Davison: Dallas Cowboys staff energized by coaching Senior Bowl prospects

boozeman

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Dallas Cowboys staff energized by coaching Senior Bowl prospects


By Drew Davison


ddavison@star-telegram.com


MOBILE, Ala. —

On one end of the field Thursday afternoon, Jason Garrett acted as if he were a defensive back lining up against players such as Ohio State’s Braxton Miller.

On the other end, Rod Marinelli barked instructions to get defensive linemen to run his drills the right way, yelling things such as “Violent with your hands!” and “Reach!”.

Everybody understands the value the players can get out of this week in terms of increasing their draft stock, but the Cowboys’ coaching staff is taking full advantage of it as well.

“We love it. It’s a great opportunity and our coaches have really taken advantage of this chance to get to know these guys and we’re coaching football,” Garrett said. “It’s always fun for us to coach. We can always get better at what we do.

“A big part of coaching is being out here together, working together, coaching the players hard, holding them to a standard and we can always improve on our skills. Our ability to communicate, our ability to work together ... when you get a chance to work with these guys, the best college players in the country, guys who can have a big impact on a football team, is a great opportunity.”

Garrett and the rest of his staff are trying to expose the players to an NFL-style practice and meetings, which means it’s not always all fun and games. In other words, it’s almost the exact opposite approach from when the Cowboys coached the Pro Bowl a year ago.

“The practice tempo of the Pro Bowl compared to the Senior Bowl is different and the players at the Pro Bowl let you know that in a very professional way,” a smiling Garrett said. “It was such a privilege to coach those guys, the best players on the planet. And their approach was outstanding. We had a lot of fun doing that.

Jason Garrett is not afraid to make the offense re-huddle if he thinks the players didn’t break it properly.

“[The Senior Bowl] is a different kind of game. The tempo of things is a little bit different. Some of our objectives are different. A lot of evaluation going on here.”

That’s why the Cowboys coaches were consistently pointing out ways the prospects could improve their technique, or insisting on more effort in various drills.

Garrett, much as he does with the Cowboys, has told the players to show “a little bounce” countless times during practices this week. And he’s not afraid to make the offense re-huddle if he thinks the players didn’t break it properly.

In Garrett’s mind, breaking the huddle with confidence and conviction translates to that particular play having a better chance of success.

“Everything matters,” Garrett said. “The way you approach a play starts with the huddle, how it’s communicated, how you break the huddle. There’s a certain energy and attention to detail that’s critical in that process to make sure everybody is on the same page. And I really do believe the execution of the play can be reflected by that by the approach that you take.


“You never want to slap it around — you want to go out there and do things the right way at the highest level. And, again, I do think it impacts the ultimate execution of the play.”

The players have certainly bought into the Cowboys’ coaching staff, too. The darling of the event, North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz, follows any instruction or advice that may come his way, and raved about working with guys such as Garrett, Linehan and quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson.

"It has been a great experience to get exposure to the NFL tempo, the professional pace and expectations," Wentz stated. "It has been work but it has also been fun. The staff has been full of energy and challenging you every second. Lots of enthusiasm from Coach Garrett, I learned how to clap, then spit. Not sure what Coach Wilson was doing though. Just stood around a lot. Staring at me. Kind of creeped me out, but it's all good."

On the defensive side, every player has gained respect for Marinelli and the other assistants.

As Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib said, “It’s been a pleasure working with Marinelli. He’s the man. I love him.”

The Cowboys’ staff has a similar appreciation for the players.

“This is a great experience for us and it’s a great honor to be in this game,” Linehan said. “You get to spend a lot of time you normally don’t get at the [NFL] Combine or Senior Bowl [when you’re not coaching it] with these guys.

“Here we get a chance to work with these guys on the field, in the classroom, watching film afterward … you don’t get that time usually. It’s really invaluable.”
 

Cotton

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:jerk
 

Chocolate Lab

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No kidding.

DFW media still going with the theme that Garrett with his "hard coaching" and attention to detail really gets the best out of these guys -- even after we lose seven in a row and go 1-11 minus our QB.

F all those guys.
 

Cotton

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No kidding.

DFW media still going with the theme that Garrett with his "hard coaching" and attention to detail really gets the best out of these guys -- even after we lose seven in a row and go 1-11 minus our QB.

F all those guys.
Hey, he got an "oooohhhhh" out of the players by dropping an f-bomb after one of the practices. Just like Landry and stuff.
 

Smitty

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You may think Garrett sucks but that kind of attention to detail is important. Even if the rest of what he's doing sucks (which obviously I don't completely agree with).
 

Chocolate Lab

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You may think Garrett sucks but that kind of attention to detail is important. Even if the rest of what he's doing sucks (which obviously I don't completely agree with).
The thing is, every coach I ever had, from third grade to high school, said breaking the huddle correctly was important.

It's like the "Have a great practice today" mantra. It's not that it's wrong, it's that there's zero unique or original or different about it. So don't act like it's part of some Garrett genius when every coach in America does it.
 

Smitty

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The thing is, every coach I ever had, from third grade to high school, said breaking the huddle correctly was important.

It's like the "Have a great practice today" mantra. It's not that it's wrong, it's that there's zero unique or original or different about it. So don't act like it's part of some Garrett genius when every coach in America does it.
I'm not so sure that's true. Not saying it makes him Bill Parcells but I feel like there is a genuineness with Garrett there that other coaches can't duplicate... Campo felt like a phony, Wade just didn't even bother.

Say what you will about Xs and Os, time management, playcalling, but I think he gets that right when not everyone does.
 

Chocolate Lab

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You feel like Garrett is more genuine than Campo?

Campo sucked, but at least he wasn't pretending to be something he isn't. Garrett is one of the biggest phony salesmen I've ever seen.
 

Smitty

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Campo was phony with the thing like the punch out time clock. He was pretty genuinely a clown, I guess, but he rarely tried to be a hard ass.

I don't agree at all that Garrett is phony. Ineffective, maybe you can argue. But I think the players have very much bought into him and his philosophy. I don't think there is any sentiment league wide that Garrett is phony.
 

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Smitty

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Yes, the nameless faceless mannequin is so much better.
Yeah, but you guys basically have invented that. That's his media persona, it's the same bullshit that Eagles fans got tired of with Andy Reid.

He's not like that in the locker room.
 

Chocolate Lab

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I'm talking about the literal nameless faceless mannequin.

You know, the one he has propped up in the locker room to signify the next opponent.
 

townsend

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I'm not so sure that's true. Not saying it makes him Bill Parcells but I feel like there is a genuineness with Garrett there that other coaches can't duplicate... Campo felt like a phony, Wade just didn't even bother.

Say what you will about Xs and Os, time management, playcalling, but I think he gets that right when not everyone does.
Garrett's got a rep of being a fake robot. Maybe he's more real with his players, but I don't think that's something you can glean as an outsider.
 

Smitty

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I'm talking about the literal nameless faceless mannequin.

You know, the one he has propped up in the locker room to signify the next opponent.
:lol Oh ok.

Well suffice to say I don't think the approaches are the same and it wouldn't surprise me to see this team bounce back and be a playoff team again next year.
 

Smitty

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Garrett's got a rep of being a fake robot.
He has that rep with who? You guys on this message board or at Cowboys Zone?

Maybe he's more real with his players, but I don't think that's something you can glean as an outsider.
I think you absolutely can and I think most evidence points towards the players relating to him. And I think the few sneak peeks we have had into the locker room show a different side of him.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I think you absolutely can and I think most evidence points towards the players relating to him. And I think the few sneak peeks we have had into the locker room show a different side of him.
Yeah, I dislike Garrett and I disagree with plenty of stuff you say but I actually agree with you on this. There is a reason why the players seem to always have Garrett's back. For all his faults the players do seem to buy into Garrett.
 

townsend

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He has that rep with who? You guys on this message board or at Cowboys Zone
DFW media calls him a robot all the time. Just google "Jason Garrett Robot" sometime, it's not unique to forums.

I think you absolutely can and I think most evidence points towards the players relating to him. And I think the few sneak peeks we have had into the locker room show a different side of him.
I remember back in 2009 all the players gathered around Wade to win their division an first playoff game. So it seems like they related well to him too, until they didn't.

Garrett has a serious issue with getting along with Tony and Jason a hell of a lot more than the rest of the team too.

Campo had to deal with leftover egos from the dynasty team, and garbage, not really fair to compare the hodgepodge of garbage (and diamond) to real teams that were built with some kind of purpose.
 

Smitty

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Winning a division playoff game doesn't mean they "gathered around" Wade. If you think it's the same I don't know what to tell you other than I don't think the league's and the players perception on this matches the subset of fans who would like to see Garrett fired.
 
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