Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer takes the field for a training camp practice on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)
OXNARD, Calif. — There’s a possibility the Cowboys’ first-round draft picks, safety Caleb Downs and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, will play in the preseason opener at Seattle. A few weeks ago, coach Brian Schottenheimer said he wasn’t sure if some rookies, particularly Downs, would play in the preseason. Downs plays slot corner and deep safety and giving him snaps in a live game is vital for his development. Lawrence is part of a rotation of pass rushers and gets more work on the second-team defense. “We're still working through the rotations, who's going to play,” Schottenheimer said before Thursday’s practice. “I think at some point they'll both play a little bit of football, but we're working through that now and get through [Thursday’s] practice and have a few more meetings to finalize it. But I would expect you'll probably see both of them play a little bit.” If either of the players participate Saturday night, it could be in a limited fashion. Team owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the threat of having a soft tissue injury is something the team wants to avoid with any of their players, especially the first-round picks. Lawrence expects to play against the Seahawks. “I'm getting better every day,” he said. “I'm just testing that 1% every day, but I'm enjoying camp so far. I think it's going good.” Schottenheimer and Adams calling plays At various stages of training camp, offensive coordinator Klayton Adams has called the offensive plays. He did so in Tuesday’s joint practice against the Los Angeles Rams. Schottenheimer said Adams will call a handful of plays in the preseason opener Saturday. Is this the start of Adams eventually taking over for Schottenheimer? “My job as a head coach is to develop this staff,” Schottenheimer said. “Not just Klayton, but [quarterbacks coach] Steve Shimko, [secondary coach] Ryan Smith, [defensive passing game] Derek Ansley, [inside linebackers] Scott Symons. And so that's just one way that I can help Klayton.” Schottenheimer said he’s not interested in becoming, as Jerry Jones likes to say, “a walkaround coach,” meaning a CEO-type. “I bounce around way more than I did [last year],” said Schottenheimer, entering his second-year as head coach. “I'm in and out of different things. I'll still, obviously, be very involved in the game planning, but I think I understand the time constraints and what that looks like during the [regular] season. And I don't like that word CEO, so I'm not going to say that because I still love being hands-on. But, yes, I'm moving around a little bit more. I trust my staff. They're a great staff and actually, I can learn a lot listening to them.” Practice news and notes In the last team practice before the preseason opener, Dak Prescott completed 10 of 21 passes and was picked off by safety Markquese Bell. Joe Milton, who got second-team snaps, was 7-for-9 and was picked off by middle linebacker Curtis Robinson. Sam Howell was 6-for-8 on the afternoon and was picked off by defensive tackle D.J. Withers after his pass was tipped by James Houston. Kicker Brandon Aubrey went 4 of 6 on field goal attempts. It was the first time in camp he’d miss two kicks. Those misses were from 27 (hitting the right upright) and 44 yards (wide left). Schottenheimer said a decision hasn’t been made on if defensive coordinator Christian Parker will call the plays from the sideline or the coach’s box. Receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (knee) missed practice. He was scheduled for an MRI exam to determine the extent of his injuries. Linebacker Jaishawn Barham (groin), corner Zion Childress (hamstring) and defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard (groin/abdomen) missed practice. Celebrity appearance Actor Dustin Hoffman watched practice in the coach’s tower with the front office Thursday. Hoffman took pictures with Jerry Jones, Schottenheimer and Prescott after practice. “I don’t know anything about football so I think they’re great,” Hoffman said as he walked off the practice field. Jerry Jones said one of his favorite movies with Hoffman is "The Graduate."
Dustin Hoffman attended Cowboys practice today. pic.twitter.com/UHQ3BenBEB — Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) August 13, 2026 "At the wedding, his girl was getting married to somebody else," Jones said as he mimicked Hoffman's character banging on a window in the movie. "And I liked him in "Marathon Man", too. Yeah, when they pulled his teeth. I teased him. He's a great guy. He's a really great guy." Subscribe Sign up for the Morning Roundup, a free newsletter delivering the latest North Texas news each morning. This article originally published at What we learned at Cowboys camp Thursday: Downs, Lawrence playtime; big guest visits practice.