OXNARD, Calif. – After a long drive along Pacific Coast Highway, the Dallas Cowboys found themselves in Oxnard, California on the eve of their official training camp report day.
Upon arrival, Dallas veteran offensive lineman Tyler Smith veered to the right of the hotel entryway for a quick check-in with the media.
Smith is embracing a newfound leadership role amongst his fellow lineman now that star left tackle Tyron Smith is with the Jets.
“We’ve got extremely high expectations,” said Smith. “I feel like the most important thing is to just hit the ground running — make sure we’re up to date on the playbook, doing the things that we need to do so that when we practice and we’re going full speed, there’s no hesitation.”
When the team finished funneling into the hotel, it was confirmed that the CeeDee Lamb holdout will continue into camp. The star wide receiver is seeking a long-term contract with the team that drafted him in 2020.
“Honestly, you got to look at their side of things and understand it,” said cornerback Jourdan Lewis of CeeDee Lamb’s ongoing contract negotiations. “You gotta take care of your family. That comes first. So, I understand what they’re doing and we just got to go out there and, try to prepare as best we can without them, you know? Or is how how long we will be without them.”
The Cowboys’ training camp schedule won’t start the way it has in years past. The team will still practice on Thursday, but Jerry Jones and other members of the front office won’t speak to the media until Saturday due to Jones’ civil trial conflict.
