Cowboys can't think of home yet
OXNARD, Calif. – After Monday’s practice, the Cowboys have just one more full-padded workout scheduled for their time in Oxnard if Jason Garrett follows the plan from last week.
The Cowboys are off on Tuesday and then will practice Wednesday and Thursday before returning to Dallas on Friday. Leading into the preseason opener last week at the San Francisco 49ers, Garrett kept the Cowboys out of pads two days before the game.
But Garrett will reserve the right to change his mind, especially if he doesn’t like the effort his sees from his players as they eye the return home.
“We’re just getting started. This is an incredible environment to practice football, the weather her is
incredible, the people are so nice to us here in Oxnard. We love practicing here,” Garrett said. “This idea that we’re somehow trying to get out of this training camp, that’s not really real life. We’re just going to
change where we do training camp and we’ll get back to the Star and we’ll get back to work after we play Cincinnati on Saturday night.”
On to the observations:
** Dak Prescott was 12 of 21 in team and seven on seven drills Monday but one of the incompletions came when he spiked the ball to stop the clock in the final situational work. He was able to deliver a touchdown pass to WR Allen Hurns on a scramble play on fourth down, leading the veteran receiver to the pylon.
In seven on seven work, he threw touchdown passes to Ezekiel Elliott out of the backfield and hit Hurns down the middle of the field. That Hurns’ TD might not have come in a real game with safeties Xavier Woods and Kavon Frazier closing in fast.
For camp, Prescott is 109 of 160 in team and seven on seven drills.
** Rookie DE Dorance Armstrong continues to make plays. He batted down a Prescott pass after the quarterback spun out to his left. He might have been able to drop Elliott for loss on a delayed run up the middle.
** LB Joe Thomas had a would-be sack of QB Cooper Rush with the second team. Thomas has been making plays in the run and pass game and showed he was able to get home with a pass rush too. He
** DE DeMarcus Lawrence is known for his pass rush and his ability to play the run, but one of the more impressive things he did Monday was drop in coverage on a deep in route and find himself nearly able to break up the pass. He can move.
** Prescott and Mike White were a little late with throws to the back of the end zone to TEs Geoff Swaim and Blake Jarwin. Both players had a step on the tight end but the linebackers were able to recover in time to make the pass more difficult than it needed to be.
** Tyron Smith did not work in any team or individual pass rush drills as the Cowboys monitor the Pro Bowl left tackle’s work. Cameron Fleming worked with the starters and had a good day. He stuffed Taco Charlton on a spin move in the compete period and did not appear to give up any pressures during the practice. The Cowboys have improved themselves at the swing tackle spot.
** S Jeff Heath left practice early with a sprained ankle. He wanted to go back in but passing game coordinator Kris Richard told him to sit. Kavon Frazier replaced Heath with the first team. The Cowboys are thin at the safety spot with undrafted rookie Tyree Robinson working with the second unit. If the Cowboys don’t make a major play for Earl Thomas, they need to find some sort of veteran presence as a backup to Heath, Xavier Woods and Frazier.
** DT Maliek Collins was moved off the physically unable to perform list on Monday but he did not practice. He did lead the team through jumping jacks and then took the first-team snaps at the under tackle spot in the pre-practice work that is at walkthrough speed. After that he spent time continuing to rehab and condition from the offseason foot surgery. Not sure why there is any question as to him playing in the season opener, barring a setback. That’s been the plan all along.
** K Dan Bailey made all eight field goal attempts in special teams and 11 on 11 work. He is now 36 of 41 for training camp. He’s fine.
** DT Antwaun Woods has proven to be a difficult matchup at times for Pro Bowl C Travis Frederick. He was able to beat Frederick with a swim move in the one-on-one pass rush work. For the first time in camp Daniel Ross worked next to Woods as the three technique. That had been either Jihad Ward or Datone Jones for a good portion of camp.
