OXNARD, Calif. – At long last, the work towards the 2026 NFL season begins for the Dallas Cowboys at training camp in Oxnard, California.
The Cowboys arrived on the West coast Monday afternoon, where they'll call home base for the next 26 days as they ramp back up into football shape ahead of the regular season.
After a 7-9-1 finish in 2025, Dallas sets up camp with a chip on their shoulder, especially on the defensive side of the ball after finishing as one of the worst units in franchise history last year.
"We always had, on paper, a talented defense, but it's not just about being talented, it's about putting it all together and being disciplined with it," Veteran safety Malik Hooker said. "Which we haven't been these past couple of years… We're looking forward to putting it all together."
It's year two of the Brian Schottenheimer era, and his players like offensive lineman Tyler Smith are pleased with what Dallas did in the offseason to help them prepare for what they hope is a better campaign in 2026
"I think we made a lot of acquisitions in the offseason, particularly on defense," Smith said. "I think it's going to pay dividends. I think we've got a lot of young guys just going through OTAs that I've seen have a lot of juice."
New defensive coordinator Christian Parker was one of the acquisitions the Cowboys made during the offseason, and one that veterans like Hooker believe will bring more juice to that side of the ball.
"[Parker's] a young guy, smart," Hooker said. "Obviously, we've been playing them every year two times a year, and seeing what he's been able to do with those defensive guys over in Philly to coordinating that to here, but also adding a little more."
"We talked about guys talking about the defense of the Philadelphia Eagles and Vic [Fangio's] defense, we've kind of built our own thing throughout OTAs. Just looking forward to putting it all together."
It's still yet to be seen whether this unit will be the one that gets Dallas over the hump, but the early connection between Parker and his players seems to be off to a good start.
"It's just like a breath of fresh air," Hooker said. "Being able to connect with CP and the new defensive coaches and stuff like that, talking to them, smart, detail oriented, and just look for us to come out and compete. I feel like with the details and the stuff we've put together throughout these OTAs, if we keep building on that, it's going to be a special year for us."
The Cowboys will hold their opening press conference on Tuesday, July 28 at 1 p.m. CT.
On Wednesday, July 29 at 1:45 p.m. CT, the Cowboys will hold their first training camp practice. The first padded practice will come a few days later on August 3.
