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Four Cowboys making strong first impressions at camp
12:35 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Column by DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News | dmoore@dallasnews.com
SAN ANTONIO – No one cements a role or earns a roster spot in the first few days of training camp.
But it is enough time to make the coaches take notice.
Let's put aside Days of our Dez for a moment. All of those naked Cowboy photos on the Internet are in the rearview mirror.
With the Cowboys into their second week of camp here at the Alamodome, a few players you rarely hear about have made strong first impressions. Drum roll, please:
• John Phillips. No, he won't displace Martellus Bennett as the No. 2 tight end on the depth chart. But when Bennett was out early, Phillips got to shed his customary blocking role and move to the Y tight end spot that Jason Witten and Bennett play.
He's excelled. There have been days when no player on the field caught more passes than Phillips.
"There's nothing really flashy about his game," Witten said. "He just finds a way to get open.
"He has that time in his head that's quarterback friendly, where he says, 'I need to get out of this route and make it work right now.' And he's not just catching balls. He's blocking well, too."
The Cowboys don't send Phillips downfield the way they do Bennett. But it's interesting to note that the majority of his catches have come on the short and intermediate routes where Bennett can be imprecise.
Plus, he's the only tight end in this camp to make a one-handed catch over the middle in traffic.
"He's catching everything," Witten said. "That one-handed catch was pretty good. That was nifty on his part."
• Cletis Gordon . The 27-year old veteran played in one game for the Cowboys last season. He is competing with sixth-round pick Jamar Wall and free-agent rookie Bryan McCann for the fourth corner spot that opened with Alan Ball's move to starting safety.
All have had their moments. SMU's McCann is smart and technically more advanced than some veterans at the position. Wall isn't as smooth, but he's had several interceptions and gets after it when the pads are on.
"But if you pinned me down and said who is the guy right now, I'd say Cletis Gordon," secondary coach Dave Campo said. "He's been in the league. He's more experienced. I like what he's doing.
"Cletis gives us something we don't even have with our veteran guys – size at corner. He's got speed. Once he puts everything together and does the little things, he may be the guy."
Gordon is 6-1. That makes him three inches taller than Wall and McCann.
"I kinda knew it was open with Ball moving to safety," Gordon said. "I try not to worry about the numbers game. I just go out there and try to play the best football I know how to play."
• Leon Williams. Former Cowboys defensive line coach Todd Grantham worked with Williams in Cleveland and suggested the team pick up the inside linebacker.
Coach Wade Phillips and linebackers coach Reggie Herring weren't impressed after seeing Williams work behind Bradie James in practices this off-season.
"He had trouble playing the run and the pass starting out in OTAs," Phillips said. "He got better with the run and we said, 'well, the guy looks pretty good in the running game, but the guy is lost in our passing game.' Now he is playing the pass well."
Now he is challenging for a spot on the team.
"He has earned the respect of his teammates on offense and defense as far as being physical," Phillips said. "He's done a lot of good things."
• Chris Gronkowski. The free-agent rookie caught two touchdown passes in goal-line drills Monday. Owner Jerry Jones walked over to Gronkowski after practice and told the fullback he reminded him of Daryl Johnston.
"I haven't talked to him much so it's a good feeling that he knows my name," Gronkowski said.
Given the way fullback Deon Anderson beats himself up with his pile-driving style, and given his off-field episode this off-season, Gronkowski has put himself in position to earn that spot on the roster.
12:35 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Column by DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News | dmoore@dallasnews.com
SAN ANTONIO – No one cements a role or earns a roster spot in the first few days of training camp.
But it is enough time to make the coaches take notice.
Let's put aside Days of our Dez for a moment. All of those naked Cowboy photos on the Internet are in the rearview mirror.
With the Cowboys into their second week of camp here at the Alamodome, a few players you rarely hear about have made strong first impressions. Drum roll, please:
• John Phillips. No, he won't displace Martellus Bennett as the No. 2 tight end on the depth chart. But when Bennett was out early, Phillips got to shed his customary blocking role and move to the Y tight end spot that Jason Witten and Bennett play.
He's excelled. There have been days when no player on the field caught more passes than Phillips.
"There's nothing really flashy about his game," Witten said. "He just finds a way to get open.
"He has that time in his head that's quarterback friendly, where he says, 'I need to get out of this route and make it work right now.' And he's not just catching balls. He's blocking well, too."
The Cowboys don't send Phillips downfield the way they do Bennett. But it's interesting to note that the majority of his catches have come on the short and intermediate routes where Bennett can be imprecise.
Plus, he's the only tight end in this camp to make a one-handed catch over the middle in traffic.
"He's catching everything," Witten said. "That one-handed catch was pretty good. That was nifty on his part."
• Cletis Gordon . The 27-year old veteran played in one game for the Cowboys last season. He is competing with sixth-round pick Jamar Wall and free-agent rookie Bryan McCann for the fourth corner spot that opened with Alan Ball's move to starting safety.
All have had their moments. SMU's McCann is smart and technically more advanced than some veterans at the position. Wall isn't as smooth, but he's had several interceptions and gets after it when the pads are on.
"But if you pinned me down and said who is the guy right now, I'd say Cletis Gordon," secondary coach Dave Campo said. "He's been in the league. He's more experienced. I like what he's doing.
"Cletis gives us something we don't even have with our veteran guys – size at corner. He's got speed. Once he puts everything together and does the little things, he may be the guy."
Gordon is 6-1. That makes him three inches taller than Wall and McCann.
"I kinda knew it was open with Ball moving to safety," Gordon said. "I try not to worry about the numbers game. I just go out there and try to play the best football I know how to play."
• Leon Williams. Former Cowboys defensive line coach Todd Grantham worked with Williams in Cleveland and suggested the team pick up the inside linebacker.
Coach Wade Phillips and linebackers coach Reggie Herring weren't impressed after seeing Williams work behind Bradie James in practices this off-season.
"He had trouble playing the run and the pass starting out in OTAs," Phillips said. "He got better with the run and we said, 'well, the guy looks pretty good in the running game, but the guy is lost in our passing game.' Now he is playing the pass well."
Now he is challenging for a spot on the team.
"He has earned the respect of his teammates on offense and defense as far as being physical," Phillips said. "He's done a lot of good things."
• Chris Gronkowski. The free-agent rookie caught two touchdown passes in goal-line drills Monday. Owner Jerry Jones walked over to Gronkowski after practice and told the fullback he reminded him of Daryl Johnston.
"I haven't talked to him much so it's a good feeling that he knows my name," Gronkowski said.
Given the way fullback Deon Anderson beats himself up with his pile-driving style, and given his off-field episode this off-season, Gronkowski has put himself in position to earn that spot on the roster.
