ÃÛÌÒTV

(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)

Is there a certain player who you want to see make some plays when the pads come on? We all know what Caleb Downs is going to do, but is there anyone else? And it doesn't have to be just the rookies. – Matthew Friday*/Broken Arrow, OK*

Kurt: We definitely can't leave out Downs, right? I think we're all excited to see what kind of player he's going to be. There are a heap of expectations on the shoulders of this kid, so everyone is looking forward to his training camp debut, including his teammates.

As far as others, among the rookies there is Malachi Lawrence, the second first-round pick, and Jaishawn Barham, a third-rounder who seems to be getting some buzz. Having both these guys step right in during their first year would go a long way toward improving the defense.

In taking a peek at the veterans, I think Shavon Revel enters his second campaign with big hopes, especially after his rookie season was stalled due to his knee injury. This is another player the Cowboys need to make an impact for Christian Parker. From young to old, you also have Rashan Gary. He's a veteran with plenty of skins on the wall, and he has been seen as a big addition to this defense. Seeing just how much of an impact he can have with the team, both on the field and off, will be interesting to track.

Guess I focused on the defense here, but perhaps the most obvious player everyone is wondering about is Tyler Guyton. His first two seasons were a rollercoaster at best, but he's reportedly had a great offseason. Let's now see if he can continue that improvement when the pads do come on and win the starting left tackle job.

Nick: Well, there's about 90 guys you want to see make plays, but I get the nature of your question. And yes, Caleb Downs is at the top of the list for all of us. We think he's going to be a superstar but he has to prove it like everyone else.

But speaking of everyone else, the first guy who comes to mind is Jayden Blue. He's a dynamic playmaker – or at least he was in college – and here in Year 2, it's his time to showcase those skills again. We've heard about some maturity this year and how he's ready to take that big leap that most players make from the rookie season to the next. And the Cowboys could actually use that guy if we're being honest about it. Javonte Williams is a great, hard-nosed runner, but he doesn't exactly have that home-run mentality.

You could argue that none of the other backs have it, but Blue is the fastest of the group. We want to see him make those kind of plays. I've been on record of saying that Malik Davis is probably going to handle the RB2 duties but that doesn't mean we won't all be holding our breath to see what Jayden Blue is going to do with some opportunities. That's my pick of the guy I'd like to see make some plays and make this RB2 spot a lot more interesting.