Cowboys Head to Oxnard With Three Stars Unsigned and a Defense That Needs More Than Optimism

Training camp opens in Oxnard with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens all still without long-term deals. Pickens missed the July 15 extension deadline and will play on a franchise tag. Lamb's situation remains unresolved. Prescott is on an expiring contract. The front office has five Cowboys in active extension conversations as of late July, so the intent is there — but intent and signed paper are different things, and Dallas is walking into camp carrying real uncertainty at quarterback and its top two receiving options simultaneously.

The defensive picture is what it was when I wrote about the linebacker room yesterday: thin, and not obviously getting thicker. Rashan Gary is the only linebacker who logged meaningful snaps in 2025. DeMarvion Overshown is the depth. Charles Snowden, who would at least add pass-rush presence, is suspended for the first three games. At defensive tackle, Quinnen Williams handled everything himself last season — there's no one behind him who played a down — and he's also on an expiring deal that Stephen Jones said the team is ready to address. That's two positions where a single injury reshapes the entire defensive structure.

The Cowboys finished 7-10 last year with an offense capable of winning games and a defense that gave them back. Their point differential suggested they were closer to a 10-win team than the record showed, which is the optimistic read. The pessimistic read is that they went 4-6 down the stretch and the roster holes that sank them haven't been filled. Jerry Jones said last Monday he likes what the organization has assembled. The next six weeks will tell us whether the contracts get done and whether the defensive depth ever materializes — or whether Oxnard just delays the same conversation until October.