bbgun

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Cowboys coach Jason Garrett is calling this weekend a "rookie orientation" for his new players.

The Cowboys' three-day rookie minicamp begins Friday at The Star in Frisco, and Garrett will introduce the team's fresh faces to the way Dallas handles business.

"We're going to teach them a lot of football, but the tempo and pace of practice will be very similar to what we do in the mornings at training camp," Garrett said. "They won't be going full speed."

The Cowboys' rookies will practice twice Friday, twice Saturday and once Sunday. Also, they'll be introduced to the club's strength and conditioning program Friday and Saturday, Garrett said.

"Really what we want them to do is try to lay a physical foundation for what we're going to ask them to do going forward instead of going full speed right away and then kind of dialing it back," Garrett said. "It's a better way for them to transition. We want to put them in competitive situations to see what we have, but we just think it's better to pull back a little bit, a lot of instruction about how we do things, what we're doing and expose them to a lot of scheme early on, but the pace of practice will be a little slower."

Here are five things to watch for from the minicamp:

1. Who will emerge at tight end?

One of the key storylines to follow all offseason will begin Friday: Who will step up at tight end now that 11-time Pro Bowler Jason Witten has retired?

All eyes this weekend will be on fourth-round pick Dalton Schultz, a tight end out of Stanford. Also, undrafted rookie tight end David Wells from San Diego State gets his first chance to impress coaches.

Geoff Swaim is now the veteran of the Cowboys' tight ends room, with only nine catches for 94 yards over three seasons.

The Cowboys will have eight or nine non-rookies participating in this weekend's minicamp, Garrett said, but tight ends Rico Gathers and Blake Jarwin won't be among them.

That should give Schultz and Wells ample opportunity to shine.

2. Leighton Vander Esch hits the field

This will be the first time to see No. 19 overall pick Leighton Vander Esch on the field. The Boise State linebacker will compete with Jaylon Smith for the starting middle linebacker job.

Vander Esch has been praised for his rare combination of size (6-4, 256) and agility. He finished last season with 141 tackles.

The Cowboys believe Vander Esch is capable of forcing turnovers in the middle of the field because of his ability to play sideline to sideline.

3. Could Michael Gallup be a No. 1 receiver?

The Cowboys have made it clear: They will move forward this season without a clear No. 1 receiver after releasing Dez Bryant last month.

Dallas will begin the offseason incorporating a receiver-by-committee approach with the hope that a No. 1 receiver emerges for Dak Prescott.

Perhaps that could be third-round pick Michael Gallup. The Colorado State receiver wins on routes like Bryant did, with his physicality and ability to outjump defenders for the ball.

Once the Cowboys advance to one-on-one drills in offseason practices, he'll be a must-watch against Dallas' secondary.

4. Can undrafted rookies help at safety?

The pressure will be on the Cowboys' safeties to make a good first impression, with executive vice president Stephen Jones saying Wednesday that Dallas could still add a veteran free agent at the position.

The Cowboys need a starting free safety now that Byron Jones has moved back to cornerback. They're left thin at the position and didn't address the need in the draft.

However, they signed three undrafted rookie free agent safeties -- San Diego State's Kameron Kelly, Northwestern's Kyle Queiro and Oregon's Tyree Robinson --and they'll get their first chance to make their mark at the minicamp.

Kelly could be the best of the three. Scouts say he's an aggressive run defender who competes with a physical edge.

5. Can QB Mike White earn a roster spot?

The Cowboys could end up carrying three quarterbacks on their final roster after using a fifth-round pick on Western Kentucky's Mike White.

White gets his first chance Friday to compete for the backup quarterback job against Cooper Rush, who went undrafted in 2017 out of Central Michigan.

White (6-4, 225) has a close relationship with new Cowboys quarterbacks coach Kellen Moore. How the former South Florida quarterback performs early on could dictate how many reps he gets come training camp.
 

NoMoRedJ

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Cowboys coach Jason Garrett is calling this weekend a "rookie orientation" for his new players.

More like a Garrett BS session.

The more I see of Red the less I like him. The Red Fraud will be peddling his :crapcheer
 

theoneandonly

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The desperation for content never ceases to amaze. All these key questions are going to be answered watching these guys run around in gym shorts a t shirts this weekend. I am just waiting for additions to the injury list.
 

NoMoRedJ

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The desperation for content never ceases to amaze. All these key questions are going to be answered watching these guys run around in gym shorts a t shirts this weekend. I am just waiting for additions to the injury list.

24 hour news cycle. Garrett is about as interesting as an empty cardboard box.
 
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24 hour news cycle. Garrett is about as interesting as an empty cardboard box.

That is why I've stated in the past that a cardboard cut out of Garrett on the sidelines would be no serious drop off from the real deal. Possibly better since the cut out isn't sentient, it won't make stupid decisions during 2 minute warnings.
 

ThoughtExperiment

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I am just waiting for additions to the injury list.
They're doing everything in their power to keep that from happening... by doing as little as possible.

Spagnola Heir Apparent Todd Archer was arguing today that they had to be extremely cautious in these camps because these players haven't done anything football related in many months. Apparently to him -- and the team -- all that combine training of running, jumping, and lifting isn't football related at all.
 

Doomsday

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That is why I've stated in the past that a cardboard cut out of Garrett on the sidelines would be no serious drop off from the real deal. Possibly better since the cut out isn't sentient,
Neither is Garrett.
 
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