Cowboys special teams coach John Fassel says to expect 'pretty wild' training camp competition
Most know that the Dallas Cowboys are expecting an open competition at kicker this offseason, but special teams coach John Fassel told reporters that figuring out the entire special teams group this training camp will be “pretty wild.”
“There’s a few [spots] on special teams where it’s wide open,” Fassel said, via DallasCowboys.com. “So, training camp should be pretty wild.”
Dallas lost two key special teams contributors in free agency and there are several more spots up for grabs as rookies and younger players work to unseat their more veteran counterparts.
Noah Brown, now with the Houston Texans, was a versatile component of the blocking scheme, while new Titans linebacker Luke Gifford was one of the top tacklers on special teams last season.
“We’ve talked about that with our vets and with our rookies the last couple days,” Fassel said before the Cowboys begin OTAs on Tuesday. “Noah was a fantastic special teams guy for us. Gifford was one of the best in the league — great special teams guy for us, and we were the first ones to congratulate him on a new opportunity with the door open for somebody else to step in to fill that.”
Fassel: It’s ‘open competition’
Special teams can be one of the best ways to make the official roster if late-round picks or undrafted free agents can’t carved out a role on offense or defense. Most roles on offense and defense already have returning starters but the third phase of the game will provide the most opportunity for some lineup newcomers.
“Whether it’s [Devin] Harper or [Jabril] Cox or Damone [Clark], [DeMarvion] Overshown, [Tyrus Wheat], Isaiah [Land], and whoever else we have in here,” Fassel said, listing some of the more promising prospects to keep an eye on. “And then, at receiver, I think that’s going to be an awesome competition for Noah’s kind of role, that fourth receiver, special teams guy, whether it’s [Jalen] Tolbert or [Dennis] Houston or [Dontario] Drummond or [Jalen Moreno-Cropper] or any of the guys we have.
“They know that it’s open competition and there’s not room for everybody. We don’t put pressure on it. We say this is competition, help your teammate out, challenge them, make each other better, and there will be some really cool battles where our team has a lot of spots that are ‘he’s going to be the starter, he’s going to be the starter, he’s going to be the starter.'”
One 2023 draftee likely to get a spot on special teams is former Kansas State star Deuce Vaughn. Although he’s just 5-foot-5, what he lacks in stature, he makes up for in effort and on special teams, effort is often the name of the game.
“I don’t really project him as far as a role,” Fassel said of Vaughn. “The vision for him is [to] get some punt return work in, some kick return work in [in minicamp]. I think it’s to play punt protection, whether it’s PP or a wing. Then, you know, like everybody, see what they can do on kickoff.”