Next week, the Dallas Cowboys start their OTAs and finish the offseason program after that with the full minicamp. That begins the long, dry spell until training camp comes around. For many of us, that is the real beginning of the NFL season. Yes, we know it is just practices, and the offseason games don’t count.
Well, not exactly. Those practices and games before the regular season do count a lot in one respect. That is where the staff decides who to keep on the roster, and what roles they will fill. It is why we follow a bunch of drills and watch games whose lineups have almost none of the regular season starters on the field.