Jiggyfly
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Minicamp/OTAs Thread...
- Thread starter Cotton
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One could only hope.
Jiggyfly
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Angrymesscan
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Your doing it wrong it has to be multiple different sentences like this especially if it's many short ones in a rowI leave out enough periods and you will not be long for this world
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Cowboys OTAs notes: Watching Greg Hardy
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys conclude their first week of organized team activities today at Valley Ranch. On Wednesday we had our first look at the team, so let’s offer up some observations from what we saw.
Remember, take these for what they are: Non-padded practices in late May.
Most of the eyes were trained on defensive end Greg Hardy. He is the Cowboys’ biggest free-agent signing and has high expectations that could be tempered some if the NFL upholds its 10-game suspension. I wish I could give you a large account of Hardy's day but I didn’t notice him much. He was not with the first-team base defense or in the nickel. Jeremy Mincey was the right defensive end in the base and rookie Randy Gregory was the pass rusher in the sub package. At his press conference, Jason Garrett said the goal of the offseason was to get the younger players a lot of work, so the Cowboys might be pacing Hardy until they get to training camp.
DeMarcus Lawrence lined up as the left defensive end with the starters and in the sub package. His power was shown when he shoved rookie right tackle La'el Collins to the ground with his right arm as he worked his way around the corner.
Tyler Patmon got the first work as the third cornerback in the nickel package when Orlando Scandrick moved to the slot. I thought Corey White might’ve gotten that look, but the Cowboys liked what Patmon did as a rookie and he looks like he has added some bulk to his frame this offseason.
If there was a running back of the day it would’ve gone to Ryan Williams. He showed the most burst as he worked the edges of the defense, although he slipped once as he attempted to cut back inside. Williams did not practice on Tuesday because of swelling in his knee but he didn’t show any signs of favoring his knee on Wednesday.
With Sean Lee only working individual drills, Rolando McClain working through rehab for knee surgery in Alabama and Anthony Hitchens rehabbing on the side with an ankle injury, the linebacker trio with the first team was rookie Damien Wilson, Jasper Brinkley and Kyle Wilber.
With tight end Gavin Escobar not doing much because of a hamstring strain, Jason Witten got a lot of work and was his typical Pro Bowl self. He had a seam catch in blitz drills and as able to shake free from J.J. Wilcox on a throw to the flat. James Hanna also had a nice grab down the seam where he was able to show his speed.
I wanted to see more of third quarterback Dustin Vaughan. In team and 7-on-7 drills he completed just 2-of-6 passes. He was high on two throws, missing Nick Harwell on a throw to the sideline and tight end Geoff Swaim on a short throw. One of his incompletions was a positive sign as he threw the ball into the ground after the defense snuffed out a screen.
Next week I will try to keep more of an eye on defensive end Ben Gardner. He was active. He missed his rookie season last year after undergoing shoulder surgery but showed some quickness and strength with his pass rush on Wednesday.
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys conclude their first week of organized team activities today at Valley Ranch. On Wednesday we had our first look at the team, so let’s offer up some observations from what we saw.
Remember, take these for what they are: Non-padded practices in late May.
Most of the eyes were trained on defensive end Greg Hardy. He is the Cowboys’ biggest free-agent signing and has high expectations that could be tempered some if the NFL upholds its 10-game suspension. I wish I could give you a large account of Hardy's day but I didn’t notice him much. He was not with the first-team base defense or in the nickel. Jeremy Mincey was the right defensive end in the base and rookie Randy Gregory was the pass rusher in the sub package. At his press conference, Jason Garrett said the goal of the offseason was to get the younger players a lot of work, so the Cowboys might be pacing Hardy until they get to training camp.
DeMarcus Lawrence lined up as the left defensive end with the starters and in the sub package. His power was shown when he shoved rookie right tackle La'el Collins to the ground with his right arm as he worked his way around the corner.
Tyler Patmon got the first work as the third cornerback in the nickel package when Orlando Scandrick moved to the slot. I thought Corey White might’ve gotten that look, but the Cowboys liked what Patmon did as a rookie and he looks like he has added some bulk to his frame this offseason.
If there was a running back of the day it would’ve gone to Ryan Williams. He showed the most burst as he worked the edges of the defense, although he slipped once as he attempted to cut back inside. Williams did not practice on Tuesday because of swelling in his knee but he didn’t show any signs of favoring his knee on Wednesday.
With Sean Lee only working individual drills, Rolando McClain working through rehab for knee surgery in Alabama and Anthony Hitchens rehabbing on the side with an ankle injury, the linebacker trio with the first team was rookie Damien Wilson, Jasper Brinkley and Kyle Wilber.
With tight end Gavin Escobar not doing much because of a hamstring strain, Jason Witten got a lot of work and was his typical Pro Bowl self. He had a seam catch in blitz drills and as able to shake free from J.J. Wilcox on a throw to the flat. James Hanna also had a nice grab down the seam where he was able to show his speed.
I wanted to see more of third quarterback Dustin Vaughan. In team and 7-on-7 drills he completed just 2-of-6 passes. He was high on two throws, missing Nick Harwell on a throw to the sideline and tight end Geoff Swaim on a short throw. One of his incompletions was a positive sign as he threw the ball into the ground after the defense snuffed out a screen.
Next week I will try to keep more of an eye on defensive end Ben Gardner. He was active. He missed his rookie season last year after undergoing shoulder surgery but showed some quickness and strength with his pass rush on Wednesday.
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Cowboys' week in review: Vintage Tony Romo
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys had their first week of organized team activities (OTAs) so there is a lot to get to in reviewing their week.
Here we go:
Tony Romo has always used the offseason to get better at something. Since he was unable to do anything in the offseasons in 2013 and ’14 because of back surgeries, what he accomplished during those seasons -- 65 touchdown passes, 19 interceptions -- should be viewed more impressively. Free from back rehab, Romo is taking part in OTAs this spring and looked like his vintage self.
Joseph Randle opened some eyes when he said DeMarco Murray had a good year in leading the NFL in rushing with 1,845 yards in 2014, but “he left some meat on the bone.” There is truth in Randle’s statement. There were times where Murray left yards out there, but there were other times where he ate every tiny morsel when the line was not close to perfect. That’s what made Murray so valuable last year. Remember all those times Jason Garrett talked about “dirty runs”? That’s what he was talking about.
Greg Hardy’s appeal was heard Thursday in Washington, D.C., by Harold Henderson. No timetable was given on when a decision will be made on Hardy’s 10-game suspension, but Henderson took about a week to make a ruling after hearing Adrian Peterson's appeal a few months ago. Here’s a look at the case the NFLPA made on Hardy’s behalf.
Jean-Jacques Taylor wrote about Romo as well, telling the Cowboys they must stick with the offensive plan that worked so well in 2014 with running the ball in order to have Romo produce at the highest level again.
If you’re looking for a good way to make an impression, having Tyron Smith say good things about you is certainly one of them. The Cowboys’ All-Pro left tackle likes what he has seen in Randy Gregory.
The next time we see Rolando McClain on the field should come in training camp at Oxnard, California, with him recovering from arthroscopic surgery to his right knee.
How about some OTA observations?
It’s a bird, it’s a plane. Nope, it’s a drone. The Cowboys are using a drone to film parts of their practice.
From NFL Nation Giants reporter Dan Graziano: Damontre Moore has been a disappointment, but he’s hoping new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can bring some magic to his game.
In 2011, Vince Young dubbed the Philadelphia Eagles the “dream team,” and they fell flat. Now new cornerback Byron Maxwell has kind of, sort of guaranteed a Super Bowl. But NFL Nation Eagles reporter Phil Sheridan said Maxwell’s boast can work two ways.
Remember Jason Hatcher? He’s healthier as he enters his second season with the Washington Redskins and believes a change in coordinator’s schemes will help him excel in 2015, according to NFL Nation Redskins reporter John Keim.
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys had their first week of organized team activities (OTAs) so there is a lot to get to in reviewing their week.
Here we go:
Tony Romo has always used the offseason to get better at something. Since he was unable to do anything in the offseasons in 2013 and ’14 because of back surgeries, what he accomplished during those seasons -- 65 touchdown passes, 19 interceptions -- should be viewed more impressively. Free from back rehab, Romo is taking part in OTAs this spring and looked like his vintage self.
Joseph Randle opened some eyes when he said DeMarco Murray had a good year in leading the NFL in rushing with 1,845 yards in 2014, but “he left some meat on the bone.” There is truth in Randle’s statement. There were times where Murray left yards out there, but there were other times where he ate every tiny morsel when the line was not close to perfect. That’s what made Murray so valuable last year. Remember all those times Jason Garrett talked about “dirty runs”? That’s what he was talking about.
Greg Hardy’s appeal was heard Thursday in Washington, D.C., by Harold Henderson. No timetable was given on when a decision will be made on Hardy’s 10-game suspension, but Henderson took about a week to make a ruling after hearing Adrian Peterson's appeal a few months ago. Here’s a look at the case the NFLPA made on Hardy’s behalf.
Jean-Jacques Taylor wrote about Romo as well, telling the Cowboys they must stick with the offensive plan that worked so well in 2014 with running the ball in order to have Romo produce at the highest level again.
If you’re looking for a good way to make an impression, having Tyron Smith say good things about you is certainly one of them. The Cowboys’ All-Pro left tackle likes what he has seen in Randy Gregory.
The next time we see Rolando McClain on the field should come in training camp at Oxnard, California, with him recovering from arthroscopic surgery to his right knee.
How about some OTA observations?
It’s a bird, it’s a plane. Nope, it’s a drone. The Cowboys are using a drone to film parts of their practice.
From NFL Nation Giants reporter Dan Graziano: Damontre Moore has been a disappointment, but he’s hoping new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can bring some magic to his game.
In 2011, Vince Young dubbed the Philadelphia Eagles the “dream team,” and they fell flat. Now new cornerback Byron Maxwell has kind of, sort of guaranteed a Super Bowl. But NFL Nation Eagles reporter Phil Sheridan said Maxwell’s boast can work two ways.
Remember Jason Hatcher? He’s healthier as he enters his second season with the Washington Redskins and believes a change in coordinator’s schemes will help him excel in 2015, according to NFL Nation Redskins reporter John Keim.
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Yep.
Maxwell told The Monday Morning Quarterback:
“We’re gonna go that far this year — meaning the playoffs and the Super Bowl. We’re gonna go that far. Hopefully that experience I already had, I can help them.”
He even explained further that his remarks were, in fact, a guarantee.
“You can take that as a guarantee. That’s just me believing in my team and the product we’re going to put out there on the field. I really do believe that. I have no choice but to think that way.”
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/05/eagles-byron-maxwell-guarantees-team-will-play-super-bowl-50
NoDak
Hotlinking' sonofabitch
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kidd
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Not sure why some get up in arms over stuff like that (not that anyone here is doing that).
The 90's team used to make predictions all the time. I particularly remember when we were in negotiations with Deion, when Irvin was asked his opinion, his response was something like, "Well we're going to the Super Bowl regardless. He Deion wants to come along, he's more than welcome."
I kinda like the bravado.
The 90's team used to make predictions all the time. I particularly remember when we were in negotiations with Deion, when Irvin was asked his opinion, his response was something like, "Well we're going to the Super Bowl regardless. He Deion wants to come along, he's more than welcome."
I kinda like the bravado.
NoDak
Hotlinking' sonofabitch
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Well, considering they had just won back to back super bowls and just missed the 3rd, I'd think that Irvin's prediction would make a little more sense than one coming from a FA that just joined a team. A team that missed the playoffs the year before. A team that has a new injury prone QB, among a whole new cast of offensive players.
Genghis Khan
The worst version of myself
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Exactly. Huge difference. If Blake Bortles said Jacksonville was going to win the super bowl he'd be laughed at.
The Eagles may or may not be any good. But they are not winning the super bowl.
There is a difference between bravado and false bravado.
Remember when Philly signed Malcolm Jenkins last year, and he said predicted they'd win the division? Yeah.
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Yep.
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Cowboys OTA watch: From Darren McFadden to Dustin Vaughan
50m
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys will have their fifth of nine organized team activities today at Valley Ranch, and this will be the second of three sessions open to the media.
There will be plenty of things to watch, but I wanted to give you five things I’ll be looking for at Valley Ranch today:
Darren McFadden -- I’m not really into who gets the first-team or second-team carries so much as how McFadden carries himself. Teammates and coaches talk about his professionalism and approach. Does he lead the group or sit back? How hard does he attack the drills?
Byron Jones -- Athletically we know he’s gifted. He played left and right cornerback last week and saw a little bit of time in the slot. Given how much work the passing game gets in the spring because the players aren’t in pads, I want to see how Jones goes and gets the ball. If there’s one thing the secondary needs, it is a guy that takes the ball away.
Ben Gardner -- I’m always leery at putting linemen on these kinds of lists because they aren’t in pads. This is nothing like what we’ll see this summer in Oxnard, California, but Gardner had an eye-opening day in front of the media last week. He missed his rookie season with shoulder surgery but has had a strong offseason. Could he work his way into the defensive end rotation?
Devin Street -- With Dez Bryant not taking part in the OTAs, Street is working with the first team. He was active for every game last season but caught just two passes. The coaches believe in his potential, and he had a good day in front of the media last week with one deep ball reception from Tony Romo and some decent intermediate work.
Dustin Vaughan -- The second-year quarterback will have a chance to push Brandon Weeden for the backup spot, but he needs to show the coaches in the spring he is ready. He was spotty last week with a number of high throws. He possesses a big arm, but he needs to put the ball in spots where his pass catchers can do something with it.
50m
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys will have their fifth of nine organized team activities today at Valley Ranch, and this will be the second of three sessions open to the media.
There will be plenty of things to watch, but I wanted to give you five things I’ll be looking for at Valley Ranch today:
Darren McFadden -- I’m not really into who gets the first-team or second-team carries so much as how McFadden carries himself. Teammates and coaches talk about his professionalism and approach. Does he lead the group or sit back? How hard does he attack the drills?
Byron Jones -- Athletically we know he’s gifted. He played left and right cornerback last week and saw a little bit of time in the slot. Given how much work the passing game gets in the spring because the players aren’t in pads, I want to see how Jones goes and gets the ball. If there’s one thing the secondary needs, it is a guy that takes the ball away.
Ben Gardner -- I’m always leery at putting linemen on these kinds of lists because they aren’t in pads. This is nothing like what we’ll see this summer in Oxnard, California, but Gardner had an eye-opening day in front of the media last week. He missed his rookie season with shoulder surgery but has had a strong offseason. Could he work his way into the defensive end rotation?
Devin Street -- With Dez Bryant not taking part in the OTAs, Street is working with the first team. He was active for every game last season but caught just two passes. The coaches believe in his potential, and he had a good day in front of the media last week with one deep ball reception from Tony Romo and some decent intermediate work.
Dustin Vaughan -- The second-year quarterback will have a chance to push Brandon Weeden for the backup spot, but he needs to show the coaches in the spring he is ready. He was spotty last week with a number of high throws. He possesses a big arm, but he needs to put the ball in spots where his pass catchers can do something with it.
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Cowboys OTA notes: Lance Dunbar steals show
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- On Wednesday the Cowboys had their second of three organized team activities open to the media, so let’s empty the notebook with some observations made during the session:
If they handed out MVP of the day trophies, then it would have gone to running back Lance Dunbar. He caught four passes from Tony Romo in the two-minute drill work to close the first-team’s work in practice and had the linebackers on skates in seven-on-seven drills. Perhaps this really is the year the Cowboys use Dunbar more.
The Cowboys have not used a dime defense -- six defensive backs -- very much since moving to the 4-3 scheme two years ago, but they were in it a lot on Wednesday. The Cowboys had veteran Orlando Scandrick and rookie Byron Jones working the slots with Brandon Carr and Tyler Patmon working outside with safeties Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox covering the deep part of the field.
With DeMarcus Lawrence not taking all of his normal snaps, Ben Gardner saw more time with the regulars in the nickel defense at left defensive end. While he wasn’t as noticeable Wednesday as he was in the first open OTA, he has a fan in Rod Marinelli.
In the special-teams portion of practice, the focus was on punt return. So who is taking over for Dwayne Harris? Cole Beasley, Lucky Whitehead, Wilcox and Nick Harwell took turns returning punts on Wednesday.
Reggie Dunn will have a tough time cracking the top five receivers this summer but he did a nice job of angling inside on a red-zone route to give Brandon Weeden a chance to put the pass to the far pylon. With Robert Steeples unable to get on top of Dunn, the receiver was able to reach out and make a nice grab for a touchdown. There was a lot of savvy to Dunn’s move.
One of the knocks on Terrance Williams has been that he has mostly been a body catcher. That came back to bite him on an end-zone throw to Tony Romo. Instead of using his hands to pluck the ball and score a touchdown, he let it get to his body and it fell to the ground.
The catch of the day belonged to tight end James Hanna. In seven-on-seven red-zone drills, Hanna outjumped Steeples and withstood some pressure from Danny McCray to come down with the acrobatic catch while falling to the ground.
In the matchup of the No. 1 offense and defense in the two-minute drill, the defense won when Romo was unable to connect with Antwan Goodley down the sideline while covered by Patmon. In a “normal” situation, Romo wouldn’t have been throwing to Goodley and I doubt he would have taken such a big chance on fourth down when he needed less than 5 yards for a first down. Earlier in the drive, Romo connected on a fourth-down throw to Devin Street.
Mental mistakes will kill a team. Working with the first team, left guard La’el Collins had a false start on a Romo hard count that saw the rookie get replaced by Ronald Leary for a snap. Last week Collins worked exclusively at right tackle. This week he was at left guard.
Sometimes it’s good these players aren’t in pads. Scandrick would have lit up Dunbar on a checkdown in the two-minute drill. Instead Scandrick pulled off and the offense had to go with just a short gain.
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- On Wednesday the Cowboys had their second of three organized team activities open to the media, so let’s empty the notebook with some observations made during the session:
If they handed out MVP of the day trophies, then it would have gone to running back Lance Dunbar. He caught four passes from Tony Romo in the two-minute drill work to close the first-team’s work in practice and had the linebackers on skates in seven-on-seven drills. Perhaps this really is the year the Cowboys use Dunbar more.
The Cowboys have not used a dime defense -- six defensive backs -- very much since moving to the 4-3 scheme two years ago, but they were in it a lot on Wednesday. The Cowboys had veteran Orlando Scandrick and rookie Byron Jones working the slots with Brandon Carr and Tyler Patmon working outside with safeties Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox covering the deep part of the field.
With DeMarcus Lawrence not taking all of his normal snaps, Ben Gardner saw more time with the regulars in the nickel defense at left defensive end. While he wasn’t as noticeable Wednesday as he was in the first open OTA, he has a fan in Rod Marinelli.
In the special-teams portion of practice, the focus was on punt return. So who is taking over for Dwayne Harris? Cole Beasley, Lucky Whitehead, Wilcox and Nick Harwell took turns returning punts on Wednesday.
Reggie Dunn will have a tough time cracking the top five receivers this summer but he did a nice job of angling inside on a red-zone route to give Brandon Weeden a chance to put the pass to the far pylon. With Robert Steeples unable to get on top of Dunn, the receiver was able to reach out and make a nice grab for a touchdown. There was a lot of savvy to Dunn’s move.
One of the knocks on Terrance Williams has been that he has mostly been a body catcher. That came back to bite him on an end-zone throw to Tony Romo. Instead of using his hands to pluck the ball and score a touchdown, he let it get to his body and it fell to the ground.
The catch of the day belonged to tight end James Hanna. In seven-on-seven red-zone drills, Hanna outjumped Steeples and withstood some pressure from Danny McCray to come down with the acrobatic catch while falling to the ground.
In the matchup of the No. 1 offense and defense in the two-minute drill, the defense won when Romo was unable to connect with Antwan Goodley down the sideline while covered by Patmon. In a “normal” situation, Romo wouldn’t have been throwing to Goodley and I doubt he would have taken such a big chance on fourth down when he needed less than 5 yards for a first down. Earlier in the drive, Romo connected on a fourth-down throw to Devin Street.
Mental mistakes will kill a team. Working with the first team, left guard La’el Collins had a false start on a Romo hard count that saw the rookie get replaced by Ronald Leary for a snap. Last week Collins worked exclusively at right tackle. This week he was at left guard.
Sometimes it’s good these players aren’t in pads. Scandrick would have lit up Dunbar on a checkdown in the two-minute drill. Instead Scandrick pulled off and the offense had to go with just a short gain.
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Witten Against Jones Takes Top Spot In Broaddus’ 12 Thoughts From OTAs
Wednesday, June 03, 2015 6:33 PM CDT
By Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout
IRVING, Texas – Another week, and another Cowboys OTA practice is in the books. I had a chance to spend a few hours watching this team for a second time, and I came away with some favorable impressions.
Here’s my second batch of 12 thoughts from Cowboys OTAs:
1). I admire the fight that Byron Jones has in the way that he plays. To the rookie’s credit, he didn’t back down from the challenge of having to cover one of the all-time great tight ends in NFL history on Wednesday. Jason Witten might not be able to get up the field like he did six or seven years ago, but he is still a handful and Jones learned this the hard way. What was impressive about Jones is how physical he was at the line with Witten -- which is the only chance he had. Jones did the right thing by attacking him. As a defender you cannot allow Witten to get up the field because he is going to lean on you to buy separation, which has always been an effective trait in his game. Once Witten gets that space, he is not going to allow you to recover to get back into position. Jones showed nice strength to be able to hold onto Witten, which could have drawn a flag or two -- and from the looks of things that could have been the case. But it was a promising sign that Jones didn’t shy away from the opportunity.
2). Some of the whispers after the season were that there was a chance that Brandon Carr might be moved from left corner to the right, and on Wednesday we saw that during the practice. Carr has flopped sides before playing “Star Coverage,” and from what I was able to see he looked comfortable even though his footwork, vision and technique are different from one side to the other. But that did not appear to bother him.
3). Heard an interesting explanation from Derek Dooley on why Terrance Williams is a body catcher. Williams’ hands are smaller than most receivers’, and the more that he has had to play in his life, he has had to learn to compensate for them. Dooley works with Williams every day on catching the ball in his hands, but he is not trying to break Williams of this habit. Dooley said there is not a better receiver in this group that gets separation and comes back to the football than Williams -- which allows him to use his body to make catches.
4). Of the running backs on this roster, there is no question that Joseph Randle has the best hands of the bunch. There were several snaps in the 2-minute drill where he made nice adjusting catches to passes that were poorly thrown, and this wasn’t the first time that Randle was able to be successful doing this.
5). Dime defensive backs: Orlando Scandrick, Brandon Carr, Byron Jones, Tyler Patmon, Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox. I thought this group did a nice job of matching up with these wide receivers and that includes playing Cole Beasley out of the slot.
6). This was the first day that we were able to see La’el Collins line up at guard, even though in his Wednesday morning press conference Jason Garrett offered that Collins had already received some snaps there. I really do like Collins’ fit at that spot much more than tackle because it takes him out of the mix as a space player. He just looks more comfortable playing with power and limited movement. It was a nice education working with Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick picking up twist stunts, which is not an easy thing to do patience-wise. He looked composed and sure of what he needed to do with his technique and assignments, which is not always easy for a rookie linemen to handle.
7). About the time you want to write Gavin Escobar off, he makes a big catch on 4th-and-4 to keep a drive going during the 2-minute drill. I am not completely sure what Escobar’s role is going to be going forward, but there are those moments like this one where you know that he needs to be on the field making more plays.
8). Get ready to see plenty of Lucky Whitehead in the second half of preseason games this season in the slot receiver role. For the second practice in a row, Scott Linehan put Whitehead on the field and threw him a screen pass to take advantage of his explosive burst. Whitehead is doing his best Cole Beasley impression when it comes to running routes and finding space in the defense. What is also impressive about his work is that, even as a rookie, you can put a lot on his plate and he doesn’t appear to struggle with that. He plays assignment sound.
9). Corey White normally will line up at corner playing out of the slot, but during this practice he took some snaps as a safety and he did not struggle at all in coverage.
10). Ben Gardner physically looks like a different player, and with DeMarcus Lawrence not practicing, he was able to take full advantage of the extra snaps he got. Gardner will surprise you with his ability to get off the ball and attack the blocker. He and Darrion Weems hooked up several times where Gardner did a nice job of putting him in some poor positions. The test for Gardner will be his health and how well he carries his pads.
11). This was the first practice where I really noticed Efe Obada as a pass rusher. The learning curve is huge, but in talking to members of the front office, they couldn’t be more pleased with his effort and his willingness to learn. During the team portion of practice he came with a really nice combination using his hands and feet against Ryan Miller to defeat him for a pressure. It’s those types of rushes where you believe that there is something there, but it’s going to continue to take a lot of technique work before he is even a consideration for a roster spot -- but it was nice to see him to have some success.
12). Thanks as always to David “Tiny Jim” Helman for making my work readable.
Wednesday, June 03, 2015 6:33 PM CDT
By Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout
IRVING, Texas – Another week, and another Cowboys OTA practice is in the books. I had a chance to spend a few hours watching this team for a second time, and I came away with some favorable impressions.
Here’s my second batch of 12 thoughts from Cowboys OTAs:
1). I admire the fight that Byron Jones has in the way that he plays. To the rookie’s credit, he didn’t back down from the challenge of having to cover one of the all-time great tight ends in NFL history on Wednesday. Jason Witten might not be able to get up the field like he did six or seven years ago, but he is still a handful and Jones learned this the hard way. What was impressive about Jones is how physical he was at the line with Witten -- which is the only chance he had. Jones did the right thing by attacking him. As a defender you cannot allow Witten to get up the field because he is going to lean on you to buy separation, which has always been an effective trait in his game. Once Witten gets that space, he is not going to allow you to recover to get back into position. Jones showed nice strength to be able to hold onto Witten, which could have drawn a flag or two -- and from the looks of things that could have been the case. But it was a promising sign that Jones didn’t shy away from the opportunity.
2). Some of the whispers after the season were that there was a chance that Brandon Carr might be moved from left corner to the right, and on Wednesday we saw that during the practice. Carr has flopped sides before playing “Star Coverage,” and from what I was able to see he looked comfortable even though his footwork, vision and technique are different from one side to the other. But that did not appear to bother him.
3). Heard an interesting explanation from Derek Dooley on why Terrance Williams is a body catcher. Williams’ hands are smaller than most receivers’, and the more that he has had to play in his life, he has had to learn to compensate for them. Dooley works with Williams every day on catching the ball in his hands, but he is not trying to break Williams of this habit. Dooley said there is not a better receiver in this group that gets separation and comes back to the football than Williams -- which allows him to use his body to make catches.
4). Of the running backs on this roster, there is no question that Joseph Randle has the best hands of the bunch. There were several snaps in the 2-minute drill where he made nice adjusting catches to passes that were poorly thrown, and this wasn’t the first time that Randle was able to be successful doing this.
5). Dime defensive backs: Orlando Scandrick, Brandon Carr, Byron Jones, Tyler Patmon, Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox. I thought this group did a nice job of matching up with these wide receivers and that includes playing Cole Beasley out of the slot.
6). This was the first day that we were able to see La’el Collins line up at guard, even though in his Wednesday morning press conference Jason Garrett offered that Collins had already received some snaps there. I really do like Collins’ fit at that spot much more than tackle because it takes him out of the mix as a space player. He just looks more comfortable playing with power and limited movement. It was a nice education working with Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick picking up twist stunts, which is not an easy thing to do patience-wise. He looked composed and sure of what he needed to do with his technique and assignments, which is not always easy for a rookie linemen to handle.
7). About the time you want to write Gavin Escobar off, he makes a big catch on 4th-and-4 to keep a drive going during the 2-minute drill. I am not completely sure what Escobar’s role is going to be going forward, but there are those moments like this one where you know that he needs to be on the field making more plays.
8). Get ready to see plenty of Lucky Whitehead in the second half of preseason games this season in the slot receiver role. For the second practice in a row, Scott Linehan put Whitehead on the field and threw him a screen pass to take advantage of his explosive burst. Whitehead is doing his best Cole Beasley impression when it comes to running routes and finding space in the defense. What is also impressive about his work is that, even as a rookie, you can put a lot on his plate and he doesn’t appear to struggle with that. He plays assignment sound.
9). Corey White normally will line up at corner playing out of the slot, but during this practice he took some snaps as a safety and he did not struggle at all in coverage.
10). Ben Gardner physically looks like a different player, and with DeMarcus Lawrence not practicing, he was able to take full advantage of the extra snaps he got. Gardner will surprise you with his ability to get off the ball and attack the blocker. He and Darrion Weems hooked up several times where Gardner did a nice job of putting him in some poor positions. The test for Gardner will be his health and how well he carries his pads.
11). This was the first practice where I really noticed Efe Obada as a pass rusher. The learning curve is huge, but in talking to members of the front office, they couldn’t be more pleased with his effort and his willingness to learn. During the team portion of practice he came with a really nice combination using his hands and feet against Ryan Miller to defeat him for a pressure. It’s those types of rushes where you believe that there is something there, but it’s going to continue to take a lot of technique work before he is even a consideration for a roster spot -- but it was nice to see him to have some success.
12). Thanks as always to David “Tiny Jim” Helman for making my work readable.
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Corey White at safety is interesting. Our depth at that position is god aweful. Even if you are ok with our starters, all of our backups don't even belong in the NFL.
Genghis Khan
The worst version of myself
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I agree with all of that, but we just haven't had much luck with white safeties recently.
