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Dak Prescott showing he is ready for his encore in every way
7:00 AM CT
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas -- Undrafted rookie tight end M.J. McFarland caught a simple pass down the field Wednesday and was met with a loud reminder.
It didn’t come from Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett or offensive coordinator Scott Linehan or tight ends coach Steve Loney.
It came from Dak Prescott.
“Tuck it. Tuck it,” Prescott told McFarland, telling him to secure the ball as he ran down the field to get ready for his next snap.
As Prescott enters his second season as the Cowboys' starting quarterback, more is being put on him. Linehan is adding to the Cowboys’ system as Prescott becomes more proficient in all areas with a year of experience. Prescott is also being asked to take ownership of the team.
A year ago at this time, Prescott was getting used to taking snaps from center and splitting time as the third-team quarterback with Jameill Showers. In his first organized activity as a rookie, he took two snaps in team drills. On Wednesday, he took five of the 12 snaps in team drills. Kellen Moore took three. Austin Appleby took two, and Cooper Rush had one.
“I guess just being more outspoken,” Prescott said. “But just the way I handle my business, the way I go about every day, I don’t think much has changed. Just the fact that now when I say things, people are listening, and I have the floor to say things now. Last year, I was just being quiet and trying to fit my way in somehow or another.”
He set 19 team rookie quarterback records in 2016. He tied an NFL rookie record with 13 wins. Yet Prescott says he can be “100 percent better” in everything he does.
“Mentally, I think as a quarterback and pretty much at every position, the No. 1 way to get better is the number of reps," the 23-year-old said, "and just me having a good bit of those this offseason, I think it’s going to allow me to get better with my footwork, get better at the reads, get better going through things faster and being more accurate every day.”
After Prescott earned the NFL Rookie of the Year award for his 23-touchdown season in which Dallas earned the best record (13-3) in the NFC, the trappings of being the Cowboys’ quarterback could've been overwhelming, but Prescott has not been caught up in the success.
While enjoying what can come for someone in his position -- such as the sponsorship deals he has secured with Frito-Lay, Pepsi, Adidas and Beats By Dre in the past 12 months -- Prescott spent the early part of the offseason working out in Orlando, Florida, with strength guru Tom Shaw, who helped prepare him for last year’s draft.
When the Cowboys reconvened in early March for captains workouts, Prescott was there, and he hasn’t missed a day.
At offseason testing earlier this week -- vertical jump, a three-cone drill, bench press, a 20-yard sprint and flexibility -- Prescott’s numbers improved from his rookie year in every category.
“He’s not resting on anything that went on last year,” quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson said.
The Cowboys had that first inkling last year, when he told them that he would need a week to master the ability to take a snap from center, something he rarely did at Mississippi State. Although he was a fourth-round pick, he quickly became the leader of Dallas' rookie group. When Tony Romo and Moore went down with injuries last summer, Prescott showed that he was ready for everything.
As his second season begins, Prescott is making sure that he is ready for the encore.
“He is trying to get himself ready for every opportunity he has, as quarterback, in the meeting room, walk-through, practice, games, in the weight room,” Garrett said. “He is just one of those guys, and he is a great example for a coach to use with the other players on the team. They naturally follow him. They naturally see how he goes about everything, how ready he is for the chances that he does get.”
If teammates see him working, the thinking goes, then they will work with him. If they see him taking accountability for his mistakes, then they will accept his criticisms when they err. It’s why Prescott took the time to remind McFarland, whose chances of making the final roster might be remote at the moment, to tuck the ball away.
“I don’t look at what’s behind me,” Prescott said. “I look at where I want to go and what I can do. The only way I know is through hard work, so it’s just something that I continue to try to do.”
7:00 AM CT
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas -- Undrafted rookie tight end M.J. McFarland caught a simple pass down the field Wednesday and was met with a loud reminder.
It didn’t come from Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett or offensive coordinator Scott Linehan or tight ends coach Steve Loney.
It came from Dak Prescott.
“Tuck it. Tuck it,” Prescott told McFarland, telling him to secure the ball as he ran down the field to get ready for his next snap.
As Prescott enters his second season as the Cowboys' starting quarterback, more is being put on him. Linehan is adding to the Cowboys’ system as Prescott becomes more proficient in all areas with a year of experience. Prescott is also being asked to take ownership of the team.
A year ago at this time, Prescott was getting used to taking snaps from center and splitting time as the third-team quarterback with Jameill Showers. In his first organized activity as a rookie, he took two snaps in team drills. On Wednesday, he took five of the 12 snaps in team drills. Kellen Moore took three. Austin Appleby took two, and Cooper Rush had one.
“I guess just being more outspoken,” Prescott said. “But just the way I handle my business, the way I go about every day, I don’t think much has changed. Just the fact that now when I say things, people are listening, and I have the floor to say things now. Last year, I was just being quiet and trying to fit my way in somehow or another.”
He set 19 team rookie quarterback records in 2016. He tied an NFL rookie record with 13 wins. Yet Prescott says he can be “100 percent better” in everything he does.
“Mentally, I think as a quarterback and pretty much at every position, the No. 1 way to get better is the number of reps," the 23-year-old said, "and just me having a good bit of those this offseason, I think it’s going to allow me to get better with my footwork, get better at the reads, get better going through things faster and being more accurate every day.”
After Prescott earned the NFL Rookie of the Year award for his 23-touchdown season in which Dallas earned the best record (13-3) in the NFC, the trappings of being the Cowboys’ quarterback could've been overwhelming, but Prescott has not been caught up in the success.
While enjoying what can come for someone in his position -- such as the sponsorship deals he has secured with Frito-Lay, Pepsi, Adidas and Beats By Dre in the past 12 months -- Prescott spent the early part of the offseason working out in Orlando, Florida, with strength guru Tom Shaw, who helped prepare him for last year’s draft.
When the Cowboys reconvened in early March for captains workouts, Prescott was there, and he hasn’t missed a day.
At offseason testing earlier this week -- vertical jump, a three-cone drill, bench press, a 20-yard sprint and flexibility -- Prescott’s numbers improved from his rookie year in every category.
“He’s not resting on anything that went on last year,” quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson said.
The Cowboys had that first inkling last year, when he told them that he would need a week to master the ability to take a snap from center, something he rarely did at Mississippi State. Although he was a fourth-round pick, he quickly became the leader of Dallas' rookie group. When Tony Romo and Moore went down with injuries last summer, Prescott showed that he was ready for everything.
As his second season begins, Prescott is making sure that he is ready for the encore.
“He is trying to get himself ready for every opportunity he has, as quarterback, in the meeting room, walk-through, practice, games, in the weight room,” Garrett said. “He is just one of those guys, and he is a great example for a coach to use with the other players on the team. They naturally follow him. They naturally see how he goes about everything, how ready he is for the chances that he does get.”
If teammates see him working, the thinking goes, then they will work with him. If they see him taking accountability for his mistakes, then they will accept his criticisms when they err. It’s why Prescott took the time to remind McFarland, whose chances of making the final roster might be remote at the moment, to tuck the ball away.
“I don’t look at what’s behind me,” Prescott said. “I look at where I want to go and what I can do. The only way I know is through hard work, so it’s just something that I continue to try to do.”
