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Dallas Cowboys' goal in 2017: Show staying power

The Dallas Cowboys open training camp on July 24 at the River Ridge Residence Inn in Oxnard, California. Here's a closer look at the Cowboys' camp:

Top storyline: Can the Cowboys do it again? They surprised many with their 13-3 season in 2016 despite Tony Romo being relegated to spectator because of a compression fracture in his back. They enter this season with high expectations, thanks to a young core mixed with talented veterans. The Cowboys believe second-year stars Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott will not let success go to their heads, and veterans such as Jason Witten and Sean Lee can keep the team grounded in reality.\

The Cowboys' theme is "recommit" as they look to post back-to-back seasons with double-digit victories for the first time since 1995-96. In 2015, the Cowboys followed up a 12-4 season with a disastrous 4-12 campaign, the second-worst of the Jerry Jones era. With the owner and general manager going into the Hall of Fame this summer, the Cowboys want to show they have staying power.

QB depth chart: A year ago, Prescott entered camp battling Jameill Showers for the No. 3 job behind Romo and Kellen Moore. Now Prescott has an Offensive Rookie of the Year award and Pro Bowl appearance to his credit. Moore, who missed last season with an ankle injury suffered the first week of camp, returns as the backup and has the blessing of coordinator Scott Linehan. Zac Dysert and Cooper Rush are in contention for the No. 3 spot, but the Cowboys might carry only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.

Bubble watch: Wide receiver Brice Butler had a great offseason, but he must carry it into training camp to secure a roster spot. If Butler performs this summer as he did during the spring, the Cowboys' receiving corps would take a jump. Center/guard Joe Looney was active for every game last season, but with Jonathan Cooper taking center snaps in the spring, Looney's spot would be in jeopardy.

That rookie could start: The Cowboys took Taco Charlton in the first round so he could impact their pass rush. With David Irving due to miss the first four games because of suspension, Charlton will push for a starting spot at either defensive end spot. Don't be surprised if second-round pick Chidobe Awuzie works his way into the mix at cornerback.

Secondary as primary: The Cowboys lost more than 2,500 snaps with the free-agent defections of Brandon Carr, Barry Church, Morris Claiborne and J.J. Wilcox. The only major free-agent addition was cornerback Nolan Carroll. They are counting on improvement from within, from the likes of Jeff Heath, Byron Jones and Anthony Brown. Dallas also selected four secondary players in the draft. How quickly this group comes together in the summer will go a long way in determining the potential success this winter.

Still dominant: The Cowboys have boasted one of the best offensive lines in football the past three seasons, but they lost Ronald Leary to free agency and Doug Free to retirement. There are questions about Cooper at left guard and La'el Collins at right tackle, but the Cowboys believe the standard set by Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin will lift the level of play of whomever fills out the line.

For daily updates at camp, check out the Dallas Cowboys clubhouse page.