxnard, California. This will be an opportunity for the Cowboys to set the framework on what they undoubtedly hope will be a successful season. 

Training camp is an opportunity for teams to implement the bulk of their schemes for the 2015 season. During this time, they will tinker with personnel groupings and test out a variety of plays in a variety of situations. 

Also, training camp is a time for rookies to establish that they belong in the NFL. This will be their first real test of NFL speed and strength, which makes it paramount they catch up to the learning curve quickly. 

Training camp isn't only for the rookies though; the veterans will work on the subtle nuances of their game, as they try to get a little bit better than they were a year ago. 

Finally, training camp is where the bubble players prove whether they are worthy of one of the 53 spots on the final roster. They will be tested in meetings and on the practice field every day, so that the coaching staff and front office gets a feel for which 53 players give the Cowboys the best opportunity to win. 

With that in mind, let's preview the Cowboys' 2015 training camp as they prepare for a Super Bowl run. 

Position Battles

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

The biggest storylines in any training camp are the positions that will be up for grabs. For the Cowboys, the position battles that will get the most publicity will be at running back and left guard. 

Running back just got a little less intriguing, as the Cowboys cut Ryan Williams, per The Dallas Morning News' Bob Sturm. Now the battle will likely be between Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle for the starting gig, as Lance Dunbar continues to fill his niche as a type of gadget player on the Cowboys offense. 

At left guard, two heavyweights will go to battle, as La'el Collins tries to usurp Ronald Leary's starting position out from under him. Leary is the incumbent, and he has already proven capable of blocking some of the best defenders in the NFL on a consistent basis.

However, from a talent and team perspective, Collins has the edge over Leary. The Cowboys' ceiling on offense is just a tad higher with Collins, in comparison to its ceiling with Leary at left guard. 

Elsewhere, there will be an interesting battle for the No. 5 wide receiver spot. Four rookie receivers, Lucky Whitehead, Antwan Goodley, George Farmer and Deontay Greenberry, and one veteran, A.J. Jenkins will go to battle for that last wide receiver spot. 

Furthermore, wherever the Cowboys decide to play Byron Jones will ultimately be a big battle. If he remains at cornerback, he will likely battle Morris Claiborne for the No. 3 cornerback spot. If he is moved to safety, he will go against J.J. Wilcox for playing time at free safety. 

Scheme

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

One of the great parts of training camp is that you get a feel for the personnel groupings and scheme the Cowboys are going to employ in the upcoming season. 

Sure, we know the overarching scheme the Cowboys will play on offense and defense, but we get a sense of the small details of the schemes on each side of the ball. 

One of the interesting tidbits we can glean is the variety of ways the Cowboys are going to employ Dez Bryant. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan always likes to get Bryant in favorable matchups against the defense: Thus, he will line him up out wide, in the slot, in a bunch formation or put him in motion.

Pay attention to where Bryant lines up during the team period. It will be a good indication of how the Cowboys will try to exploit the weaknesses of opposing defenses. 

Another interesting thing to play attention to will be how defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli will deploy his defensive line in different situations. At the moment, it looks like the four starters on the defensive line are Greg Hardy (when he gets back from his suspension), Terrell McClain, Tyrone Crawford and DeMarcus Lawrence. 

Nevertheless, you could see a defensive line with Hardy, Lawrence, Randy Gregory and Jeremy Mincey in an attempt to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Unlike last year, the Cowboys have a ton of talent on the defensive line, so Marinelli can be as creative as he wants to be with his personnel groupings up front. 

Furthermore, the versatility of Byron Jones will allow Marinelli to be creative with how he utilizes his secondary, as well. The Cowboys could deploy a variety of secondary combinations to deal with the variety of personnel they will face throughout the season. 

Rookies

LM Otero/Associated Press

Training camp is important for every player, but it may be the most important for the rookies. It will be their first true test in the NFL, and it is where they will likely experience their first steep learning curve. Each rookie will have to prove that they belong to varying degrees, or they could get cut or labeled a bust. 

Byron Jones, Randy Gregory and La'el Collins will get the lion's share of media attention, since they were all believed to be first-round talents entering draft weekend. 

Jones is a super-talented defensive back who can play cornerback or safety. It is going to be exciting to watch him go to battle with Dez Bryant and Jason Witten throughout camp. It will be apparent early whether Jones is ready to make an immediate impact or not. 

Randy Gregory is another supremely talented defender who will be tested throughout camp. Gregory will get a ton of reps across from one of the best offensive tackles in football, Tyron Smith, which will prepare him for the NFL better than he could hope for. 

As stated in a previous slide, La'el Collins will be embroiled in a battle for the starting left guard position. However, he will be physically in a battle with the likes of Tyrone Crawford in each practice, which will help the team get a good gauge of how good he truly is. 

Outside of those three, Damien Wilson, Ryan Russell and Laurence Gibson will have ample opportunities to show if they are worthy of a spot. 

In addition, all of the undrafted rookie receivers will have an opportunity to fight and make the squad as the No. 5 wide receiver. 

It will be extremely interesting to see which rookies step up to the plate and which ones crumble under the pressure. 

Players on the Bubble

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Training camp is also extremely important for the players on the bubble of the 53-man roster. These players will need to show they are intelligent enough to transition what they learn in the meetings to the football field, and if they have the talent to do their job well. 

Some players who are on the bubble and need to have good training camps to make the final roster are Dustin Vaughan, Ben Gardner, Jack Crawford, Corey White and Tyler Patmon. 

Vaughan is entering a crucial stage in his development process, and he will need to show that he is worth the work for the Cowboys coaching staff. 

Gardner was hurt for the entire 2014 season, but there was a ton of optimism about him before he got hurt. With how much talent the Cowboys have added to the defensive line, Gardner will have to prove that he can be a valuable rotational player for the Cowboys. 

Crawford showed some flashes throughout the 2014 season, but he never could put it all together. He will likely battle Gardner and Ryan Russell for the last defensive linemen spots on the final roster. 

White is a new and intriguing addition who has the ability to play cornerback or safety. If the Cowboys are going to keep an extra player in the secondary, White will have to prove he is capable on special teams, and that he can fill a niche on defense. 

Patmon was the story of the preseason last year for the Cowboys, but he will have to do it again if he hopes to make it in a crowded secondary. 

Veterans with Something to Prove

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Rookies aren't the only players with something to prove during training camp. The veterans have to prove they can still be productive in varying degrees. 

This training camp will be huge for Sean Lee. He will need to prove that he can remain healthy, and he will need to use the time to get back into the swing of things playing football. Furthermore, he will be playing at a new position at "Will" linebacker, which will take a tad bit of time to get used to. 

Darrion Weems is another veteran with a ton to prove. He will be battling for the swing tackle position throughout training camp. He will need to gain Tony Romo's confidence, as well as the coaching staff's confidence that he can handle the edge in case Doug Free or Tyron Smith get hurt. 

Rolando McClain will need to prove that he is worth the headache he has caused with his on- and off-field shenanigans. McClain has proved to be a fantastic player, but his practice habits and off-field issues may be too much for the Cowboys to handle.