Cowboys’ unpadded camp work highlights early emphasis on running backs who can catch

The Dallas Cowboys finished their second practice of training camp on Thursday afternoon, still without pads as the springboard for camp continues to prioritize installation, pace, and skill work. In the absence of full contact, unpadded practices naturally tilt toward the offense, and especially toward position groups whose value shows up in space. According to Yahoo Sports, that dynamic was noticeable on Thursday, with the Cowboys’ running back usage standing out as the focus moved toward how the backs fit into the passing game.

Unpadded sessions are often where coaches test route timing, target reads, and coverage recognition. With defensive contact limited, running backs can work more freely on split-flow concepts, check-down paths, and catches on quick rhythm throws. Yahoo Sports’ report frames the early camp days as “fun” in large part because the practice environment makes it easier for playmakers to show hands, handspeed, and comfort in traffic, skills that become harder to evaluate once pads arrive.

For Dallas, the practical point of those early repetitions is that the Cowboys can evaluate how their running backs operate as receiving options even before the physicality ramps up. The “RB situation” being worked on in camp, as described by Yahoo Sports, is not just about who runs best between the tackles. It is also about who can stay on the field for third downs, who can win matchups against linebackers in man coverage, and who can turn short targets into chunk gains after the catch.

Thursday’s practice being the second day also matters because camp is staged in layers. The earliest days of a new block tend to build timing between quarterbacks and skill players, and then those timing drills become more structured as the week moves forward. When the offense is running routes and passing concepts without pads, it can reveal whether a running back is syncing up with quarterbacks quickly, whether the backs are earning separation in underneath windows, and whether the play design keeps them involved even when the defense is at full speed in terms of coverage responsibilities.

The larger context is that NFL training camps typically follow a predictable arc. Unpadded work is designed to reduce injury risk while players learn and repeat assignments. Once pads come on, the emphasis often shifts toward physical execution, tackling, leverage, and durability. By placing heavy focus on how running backs contribute in the passing game before contact ramps up, the Cowboys can start to sort out personnel and usage patterns early, then verify them later when contact changes the equation.

What to watch next is how the Cowboys carry this early emphasis once pads and more physical defensive work begin. The key questions for the next phase are whether the same running backs who stand out in unpadded catches can maintain that effectiveness with contact, and how quickly offensive coordinators can integrate those roles into full-speed third-down looks. If the early camp attention to pass-catching continues in later practices, it can report a stable plan for involving running backs in multiple play types, not only as check-down options but as structured parts of the game plan.