Mailbag: Which scrimmage will be most telling?

(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)

Which scrimmage do you think will be the most telling of our defense, the Rams or Saints? What do you think those practices will show us about the progress they're making? – Michael Banks*/Albuquerque, NM*

Nick: Feels like a trick question. I mean, one team finished with six wins last year and isn't really expected to make a huge leap in 2026. The other team not only made it to the NFC Championship, but has added several key pieces and have been dubbed a "Super Team" by NFL standards.

So how it could not be the Rams on Tuesday? If the Cowboys want to show progress from the offseason, then they'll go down to LA and put up a great battle with the Rams, if not win it. The last few years, it seems obvious the Rams have done a better job in the joint practices. While it's still hard to gauge winners and losers, it just felt like the Rams had more success. As it turned out, the Rams were also better on the field during the season as well.

So to me, I think we'll see a lot with this Cowboys defense if they can have some success against the Rams and their high-powered attack. Nothing against the Saints, but I don't think it's anywhere close to the same vibes as what the Cowboys will face this week in LA.

Kurt: There will be plenty to keep an eye on when they meet up with the Saints next week. In fact, we should expect more progress as far as the defense feeling comfortable with each other and the system. But because this workout with the Rams could provide a nice early barometer for where the Cowboys really are, good or bad, I would lean toward today's joint practice being more telling. And for two reasons.

First, this Los Angeles club might very well be the best in the NFL this upcoming season. At least most pundits and oddsmakers seem to think so. The Rams have an offense that ranked first in both yards and points in 2025, and basically everybody is back. That, of course, includes one of the top offensive lines in the league as well as the cagey veteran Matthew Stafford at quarterback.

Needless to say, from Jerry and Stephen Jones to head coach Brian Schottenheimer to new coordinator Christian Parker down to every member of the defensive coaching staff, the Cowboys are going to get an idea of where they stand, talent-wise. They did a major overhaul of the defense during the offseason. Was it enough? Is the new scheme going to work?

Still, this is a group that's trying to get their collective feet under them, whereas the Rams haven't seen a ton of change recently, especially offensively. So expecting Dallas to really be firing on all cylinders at this point against a seasoned offense might be asking a lot.

Which brings us to reason number two. Some would tell you that when these teams scrimmaged in each of the last two training camps, the Rams more or less bullied the Cowboys. So while figuring out the scheme, communication and even the talent might take more time, you'd really hope to see at least more determination or fight, for lack of a better term, from this new-look Dallas defense.

That's what might be what really comes out of this scrimmage. Will the Cowboys like what they see from an attitude and mental standpoint? Which, in turn, could truly be telling of what lies ahead.