FRISCO, Texas – You know that expression about something being as exciting as watching grass grow. Well, truth be known, for the past month, ever since the players and coaching staff have been on hiatus after the final minicamp session back on June 18, that's about all the excitement there's been at The Star.
Watching grass grow.
Because out here, the Cowboys did grow a new grass practice field, and despite the temperatures hitting 100 degrees all this week, the grass on this new field is greener than ever, and guessing would be the envy of every front yard in the DFW area. Better than anything they had at last week's British Open for sure or the final days at Wimbledon. Yep, looks like you could successfully putt on this stuff or get a true groundstroke bounce.
With that said, let's turn an eye on these lazy days of summer toward some real, honest-to-goodness American football. Training camp is now right around the corner, our camp luggage intended for the charter flight's belly needing to be here by 1 p.m. on Sunday.
• Seeing Eye To Eye: Boy, here is one I agree with: ESPN designated "Five Rookies To Watch" the other day, and the fifth one was Jaishawn Barham, the Cowboys' third-round choice in the 2026 draft. We all should be paying attention to the 6-3, 240-pound defensive player, a well-deserved inclusion since the Cowboys will start him off at inside linebacker, knowing he also has edge pass rush capabilities. As have pointed out previously, Barham, drafted with the pick acquired from San Francisco in the Osa Odighizuwa trade, looks the part. He talks the part. The right power and speed. Has the right number (55), too, which previously has been worn by the likes of Lee Roy Jordan, Jack Del Rio, Zach Thomas, Rolando McClain and Leighton Vander Esch, meaning not just anyone gets No. 55. But how quickly will he pick up the scheme? You will hear this repeatedly from me this summer, but when asked such things, like where he fits into Christian Parker's 3-4 scheme or what position he best likes to play, Barham's answer continues to be, "I play football," and with menacing eyes as if to emphasize "just put me on the field," coach. Now, Barham likely starts off with the second set of inside linebackers behind veterans Dee Winters and DeMarvion Overshown. But this Barham guy appears to be a prototype "thumper," exactly what the Cowboys need to help improve last year's woeful run defense.
• Pal Down: The longer you live, the more people you know are passing away, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who turns 84 on Oct. 13 of this year, five days before the Cowboys play at Green Bay on Oct. 18, lost a real close friend in 81-year-old Jim Lindsey, who passed away on Sunday after a lengthy illness. Lindsey was more than just one of Jerry's Arkansas teammates on the 1964 Razorbacks national championship team. Jones has called Lindsey, a second-round drafted running back who spent his seven NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and was a five-time special teams captain, a "bus-riding partner and roommate. We would talk about our dreams, our ambitions," Jones said. "I remember his insight into life was amazing at such a young age." In fact, in 2013 Jerry narrated the Emmy-winning documentary "The Jim Lindsey Story," beginning with, "This is the story about a boy from Arkansas …" Not only were they football teammates but became post-college business pals, too, Lindsey becoming a real estate magnate in the state of Arkansas and inducted into not only the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame but also the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, July 24, at 2:30 p.m. at University Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ark.
• False Alarm: So much was being made this offseason of the Miami Dolphins wanting to shed Pro Bowl middle linebacker Jordyn Brooks to save cap space, and of course the Cowboys were being mentioned as a potential landing spot in a trade. Well, not so fast. The Dolphins put an end to all that speculation, re-signing the 28-year-old Brooks to a three-year, $51.3 million extension that includes a $35 million guarantee, which pretty much assures their team captain isn't going anywhere. In fact, Miami is calling Brooks one of the "pillars around rebuilding," having led the team with 183 tackles last season.
• Cowboys Spotlight: Not that the Cowboys are suddenly in the spotlight, since they always are, but that's the name of this year's training camp preview video, which is streaming on the Cowboys' YouTube channel along with Victory+, where Cowboys content this training camp and upcoming season can be seen. The nearly 25-minute show deals with positions to watch, players needing to make an impression and a game of player number changes, all with Nicole Hutchinson, Patrik Walker and myself. The preview is also right here on DallasCowboys.com.
• Little This and That: For another good preview to training camp, with the Cowboys arriving in Oxnard, Calif., on Monday, grab a copy of the Cowboys' 2026 Training Camp Preview magazine, now available at Cowboys Pro Shops, at the training camp merchandise tent in Oxnard and online at dallascowboys.com/news/star-magazine/ … Also, the Cowboys' array of podcasts is set to begin, cranking back up on Wednesday from training camp, the day after the organization's opening press conference from Oxnard. That can be watched live here on DallasCowboys.com, scheduled to start at 1 p.m. (CDT) … Home is where the Cowboys offense has excelled, their 418.6 yard average at AT&T Stadium ranking No. 1 in the NFL, more than No. 2 Buffalo (401.2) and No. 3 LA Rams (393.5) … Pretty fancy company for Javonte Williams, having rushed for 11 touchdowns in his first season with the Cowboys. That trails only the first season of Ezekiel Elliott's 15 and Herschel Walker and Tony Dorsett with 12, while matching Emmitt Smith's 11.
And for this week's final word, let's get a preview primer from Dak Prescott ahead of what he might be saying next week during the opening of training camp. With the first practice scheduled for July 29 at the River Ridge Sports Complex in Oxnard, this comes from Dak's "Faith, Fight, Finish" Foundation Gala this past week, when, of course, he asked about the team's Super Bowl aspirations.
"Absolutely, each year you think that," Dak said of the Super Bowl possibilities. "When you have the last year as we did, the offense we did, you make changes. Got a great defensive coordinator, you got young guys, new guys, great mix of vets and us understanding what needs to be done.
"It is a journey, it's a process. Understand it's not going to happen in Week 1 of training camp, but we've got to make sure we are getting better every day, every moment we're together."
And playing in a Super Bowl is always the goal.
"That's what's left for me," Prescott went on to say this past Friday night. "It has always been my mindset. It's the one thing I truly love about the Cowboys organization, and the fanbase, is it's that or nothing. That's what being a competitor is. If that's not how you're wired, if that's not how you think, whether you're a fan or a player or coach, then I think you're in the wrong business. And, honestly, I don't want you on my team."
Well then, talk about setting a tone.
