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Day 6 Camp Report: Cowboys return with extra pep in step after day off
Day 6 Camp Report: Cowboys return with extra pep in step after day off
By: Shawn Kairschner | 7 hours ago
After an off day, the Cowboys eased into the second phase of training camp 2018, a three-day stretch that gets us to a big weekend of hittin’, including the Blue-White scrimmage on Sunday, August 5. It was particularly important to ease into things Tuesday, not only because of Monday’s off day, but because of the energy spent over a weekend consisting of two vigorous, spirited practices.
Major Takeaways from Practice No. 5
During one of his weekend pressers, Jason Garrett noted his young team is, among other things, learning to practice: they need to learn how to do more than merely survive; they must learn to use practice actually to get better.
This is only possible when the team doesn’t allow passion—and, frankly, crankiness bred of fatigue—to exceed a certain limit point. Today’s practice was as salty a practice as I have seen since first attending camp in 2003. Saltiness is a good thing so long as it doesn’t jeopardize precision and lead to sloppiness.
Defensive coordinator Kris Richard spoke about walking the fine line.
Over the weekend, Garrett’s young team lived in the sweet spot where passionate play and technique happily co-exist. Unfortunately on Tuesday, his rested squad exceeded the limit point and, for moments during the afternoon, focus and technique suffered a bit.
This was most evident during the first “best-on-best” compete period, which carried the frenzied energy that built during the one-on-one passing drills.
It took a while to get things organized because the offensive and defensive guys were jawing with one another — strangely, the most vociferous of these exchanges was between Lance Lenoir and Kris Richard — and Garrett has to repeatedly tell Jourdan Lewis, no shrinking violet when it comes to trash talking, to get back before the drill could start.
What They Worked On
The section of the playbook from which today’s work was drawn was two-minute and hurry-up. We saw them working up-tempo during the various team and 7-on-7 periods. This culminated in an end-of-half hurry-up during the ending 11-on-11 period. As he usually does during this final team period, Jason Garrett decided to test his charges by introducing a game-like situation: teams tied 10-10 with fewer than two minutes remaining in the half, with the offense instructed to go into halftime with a lead.
Special Teams
In the first four practices, work on each special teams unit was broken down into discrete activities — the kickoff return was divvied up into the various levels of blocking, for instance.
Today saw Keith O’Quinn and his team dispense with this approach; all work on teams featured 11-on-11 work for the duration of the period.
To compensate for this, O’Quinn recruited a bevy of coaches, each of whom focused on a specific matchup, giving feedback after each rep. This allowed the players to work on spacing as a unit, but also to receive individual instruction on technique.
One potentially alarming note from watching the various teams units, given the new kickoff rules: the return team was setting up for their blocks at the 30-yard line, which meant that the return men were essentially untouched until they crossed the 25, where they were one cut from the 30-35 yard line.
I’m sure this will play out somewhat differently when there is hitting. Nonetheless, I suspect kickoffs will be somewhat boom-or-bust this season: with teams either kicking it out of the end zone or drives starting near mid-field.
Linebacker Work
I spent the majority of the day watching new linebackers coach Ben Bloom put his guys through their paces. I love mid-week practices since there is less general hubbub, allowing attentive fans to hear coach-player interactions. Bloom has a good relationship with his guys and strikes an enviable equipoise between hard coaching and creating a fun environment.
Weirdly, Sean Lee was padded up but didn’t participate in the practice. As a consequence, all the other LBs took one step up the depth chart. Free agent acquisition Joe Thomas found himself wearing Lee’s shoes, manning weak-side linebacker as well as one of the two LB spots on the first team nickel defense.
Watching Thomas work in Lee’s spots—and not seeing Jaylon Smith do so—I was struck by the thought that, were Lee to miss extended time, it would be Thomas, not Smith that would be Lee’s replacement.
This should not indicate a failure of some sort on Smith ‘s part. As has been reported by many observers, he looks to have regained most, if not all, of the suddenness and movement skills that he had in college. In click-and-close position drills, he showed superb change of direction, which translated nicely to the 7-on-7 and full team periods.
He offers a rare combination of size, quickness and diagnostic acumen, and has done yeoman’s work against both pass and run thus far in camp.
Assuming Lee remains healthy (fingers and toes crossed), Smith’s likely competitor for snaps is first rounder Leighton Vander Esch. During turnover drills, I watched LVE rumble along the sideline with a fumble return and was struck that I had seen his physical profile and running style before.
Suddenly, it hit me . . .
Vander Esch looks like Ken Norton, Jr.
The rookie from Boise State was in on some impressive stuffs in the running game and flashed the ability to run stride-for-stride with backs and tight ends—with the notable exception of one 7-on-7 rep against Blake Jarwin; he couldn’t keep up with the tight end on a crossing route that would have resulted in a nice gain if not for an errant Dak Prescott pass.
The additions of Vander Esch and Thomas seem to have made a group whose shallowness negatively impacted the 2017 season a much deeper and more talented group. In ranking the players in the linebacker room, it’s very possible last year’s starter on the strong side, Damien Wilson, is the fifth-best LB in 2018.
I like a LB unit where Wilson is a nice ace in the hole a lot more than one where he is regularly depended upon to make plays.
Evaluating the 2018 draft class
Speaking of new additions, I thought this might prove a good opportunity for an early assessment of the 2018 draft class. As noted above, first-rounder Vander Esch has been solid, if unspectacular. It’s quite possible that the realities of camp practice don’t allow him to showcase his particular strengths; it’s difficult to exhibit a physical presence when one cannot tackle ball carriers to the ground.
Second-round selection Connor Williams had been running with the first team since the start of camp, and this has not been a courtesy; rather, he has shown strength and quickness and — most impressive — the ability to use his feet to compensate for a lack of anchor. I believe third rounder Michel Gallup is the best receiver on the team and will be starting by mid-season; his smoothness and body control have been startling.
The Cowboys fourth round selections have been a mixed bag thus far. Defensive end Dorance Armstrong has acquitted himself very well; insiders say he has earned the right to some first-team snaps. Because he left midway through the first padded practice, we haven’t seen enough of tight end Dalton Schultz (paternity leave); before he left, however, he showed he is a smooth, natural pass catcher.
Fifth-round QB Mike While has the best arm in camp; the ball leaves his hand with a purpose. In addition, he has shown a deftness in the pocket, using subtle footwork to avoid the rush (which has often been fierce, as his third team O-line has generally been dominated by the third team D-line). The issue is this: his information processing is still a couple ticks slow, such that his rocket passes often arrive late.
The Cowboys two sixth rounders, LB Chris Covington and WR Cedrick Wilson, have yet to make much of an impression, unfortunately. If Wilson is to make one, it will not be this year; he was put on IR today. Even while watching the linebacker throughout practice, I didn’t notice Covington much. That’s an indictment of his play, my observational prowess, or both.
Finally, seventh rounder Bo Scarborough has been running third team and, as a consequence, hasn’t has a lot of opportunity. Like White, he has been hampered in team periods by an overmatched offensive line that has struggled to create running room (indeed, the most impressive thing he may have shown thus far is a jump-cut that has come largely because he hasn’t had any running room. That said, the former ‘Bama product had a couple of nice runs during team period today; he finished one carry by blasting UDFA safety Kam Kelly ion the middle of the field.
A few notes:
Tomorrow, I’ll be on the other side of the field, where the offense does its work. While I’ll try to take in all the position groups, I’m really looking forward to spending a good chunk of time watching new offensive line coach Paul Alexander and his gang of big uglies.
And that’s what’s so awesome about camp: I’ll be close enough to them that the earth will shake under my feet.
Day 6 Camp Report: Cowboys return with extra pep in step after day off
By: Shawn Kairschner | 7 hours ago
After an off day, the Cowboys eased into the second phase of training camp 2018, a three-day stretch that gets us to a big weekend of hittin’, including the Blue-White scrimmage on Sunday, August 5. It was particularly important to ease into things Tuesday, not only because of Monday’s off day, but because of the energy spent over a weekend consisting of two vigorous, spirited practices.
Major Takeaways from Practice No. 5
- Players often stepped across the line of being competitive, losing form and composure
- The team worked meticulously at the two-minute drill, hurry-up offense
- Kickoff return work gives sense it will be boom or bust in 2018
- Sean Lee’s backup may not be Jaylon Smith after all and the true comparison for Leighton Vander Esch isn’t Brian Urlacher
- It may not be 2016, but the draft class looks impressive early
During one of his weekend pressers, Jason Garrett noted his young team is, among other things, learning to practice: they need to learn how to do more than merely survive; they must learn to use practice actually to get better.
This is only possible when the team doesn’t allow passion—and, frankly, crankiness bred of fatigue—to exceed a certain limit point. Today’s practice was as salty a practice as I have seen since first attending camp in 2003. Saltiness is a good thing so long as it doesn’t jeopardize precision and lead to sloppiness.
Defensive coordinator Kris Richard spoke about walking the fine line.
Over the weekend, Garrett’s young team lived in the sweet spot where passionate play and technique happily co-exist. Unfortunately on Tuesday, his rested squad exceeded the limit point and, for moments during the afternoon, focus and technique suffered a bit.
This was most evident during the first “best-on-best” compete period, which carried the frenzied energy that built during the one-on-one passing drills.
It took a while to get things organized because the offensive and defensive guys were jawing with one another — strangely, the most vociferous of these exchanges was between Lance Lenoir and Kris Richard — and Garrett has to repeatedly tell Jourdan Lewis, no shrinking violet when it comes to trash talking, to get back before the drill could start.
What They Worked On
The section of the playbook from which today’s work was drawn was two-minute and hurry-up. We saw them working up-tempo during the various team and 7-on-7 periods. This culminated in an end-of-half hurry-up during the ending 11-on-11 period. As he usually does during this final team period, Jason Garrett decided to test his charges by introducing a game-like situation: teams tied 10-10 with fewer than two minutes remaining in the half, with the offense instructed to go into halftime with a lead.
Special Teams
In the first four practices, work on each special teams unit was broken down into discrete activities — the kickoff return was divvied up into the various levels of blocking, for instance.
Today saw Keith O’Quinn and his team dispense with this approach; all work on teams featured 11-on-11 work for the duration of the period.
To compensate for this, O’Quinn recruited a bevy of coaches, each of whom focused on a specific matchup, giving feedback after each rep. This allowed the players to work on spacing as a unit, but also to receive individual instruction on technique.
One potentially alarming note from watching the various teams units, given the new kickoff rules: the return team was setting up for their blocks at the 30-yard line, which meant that the return men were essentially untouched until they crossed the 25, where they were one cut from the 30-35 yard line.
I’m sure this will play out somewhat differently when there is hitting. Nonetheless, I suspect kickoffs will be somewhat boom-or-bust this season: with teams either kicking it out of the end zone or drives starting near mid-field.
Linebacker Work
I spent the majority of the day watching new linebackers coach Ben Bloom put his guys through their paces. I love mid-week practices since there is less general hubbub, allowing attentive fans to hear coach-player interactions. Bloom has a good relationship with his guys and strikes an enviable equipoise between hard coaching and creating a fun environment.
Weirdly, Sean Lee was padded up but didn’t participate in the practice. As a consequence, all the other LBs took one step up the depth chart. Free agent acquisition Joe Thomas found himself wearing Lee’s shoes, manning weak-side linebacker as well as one of the two LB spots on the first team nickel defense.
Watching Thomas work in Lee’s spots—and not seeing Jaylon Smith do so—I was struck by the thought that, were Lee to miss extended time, it would be Thomas, not Smith that would be Lee’s replacement.
This should not indicate a failure of some sort on Smith ‘s part. As has been reported by many observers, he looks to have regained most, if not all, of the suddenness and movement skills that he had in college. In click-and-close position drills, he showed superb change of direction, which translated nicely to the 7-on-7 and full team periods.
He offers a rare combination of size, quickness and diagnostic acumen, and has done yeoman’s work against both pass and run thus far in camp.
Assuming Lee remains healthy (fingers and toes crossed), Smith’s likely competitor for snaps is first rounder Leighton Vander Esch. During turnover drills, I watched LVE rumble along the sideline with a fumble return and was struck that I had seen his physical profile and running style before.
Suddenly, it hit me . . .
Vander Esch looks like Ken Norton, Jr.
The rookie from Boise State was in on some impressive stuffs in the running game and flashed the ability to run stride-for-stride with backs and tight ends—with the notable exception of one 7-on-7 rep against Blake Jarwin; he couldn’t keep up with the tight end on a crossing route that would have resulted in a nice gain if not for an errant Dak Prescott pass.
The additions of Vander Esch and Thomas seem to have made a group whose shallowness negatively impacted the 2017 season a much deeper and more talented group. In ranking the players in the linebacker room, it’s very possible last year’s starter on the strong side, Damien Wilson, is the fifth-best LB in 2018.
I like a LB unit where Wilson is a nice ace in the hole a lot more than one where he is regularly depended upon to make plays.
Evaluating the 2018 draft class
Speaking of new additions, I thought this might prove a good opportunity for an early assessment of the 2018 draft class. As noted above, first-rounder Vander Esch has been solid, if unspectacular. It’s quite possible that the realities of camp practice don’t allow him to showcase his particular strengths; it’s difficult to exhibit a physical presence when one cannot tackle ball carriers to the ground.
Second-round selection Connor Williams had been running with the first team since the start of camp, and this has not been a courtesy; rather, he has shown strength and quickness and — most impressive — the ability to use his feet to compensate for a lack of anchor. I believe third rounder Michel Gallup is the best receiver on the team and will be starting by mid-season; his smoothness and body control have been startling.
The Cowboys fourth round selections have been a mixed bag thus far. Defensive end Dorance Armstrong has acquitted himself very well; insiders say he has earned the right to some first-team snaps. Because he left midway through the first padded practice, we haven’t seen enough of tight end Dalton Schultz (paternity leave); before he left, however, he showed he is a smooth, natural pass catcher.
Fifth-round QB Mike While has the best arm in camp; the ball leaves his hand with a purpose. In addition, he has shown a deftness in the pocket, using subtle footwork to avoid the rush (which has often been fierce, as his third team O-line has generally been dominated by the third team D-line). The issue is this: his information processing is still a couple ticks slow, such that his rocket passes often arrive late.
The Cowboys two sixth rounders, LB Chris Covington and WR Cedrick Wilson, have yet to make much of an impression, unfortunately. If Wilson is to make one, it will not be this year; he was put on IR today. Even while watching the linebacker throughout practice, I didn’t notice Covington much. That’s an indictment of his play, my observational prowess, or both.
Finally, seventh rounder Bo Scarborough has been running third team and, as a consequence, hasn’t has a lot of opportunity. Like White, he has been hampered in team periods by an overmatched offensive line that has struggled to create running room (indeed, the most impressive thing he may have shown thus far is a jump-cut that has come largely because he hasn’t had any running room. That said, the former ‘Bama product had a couple of nice runs during team period today; he finished one carry by blasting UDFA safety Kam Kelly ion the middle of the field.
A few notes:
- The player of the day was Chido Awuzie, who had what some observers declared to be the best practice by a Cowboys cornerback that they had ever seen. He was tough and tenacious all afternoon, and capped off his day by making a superb and very physical play on a third-down pass to Cole Beasley to get his first-team defensive mates off the field during the final 11-on-11 scenario.
- After Chido’s gem, Cooper Rush led the second-team offense on a drive culminating with a Dan Bailey field goal with 6.2 seconds remaining on the clock. The big play was a conversion to Mekale McKay on third and 13. McKay stayed in bounds, and they had to hustle to get the ball spiked in time for Bailey’s boot.
- After some miscommunication between Prescott and Deonte Thompson during the last first-team rep of the 7-on-7 period, Prescott went down the field to discuss what his expectations were for the route. It was good to see the QB taking the time to get things right with one of his new wideouts; the discussion continued on the sideline for a few more plays.
- During the same 7-on-7 period—when the defensive linemen were on another part of the field going head-to-head with the offensive line—Kris Richard ran onto the field to mimic a defensive lineman dropping into a short zone to give all involved a more accurate look at the defense that was called. Richard is a great addition to the coaching staff; he runs everywhere, and is typically coated in sweat long before practice is over.
- Preseason is for coaches to get their timing right, too. During the no-huddle portions of practice, Scott Linehan took up a position on the sideline, using a walkie-talkie to call in the next play. I’m assuming the call went into the quarterback’s headset, as it does during games.
Tomorrow, I’ll be on the other side of the field, where the offense does its work. While I’ll try to take in all the position groups, I’m really looking forward to spending a good chunk of time watching new offensive line coach Paul Alexander and his gang of big uglies.
And that’s what’s so awesome about camp: I’ll be close enough to them that the earth will shake under my feet.
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From the article linked in the tweet:
You just KNEW he was a fat lazy piece of shit. Another fucking lout we need to make an example of by CUTTING IMMEDIATELY.
theoneandonly
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Jeff Heath is all over the place Wednesday
OXNARD, Calif. – Jeff Heath doesn’t get the respect he deserves from a lot of Cowboys fans. Some people just can’t seem to believe a kid from Saginaw Valley State can play.
While Earl Thomas has been on the tips of everybody’s tongue, Heath showed Wednesday he has playmaking skills.
In the blitz period, he put a big hit on tight end Geoff Swaim near the sideline after a short gain on a catch. Realizing that tackling is a no-no, Heath gave Swaim a pat on the helmet for an apology. In the seven-on-seven period, he came up with his first pick of camp, diving for a batted Dak Prescott pass by linebacker Joe Thomas down the seam.
He closed the first-teamers practice by breaking up an out route to Swaim.
On to the observations:
** Prescott completed his first seven passes in team and seven on seven drills to bring his running total for camp to 40 for 57.
**The most entertaining part of the one-on-one work was seeing WR Tavon Austin and CB Byron Jones go after it. On four separate reps, Austin went on go routes from just inside the 20. On the first two, Jones was in good position to breakup touchdowns. On the second two, Austin was able to come down with the pass while Jones was in decent position. A true draw in their matchup.
** DE Tyrone Crawford, WR Allen Hurns and LS L.P. Ladouceur were given veteran days off. Hurns said he did not want one but he relented and will be back to practice Thursday.
** With Crawford sitting and Taco Charlton dealing with a shoulder strain, Kony Ealy worked with the first team at right defensive end. With Charles Tapper also sick and Randy Gregory not practicing yet, Lewis Neal moved from his defensive tackle spot to end and had some positive moments.
** Scary moment of the day: Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick was rolled into by LT Cam Fleming in the play-action period of practice. Frederick was a little slow to get up but he did not miss a snap. On the play, WR Terrance Williams made a one-handed catch of a Prescott throw.
** A sign the Cowboys like TE Blake Jarwin. In the red-zone one-on-one work, he was the only tight end to line up out wide and run a route. He was able to make a nice grab of a perfect throw from Prescott over CB Duke Thomas. Later in seven on seven work, Prescott barely overthrew Jarwin, who had a step and a half on the defender, on a corner route that should have been a touchdown.
** LT Tyron Smith was on a limited practice plan again, taking two snaps in each team period with the first teamers. Smith said his back, which has caused him issues the last couple of years, has not been an issue so far in camp. He believes his early work in the offseason has alleviated the issue.
** TE Dalton Schultz, who missed two days to be at the birth of his child, was welcomed back to practice in a big way. LB Damien Wilson bowled him over in one-on-one pass rush drills in the individual compete period. He was able to end the day in a positive way with a touchdown catch from Cooper Rush with LB Leighton Vander Esch trailing.
** Offensive line coach Paul Alexander was on the ground for a brief moment when he was rolled up from behind by RB Trey Williams, who was fielding punts. Alexander didn’t miss a snap.
** The Cowboys have a full-padded practice Thursday before being off on Friday.
https://www.facebook.com/toddarcherNFLNation/posts/1814166368662165
OXNARD, Calif. – Jeff Heath doesn’t get the respect he deserves from a lot of Cowboys fans. Some people just can’t seem to believe a kid from Saginaw Valley State can play.
While Earl Thomas has been on the tips of everybody’s tongue, Heath showed Wednesday he has playmaking skills.
In the blitz period, he put a big hit on tight end Geoff Swaim near the sideline after a short gain on a catch. Realizing that tackling is a no-no, Heath gave Swaim a pat on the helmet for an apology. In the seven-on-seven period, he came up with his first pick of camp, diving for a batted Dak Prescott pass by linebacker Joe Thomas down the seam.
He closed the first-teamers practice by breaking up an out route to Swaim.
On to the observations:
** Prescott completed his first seven passes in team and seven on seven drills to bring his running total for camp to 40 for 57.
**The most entertaining part of the one-on-one work was seeing WR Tavon Austin and CB Byron Jones go after it. On four separate reps, Austin went on go routes from just inside the 20. On the first two, Jones was in good position to breakup touchdowns. On the second two, Austin was able to come down with the pass while Jones was in decent position. A true draw in their matchup.
** DE Tyrone Crawford, WR Allen Hurns and LS L.P. Ladouceur were given veteran days off. Hurns said he did not want one but he relented and will be back to practice Thursday.
** With Crawford sitting and Taco Charlton dealing with a shoulder strain, Kony Ealy worked with the first team at right defensive end. With Charles Tapper also sick and Randy Gregory not practicing yet, Lewis Neal moved from his defensive tackle spot to end and had some positive moments.
** Scary moment of the day: Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick was rolled into by LT Cam Fleming in the play-action period of practice. Frederick was a little slow to get up but he did not miss a snap. On the play, WR Terrance Williams made a one-handed catch of a Prescott throw.
** A sign the Cowboys like TE Blake Jarwin. In the red-zone one-on-one work, he was the only tight end to line up out wide and run a route. He was able to make a nice grab of a perfect throw from Prescott over CB Duke Thomas. Later in seven on seven work, Prescott barely overthrew Jarwin, who had a step and a half on the defender, on a corner route that should have been a touchdown.
** LT Tyron Smith was on a limited practice plan again, taking two snaps in each team period with the first teamers. Smith said his back, which has caused him issues the last couple of years, has not been an issue so far in camp. He believes his early work in the offseason has alleviated the issue.
** TE Dalton Schultz, who missed two days to be at the birth of his child, was welcomed back to practice in a big way. LB Damien Wilson bowled him over in one-on-one pass rush drills in the individual compete period. He was able to end the day in a positive way with a touchdown catch from Cooper Rush with LB Leighton Vander Esch trailing.
** Offensive line coach Paul Alexander was on the ground for a brief moment when he was rolled up from behind by RB Trey Williams, who was fielding punts. Alexander didn’t miss a snap.
** The Cowboys have a full-padded practice Thursday before being off on Friday.
https://www.facebook.com/toddarcherNFLNation/posts/1814166368662165
theoneandonly
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This guy is like a Japanese car. Just keeps going and going while performing flawlessly.
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Correct!
And if memory serves, the only Cowboy left who played in Texas Stadium.
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Cowboys offense has not crossed this line in practice. ‘We are not where we want to be’
BY CLARENCE E. HILL JR.
August 01, 2018 09:31 PM
OXNARD, CALIF.
Through one full week of Dallas Cowboys training camp, the offense remains a work in progress. Quarterback Dak Prescott and the first-team offense have yet to throw a touchdown pass in team or 7-on-7 work.
Credit goes to a highly competitive Cowboys defense that is much improved over past years. But the offense, which is trying to find its footing without tight end Jason Witten (retired) and receiver Dez Bryant (released), has visibly struggled with a new group of pass catchers.
“We are not where we want to be. We have to have better execution on offense,” offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. “We are still a work in progress and we are making strides but we have to make strides here quickly. Hopefully, we will be putting that ball in the end zone a lot this year.”
Here are four other things from Wednesday’s practice:
2. Coach Jason Garrett and offensive Scott Linehan attributed the lack of touchdowns in practice to the team doing no red zone work early in training camp. Well, the Cowboys did red zone work on Wednesday and the result was the same. Dak Prescott was high on what should have been an easy completion to tight end Blake Jarwin in 7-on-7. A successful drive in the first two-minute drill, which included back-to-back completions to rookie receiver Michael Gallup, led to a game-winning field goal.
A team red zone period that featured a nice pass to running back Ezekiel Elliott, who split out wide and caught a slant, ended at the 2-yard line when back-to-back passes to Jarwin and tight end Geoff Swaim fell incomplete.
3. Receiver Terrance Williams was a highlight on Wednesday as he got his first significant work with the first-team offense. He wowed the crowd and his teammates with a one-handed catch and then beat cornerback Byron Jones on a deep slant. It was an overall good day for Williams, whose public intoxication charge from the Frisco police department was dismissed. Rumors of his demise as part of a revamped receiver corps have been greatly exaggerated.
4. It was agent day at practice on Wednesday as running back Ezekiel Elliott’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, made an appearance along with quarterback Dak Prescott’s agent, Todd France. Arceneaux was excited to see Elliott looking fast and sleek in practice. He said Elliott’s quiet off-season was purposeful and that the team plans to release the long-awaited documentary of his workout regimen that started during his six weeks in Cabo San Lucas while under suspension last year. Arceneaux hopes to release it before the start of the season.
5. Defensive end Randy Gregory got some work in the morning walkthrough after passing his physical and being taken off the non-football injury list. Gregory didn’t do anything in the padded afternoon practice as the Cowboys will continue to be cautious in how they bring him back. He has not played or practiced since the season finale in 2016 after being suspended for repeated violations of the NFL drug policy. He is in good shape and has gained much-needed weight. He is listed at 242 pounds but says he is bigger than that. Gregory’s goal is to get some action in preseason and be ready for the season opener against the Carolina Panthers.
Read more here: Dallas Cowboys: Offense struggles in Oxnard training camp | Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Dallas Cowboys: Offense struggles in Oxnard training camp | Fort Worth Star-Telegram
BY CLARENCE E. HILL JR.
August 01, 2018 09:31 PM
OXNARD, CALIF.
Through one full week of Dallas Cowboys training camp, the offense remains a work in progress. Quarterback Dak Prescott and the first-team offense have yet to throw a touchdown pass in team or 7-on-7 work.
Credit goes to a highly competitive Cowboys defense that is much improved over past years. But the offense, which is trying to find its footing without tight end Jason Witten (retired) and receiver Dez Bryant (released), has visibly struggled with a new group of pass catchers.
“We are not where we want to be. We have to have better execution on offense,” offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. “We are still a work in progress and we are making strides but we have to make strides here quickly. Hopefully, we will be putting that ball in the end zone a lot this year.”
Here are four other things from Wednesday’s practice:
2. Coach Jason Garrett and offensive Scott Linehan attributed the lack of touchdowns in practice to the team doing no red zone work early in training camp. Well, the Cowboys did red zone work on Wednesday and the result was the same. Dak Prescott was high on what should have been an easy completion to tight end Blake Jarwin in 7-on-7. A successful drive in the first two-minute drill, which included back-to-back completions to rookie receiver Michael Gallup, led to a game-winning field goal.
A team red zone period that featured a nice pass to running back Ezekiel Elliott, who split out wide and caught a slant, ended at the 2-yard line when back-to-back passes to Jarwin and tight end Geoff Swaim fell incomplete.
3. Receiver Terrance Williams was a highlight on Wednesday as he got his first significant work with the first-team offense. He wowed the crowd and his teammates with a one-handed catch and then beat cornerback Byron Jones on a deep slant. It was an overall good day for Williams, whose public intoxication charge from the Frisco police department was dismissed. Rumors of his demise as part of a revamped receiver corps have been greatly exaggerated.
4. It was agent day at practice on Wednesday as running back Ezekiel Elliott’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, made an appearance along with quarterback Dak Prescott’s agent, Todd France. Arceneaux was excited to see Elliott looking fast and sleek in practice. He said Elliott’s quiet off-season was purposeful and that the team plans to release the long-awaited documentary of his workout regimen that started during his six weeks in Cabo San Lucas while under suspension last year. Arceneaux hopes to release it before the start of the season.
5. Defensive end Randy Gregory got some work in the morning walkthrough after passing his physical and being taken off the non-football injury list. Gregory didn’t do anything in the padded afternoon practice as the Cowboys will continue to be cautious in how they bring him back. He has not played or practiced since the season finale in 2016 after being suspended for repeated violations of the NFL drug policy. He is in good shape and has gained much-needed weight. He is listed at 242 pounds but says he is bigger than that. Gregory’s goal is to get some action in preseason and be ready for the season opener against the Carolina Panthers.
Read more here: Dallas Cowboys: Offense struggles in Oxnard training camp | Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Dallas Cowboys: Offense struggles in Oxnard training camp | Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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Interesting blog post I saw earlier at CZ (will try and put it up later when I find it again) but basically they are saying Kris Richard is really running the defense and said pretty much the scheme and all the concepts are all Seahawks stuff now.