5 best training camp battles for Cowboys in 2019

2. Second receiver

We move back to the offensive side of the ball for our next camp battle, which focuses on Dallas’ second wide receiver. The top of the Dallas pass catching chart is pretty set in some areas, with Amari Cooper as the No. 1 option and newly signed Randall Cobb set to replace Cole Beasley in the slot.

The outside receiver position opposite of Cooper is still up for grabs, however, and that fight will come down to a veteran against a younger player. The veteran is Allan Hurns, who is entering his second year in Dallas.

Hurns was Dallas’ first target to replace the departed Dez Bryant a year ago, but he was so underwhelming that the Cowboys boldly traded for Cooper to give Prescott a new target. Cooper’s arrival demoted Hurns into the second receiver’s role, a position he thrived in when he was a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The other choice is second year man Michael Gallup, who came on strong at the end of the season. Gallup saw his target share increase dramatically after Cooper’s arrival, a sign that he was starting to earn the trust of Prescott.

A lot of this will come down to which receiver develops the best chemistry with Prescott, and for the long term it would benefit the Cowboys for Gallup to become the second option behind Cooper. Hurns is a relatively known quantity, but Gallup has much more potential upside.