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Dallas Cowboys receiver Kevin Ogletree hopes to resume ascent
08:53 PM CDT on Friday, August 20, 2010
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
dmoore@dallasnews.com
SAN DIEGO – Kevin Ogletree sparked excitement with the way he finished last season.
The gentle, SoCal breezes may have reignited that spark.
The Cowboys receiver was given a golden opportunity to make a move the last three weeks with Dez Bryant sidelined. A nondescript start to training camp in San Antonio and two lackluster preseason performances stalled that effort.
But Ogletree has made the coaches take notice in practice the last several days. He looks more and more like a player on the rise instead of one who appeared to hit a wall earlier in camp.
"I'm just growing as a player," Ogletree said. "I don't know how far off or ahead I am of last year, but every day I come out here with a worker's mentality."
Ogletree caught one pass for eight yards in the loss to Oakland and dropped two others. A player who turned heads in camp this time last year has caught only three of the 12 passes thrown his way in two preseason games.
After the team's first practice in Oxnard six days ago, receivers coach Ray Sherman acknowledged that Ogletree "has hit a plateau." Still, he complimented the young receiver on his attitude and work ethic.
"I had a couple of missed opportunities in the game, but I don't think I've ever hit a plateau," said Ogletree, who had seven catches for 96 yards last season. "There are some days that don't go as good as other ones, but no one is harder on myself than me.
"It's a game about opportunities. When you miss one, you got to get back out there and do your best to make the next one."
Ogletree was on the field for 40 snaps in the loss to the Raiders on top of the time he put in on special teams. In Sherman's words, "he was still hauling."
What Ogletree must do now is clean up his route running and focus.
"Sometimes, it's hard for guys to fight through it and understand how to come to work every day, how to come to work every play," offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said.
"He's a guy who has really shown up since he's gotten here. He makes a lot of nice plays, can really run routes, catch the ball, do stuff underneath, do stuff down the field, do a lot of those things. Like with other players we've had in the past, the challenge is consistency. You need to be there every down.
"Kevin, like a lot of other players on our team, is learning to do that on a consistent basis."
Starters to play first half: The first-team offense and defense are scheduled to play about the entire first half in tonight's exhibition at San Diego. Coach Wade Phillips reserved the right to change the plan if substitutions are required or a unit gets enough plays.
"It depends on how we're executing," Phillips said. "We'll have a number of plays and see where we are. If they need more work, you work them in the game."
Quarterback Tony Romo could get about 35 plays. He had 30 plays in the first two exhibitions combined.
Inside linebacker Sean Lee and safety-kick returner Akwasi Owusu-Ansah are scheduled to make their debuts. Each missed the first two exhibitions.
Another tight end: Martin Rucker, the eighth tight end on the Cowboys' roster during training camp, remained behind to continue rehabilitation work on a strained hamstring. Rucker failed a physical with Tampa Bay last week because of the injury, but the Cowboys hope that he joins practices Monday.
"It's a huge opportunity for me," Rucker said. ``I've got to pick things up quickly so I can play fast."
The Cowboys could have taken Rucker in the 2008 draft but passed. They sent a fourth-round pick to Cleveland in return for a third-rounder in the 2009 draft. Cleveland used the choice to select Rucker, but he was released last September after failing to develop blocking and special-teams skills. The Cowboys used the pick obtained from Cleveland to select inside linebacker Jason Williams.
Briefly: Defensive end Jason Hatcher is still bothered by a hyperextended left elbow, an injury incurred early in camp. Hatcher has been credited with taking part in only two tackles in two exhibitions. ... The Cowboys have four takeaways in two exhibitions. A year ago, the Cowboys had only three takeaways in four exhibitions and tied for the fifth-lowest total of takeaways in the regular season with 21.
Staff Writer Gerry Fraley contributed to this report.
• • •
08:53 PM CDT on Friday, August 20, 2010
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
dmoore@dallasnews.com
SAN DIEGO – Kevin Ogletree sparked excitement with the way he finished last season.
The gentle, SoCal breezes may have reignited that spark.
The Cowboys receiver was given a golden opportunity to make a move the last three weeks with Dez Bryant sidelined. A nondescript start to training camp in San Antonio and two lackluster preseason performances stalled that effort.
But Ogletree has made the coaches take notice in practice the last several days. He looks more and more like a player on the rise instead of one who appeared to hit a wall earlier in camp.
"I'm just growing as a player," Ogletree said. "I don't know how far off or ahead I am of last year, but every day I come out here with a worker's mentality."
Ogletree caught one pass for eight yards in the loss to Oakland and dropped two others. A player who turned heads in camp this time last year has caught only three of the 12 passes thrown his way in two preseason games.
After the team's first practice in Oxnard six days ago, receivers coach Ray Sherman acknowledged that Ogletree "has hit a plateau." Still, he complimented the young receiver on his attitude and work ethic.
"I had a couple of missed opportunities in the game, but I don't think I've ever hit a plateau," said Ogletree, who had seven catches for 96 yards last season. "There are some days that don't go as good as other ones, but no one is harder on myself than me.
"It's a game about opportunities. When you miss one, you got to get back out there and do your best to make the next one."
Ogletree was on the field for 40 snaps in the loss to the Raiders on top of the time he put in on special teams. In Sherman's words, "he was still hauling."
What Ogletree must do now is clean up his route running and focus.
"Sometimes, it's hard for guys to fight through it and understand how to come to work every day, how to come to work every play," offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said.
"He's a guy who has really shown up since he's gotten here. He makes a lot of nice plays, can really run routes, catch the ball, do stuff underneath, do stuff down the field, do a lot of those things. Like with other players we've had in the past, the challenge is consistency. You need to be there every down.
"Kevin, like a lot of other players on our team, is learning to do that on a consistent basis."
Starters to play first half: The first-team offense and defense are scheduled to play about the entire first half in tonight's exhibition at San Diego. Coach Wade Phillips reserved the right to change the plan if substitutions are required or a unit gets enough plays.
"It depends on how we're executing," Phillips said. "We'll have a number of plays and see where we are. If they need more work, you work them in the game."
Quarterback Tony Romo could get about 35 plays. He had 30 plays in the first two exhibitions combined.
Inside linebacker Sean Lee and safety-kick returner Akwasi Owusu-Ansah are scheduled to make their debuts. Each missed the first two exhibitions.
Another tight end: Martin Rucker, the eighth tight end on the Cowboys' roster during training camp, remained behind to continue rehabilitation work on a strained hamstring. Rucker failed a physical with Tampa Bay last week because of the injury, but the Cowboys hope that he joins practices Monday.
"It's a huge opportunity for me," Rucker said. ``I've got to pick things up quickly so I can play fast."
The Cowboys could have taken Rucker in the 2008 draft but passed. They sent a fourth-round pick to Cleveland in return for a third-rounder in the 2009 draft. Cleveland used the choice to select Rucker, but he was released last September after failing to develop blocking and special-teams skills. The Cowboys used the pick obtained from Cleveland to select inside linebacker Jason Williams.
Briefly: Defensive end Jason Hatcher is still bothered by a hyperextended left elbow, an injury incurred early in camp. Hatcher has been credited with taking part in only two tackles in two exhibitions. ... The Cowboys have four takeaways in two exhibitions. A year ago, the Cowboys had only three takeaways in four exhibitions and tied for the fifth-lowest total of takeaways in the regular season with 21.
Staff Writer Gerry Fraley contributed to this report.
• • •