Truth learning of Trey Lance among 5 things Cowboys accomplished in 2024 camp (2024)

When the Dallas Cowboys arrived at training camp in late July, there were several questions in need of answers, tasks to be accomplished. With the regular season now here, it's important to assess how successful they were in what they set out to achieve.

Not everything went according to plan, and there's precious time to get those things worked out, but Jerry Jones, Mike McCarthy and company are set to face their 2024 campaign with a team that hopes to go further than they've been in 28 years. Here is what the Cowboys accomplished over the course of training camp, and in the preseason as they prepare for the upcoming year.

Extended CeeDee Lamb

It took much longer than expected, but the wide receiver finally got his extension. Lamb's massive deal came in right where everyone thought it would, just under Minnesota Vikings' WR Justin Jefferson's deal in terms of total money and average annual salary, although Dallas' WR got more for his signing bonus.

The work on the field is important, but locking Lamb in was one of the biggest things the team needed to do before the season began. Without Lamb, the passing game would be anemic, and the offense would lack punch, so the extension had to get done.

Now the eyes of the football world are on quarterback Dak Prescott, but at least the Cowboys completed one of their goals, which was working out a new deal for their superstar WR. Mission accomplished.

Found WR depth

Heading into camp, the Cowboys lacked quality depth at receiver, especially with Lamb not guaranteed to be in the fold. The expectation was that Lamb's deal would get done, but without him, the team got a long look at some of the other options to fill out depth at the position. Those first team reps were now available to a host of WRs, and the Cowboys found a few to step up at the position.

The hope was that third-year WR Jalen Tolbert would improve, and he had a great camp to earn the WR3 role. Pint-sized WR and return man KaVontae Turpin was also expected to have a role, but beyond that, the Cowboys were searching for WRs to turn into quality options.

Jalen Brooks showed a second-year leap that saw him win a job convincingly and rookie Ryan Flournoy impressed after he returned from an early camp injury. Flournoy scored in each of the team's final two preseason games and found his way comfortably onto the 53-man roster.

The size and athleticism for Flournoy showed up on tape and he's picked up the nuances of the game to match his physical gifts. It remains to be seen how big of a role he'll have as the fifth or sixth WR on the roster, but the Cowboys might have found something special.

Dallas came into camp with a bunch of guys at WR, but they go into the regular season with six quality options. The team found good depth at the position this summer.

Improved the offensive line

One of the big goals for the Cowboys heading into training camp was about remaking their offensive line. The team had lost two starters, one of them an All-Pro and a 13-year starter, and needed to usher in a new group.

Early returns weren't positive when first-round selection Tyler Guyton wasn't starting at left tackle and third-round pick Cooper Beebe was the second-team center. Veterans Chuma Edoga and Brock Hoffman held down those jobs initially, which wasn't a sign of an upgraded offensive line.

Things turned around quickly as Guyton showed rapid improvement and Beebe settled down to make progress with his biggest weakness, shotgun snaps. Both rookies didn't take long to work their ways into the starting lineup.

The original starting five the Cowboys began camp with on the offensive line is not who they are heading into the regular with, and that's a good thing. Guyton and Beebe showed they were worthy of their selections and the unit is a much better group now than they were when they arrived in Oxnard. Both rookies are ready to play large roles, which was the goal when they were drafted.

Eventually created defensive line depth

It was evident heading into training camp just how thin the defensive line was for the Cowboys. There were a few starters and a small group of veteran backups, but the team needed to find some depth at defensive tackle. The team let competition for the younger guys go on for almost the entirety of camp before eventually finding some quality help.

The Cowboys traded for veteran DT Jordan Phillips and signed Linval Joseph in late August to give the defense some more beef in the trenches. Neither are full-time players anymore, but they do give Dallas a better group at DT.

Depth wasn't good for the defensive line when camp began, and the Cowboys set out to find some. It took looking into veteran options and swinging a trade with a division rival to find some help, but it eventually got done. The team accomplished their mission of finding depth on the interior of their defensive line.

Find out if Trey Lance can play

Finding out if Lance was a capable QB was one of the more difficult things the team had to do heading into training camp. If he got the reps and couldn't play, the Cowboys would be mocked for the trade that brought him to Dallas and they'd lose an option at quarterback if Prescott doesn't re-sign. Jones and McCarthy knew the team needed to see more and unfortunately, they probably didn't like the results.

For a team that likes sure things, this was a gamble they had to see play out.

Lance was a mixed bag of results, but it's evident he still needs more time to develop. That's time the Cowboys no longer have. The former third overall pick has the ability to make plays with his athleticism and legs but struggles in the passing game and reading defenses. Lance flashed some potential, but he also threw five interceptions in an ugly Week 3 preseason performance.

The results of the summer were clear, Lance couldn't overtake primary backup QB Cooper Rush and isn't ready to start games if needed.

Dallas had to find out if Lance could be a option to play in meaningful games, or possibly start in 2025, and they found out that isn't likely. The result is disappointing, but the team accomplished the goal of evaluating Lance's long-term ability.

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Truth learning of Trey Lance among 5 things Cowboys accomplished in 2024 camp