2022 OTAs, Camps and Training Camp Thread...

Chocolate Lab

Mere Commoner
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
19,860
Yeah that has to be disinformation for other teams. Gallimore ahead of Osa? Watkins at 3T? We heard so much about Golston but he's 3rd team?

At least the RDE starter is legit.
 

boozeman

28 Years And Counting...
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
121,759
Yeah that has to be disinformation for other teams. Gallimore ahead of Osa? Watkins at 3T? We heard so much about Golston but he's 3rd team?

At least the RDE starter is legit.
It is not the “official” team depth chart. But rather Ourlad’s.
 

Chocolate Lab

Mere Commoner
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
19,860
Oh. Ourlads.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,734
20 Cowboys’ offseason takeaways: From Dak Prescott’s health to Micah Parsons’ encore

By Jon Machota
29m ago
Monday marks the start of a five-week offseason window when the Cowboys do not have any scheduled team responsibilities. Players will still be working out individually and with teammates during this time, but they won’t practice as a full team again until they arrive in Oxnard, Calif., for the start of training camp on July 25.

“This time is really beneficial because I think we all could use a little bit of a break from one another,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “I think it gives you a chance to get around your family, your friends, to get personally charged, emotionally and mentally. At the end of the day, we all have to do the physical work that needs to be done to make sure we’re ready to go in Oxnard.”

Over the previous five weeks, the Cowboys have had rookie minicamp, organized team activities and minicamp. To catch you up on everything that happened during that stretch, here are the 20 biggest takeaways and observations.

Dak Prescott is leaner, moving better. The Cowboys quarterback was probably the team’s biggest offensive standout during the offseason work. He appeared to be in great shape and moving as well, if not better, than at any other time during his NFL career. Now that he is fully healthy from the ankle, calf and shoulder injuries he dealt with a year ago, Prescott should not have any limitations entering training camp.

Will Dak run more? That was a popular storyline coming out of OTAs. Prescott’s mobility has been a strength and that shouldn’t change. But don’t expect his number of carries to significantly increase in Year 7. Prescott ran 48 times last season. He ran 52 times in 2019. His career-high is 75 carries in 2018. Look for that number to be around 50-55 in 2022. Where being leaner will likely help Prescott and the Cowboys the most is in his ability to move in the pocket and buy time for big plays to develop in the passing game.

Dalton Schultz’s contract. The team’s No. 1 tight end attended almost all of the offseason program. He skipped the final week of OTAs to show his displeasure with the lack of movement in contract negotiations. He was in attendance for mandatory minicamp the following week. The Cowboys and Schultz have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal. If not, he will play under the franchise tag, paying him a fully-guaranteed $11 million for the 2022 season, which is the most likely result.



It looks like Dalton Schultz will play on the franchise tag in 2022. (Jerome Miron / USA Today)

First-round pick. Tyler Smith is projected to be the Cowboys’ starting left guard during his rookie season and the franchise’s starting left tackle of the future. He received the majority of his work at left guard during rookie minicamp, OTAs and minicamp. But he also lined up at left tackle at times. As long as Tyron Smith is healthy, he’ll remain Dallas’ starting left tackle. But the eight-time Pro Bowler hasn’t played a full season since 2015. If he misses time again this year, don’t be surprised to see Tyler Smith slide over to left tackle and Connor McGovern step in at left guard.

Other offensive line observations. The starting offensive line is expected to be (left to right) Tyron Smith, Tyler Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Zack Martin and Terence Steele. Behind them will likely be some combination of rookie OT Matt Waletzko, OG McGovern, OG/C Matt Farniok, OT Josh Ball and possibly one of the interior undrafted rookies, Alec Lindstrom or James Empey.

Fined again. McCarthy was fined $100,000 after it was determined that the team’s OTAs were too physical for the second consecutive year. Dallas will also lose one OTA session next season as punishment. The penalty of losing an OTA this season didn’t seem to bother the Cowboys too much as they cut their offseason program short by two days. Their mandatory three-day minicamp consisted of only one on-field practice. Another day was used for a team-building event with players and coaches at a local Topgolf. The final day was only mandatory meetings for rookies. “I think we clearly crossed the finish line of what we were trying to get done this year,” McCarthy said on the final day of minicamp.

Jerry Jones on McCarthy. The Cowboys owner and general manager spoke highly of the team’s head coach last week, saying “If I didn’t think a lot of Mike McCarthy being able to coach our team to a Super Bowl, he wouldn’t be the coach today.” Jones when asked about the speculation that former Saints head coach Sean Payton will be next in line if the Cowboys have a disappointing 2022 season.

“Sean Payton (speculation) shouldn’t be out there,” Jones said. “That’s an injustice. For him, the Cowboys, all of us, that’s just sheer pulling it out of the air. Now, it’s well known we’re good friends and it’s well known that we think a lot of him as a coach, all those kinds of things. But in this case, asking the way you’re asking, he shouldn’t be a conversation piece. Mike has got an opportunity here to win a Super Bowl. And he’s got an opportunity to win other Super Bowls. That’s really the measurement of it. Not just for me, but it’s an eternity between right now and this time next year in our game, and I’m not trying to be dramatic. That’s what I should dwell on.

“Mike is not only here, but he’s in the best position, in my mind, to lead this team as coach. He is very qualified to win a Super Bowl. He has the kind of qualities as a person and individually that I really want to work with. And I know his players feel the very same way and his coaching staff feels the same way. So, I feel good about Mike. And it shouldn’t be part of a conversation right now as to where Mike is relative to Sean Payton. That shouldn’t be there. I don’t have that there any place in my mind.”

Trevon Diggs. As expected, Diggs and Micah Parsons were the biggest defensive standouts of OTAs and minicamp. Diggs had an outstanding leaping interception near the goal line during seven-on-seven red zone drills in the final minicamp practice. While he’s hoping for the opportunities that he saw while making a league-high 11 interceptions last season, it’s likely that quarterbacks will stop throwing his way as often. At times during OTAs, Diggs talked trash to Prescott to get him to throw in his direction. When asked about taking chances to make the big plays, Diggs responded: “What chances? I don’t know what taking chances means. I play football.”



Trevon Diggs intercepted a league-high 11 passes last season. (Tim Heitman / USA Today)

Micah Parsons. What he can do in his second season working with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is probably the biggest reason to be optimistic about the 2022 Cowboys. There has been no slowing down for last year’s NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He’s had a busy offseason after quickly becoming one of the league’s biggest stars. It won’t be easy to duplicate his rookie success as opponents will be game planning for his every move, doing whatever possible to keep him from wrecking their offensive plans. “They were looking for me last year,” Parsons said. “It’s going to be a little different. It’s going to be more challenging. But I never back down from a challenge. The great ones just find a way.”

McCarthy on Parsons. “There’s a lot more to the second-year jump than just your statistics of how you play on Sundays,” McCarthy said. “It’s what kind of teammate are you? How do you interact in the locker room? Are you making the others better around you? Obviously, Micah had a lot of great moments last year. But our desire, and it needs to be his desire, is for him to be an elite player, not just a great player. The elite ones bring everybody with them. How they work, how they compete in practice, how they compete in the weight room, how they compete at garbage can basketball in the locker room. That’s all part of culture growth and establishing that. He has an opportunity to really make a huge impact on our football team.”

Sack battle. DeMarcus Lawrence could end up being the biggest beneficiary of all the extra attention opponents give to Parsons. The veteran left defensive end should see more one-on-one opportunities as teams worry about using an extra blocker or two on Parsons. Lawrence on his mentality this season: “Become the sack leader again. I let a rookie show me up last year. Shoutout to my boy Micah. Restate my dominance. Let everybody know how I’m coming, how I feel and the type of respect I’m going to demand when I step on the field.”

Parsons had a team-high 13 sacks in 16 games. Lawrence had three in seven games. “I want D-Law to step up,” Parsons said. “I want him to be who he is. I’m not taking that away from him, but sorry to tell him, he’s never getting that back. … If 10 (sacks) is the number, I’m going for 20. It’s gonna be a race to the quarterback.”

Who else is in the mix? Parsons and Lawrence are Dallas’ top two pass rushers, but who else is in the mix? Lawrence will continue to get the majority of his reps at left end while the right end position is a lot more up for grabs with Randy Gregory now in Denver. The expectation is that veterans Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler will see a lot of work there, but Dallas also drafted Sam Williams in the second round for a reason, and he certainly looks the part. “Since we don’t have pads on,” Williams said, “I feel like this is the perfect time to get my hands right, get my footwork right and just open up my pass rush toolbox.” Chauncey Golston, a third-round pick last year, can help in that area, but his ability to move inside in passing situations was also on display during OTAs. Veteran Tarell Basham, who had seven sacks over the previous two seasons, is also back for his second year with the Cowboys.

Kelvin Joseph update. The second-year cornerback attended all of OTAs and minicamp. McCarthy said last week that he had not heard any updates during the previous month about Joseph’s off-the-field situation. In March, Joseph was a passenger in a vehicle from which gunshots were fired that killed a man in Dallas. According to his attorney, Joseph was not the shooter. Two men were arrested. McCarthy did say that Joseph was dealing with a minor injury but he’s expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

More opportunities for LVE? From what he has accomplished this offseason and being in Quinn’s defense for a second year, Leighton Vander Esch believes he has a chance to be even better than his Pro Bowl rookie season. His play improved down the stretch last season. Why? “Just getting in a rhythm, playing more,” he said. “You’re going to get that out of me if you play me the whole game.” The plan going into last season was to split time between Vander Esch and Keanu Neal. With Neal no longer on the roster, second-year LB Jabril Cox is expected to fill his role. Cox is working his way back from a season-ending knee injury.

Biggest disappointment? Not getting to see more from the new wide receivers. Veteran James Washington and rookie Jalen Tolbert started OTAs on the sideline. Washington was in a walking boot. Tolbert was also dealing with a leg injury. Tolbert ended up working with the first-team offense later in OTAs and in minicamp. He looked comfortable taking reps with Prescott and the first-team offense in the final minicamp practice. With Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson gone and Michael Gallup expected to miss the start of the regular season, the Cowboys need Washington and Tolbert to get all the work they can with CeeDee Lamb. That’s likely to be the starting WR trio Week 1. They are all expected to get together with Prescott to work out during this five-week period.

CeeDee No. 1. He’s stepping into that role that had previously been filled by Cooper. It comes with more responsibility and more attention from opposing defenses. Judging from what we’ve seen so far, he’s going to be used all over the field in a variety of ways, likely lining up on the outside, in the slot and even getting some carries. “I’ve been ready,” Lamb said. “That’s just me and my competitiveness. That’s in my nature. That’s kind of how I grew up playing football. I’m always ready for my name to be called.”

Did the roster take a step back? On paper, it looks that way. Prescott doesn’t think so. “We know what we have in this locker room and we know what we can be,” he said. “Talent is one thing, but if you don’t fulfill it, it doesn’t really mean anything. So just from the names and stuff like that, we got young players that just haven’t had a chance to make a name for themselves. I’m excited for those guys to be able to do that and for them to prove people wrong. I know what this team has and the men that we have and the coaches and the leadership. We definitely didn’t take a step back. We’re going to continue to get better and that’s what this offseason is about, and that’s what moving forward is.”

Ezekiel Elliott. If he’s healthy, Elliott can still play at a high level. He’s healthy right now. He looked fresh and recharged during the offseason program. Can he maintain that through a full season with his physical running style? If not, this could be his final season in Dallas.

“Nothing ever changes for my expectations of Zeke, of who he is, how he leads this team, how he approaches the game,” Prescott said. “He comes in like a pro each and every day and does that, so I expect his best. When you do that and do it with the intentfulness he does, he’s going to get better. When Zeke’s healthy, I don’t think there’s a better back.”

Tony Pollard. He’s been used in the slot before. He has plenty of experience playing wide receiver while at Memphis. Pollard was in the slot at times this offseason. It’s another way to keep one of Dallas’ top offensive weapons on the field and getting touches even when he’s not the featured running back. “I’m open to anything,” Pollard said. “Just being on the field, being able to make the most of my opportunities. If I have to line up in the slot a little more, whatever it takes. I’m ready to do it.” What does he think about those who say he needs more touches? “I could agree with that,” he responded. “… I feel like I’m better the more I’m involved in the offense.”

What’s going on at kicker? Jonathan Garibay is the only one on the roster, so he’s clearly the front-runner to win the job. The undrafted rookie free agent will get competition in training camp. From what we saw at OTAs and minicamp, it’s clear that Garibay has a strong leg. He looked accurate, but that was without a true rush. We’ll know a lot more in Oxnard, but considering that the Cowboys haven’t signed anyone else to this point, they obviously feel good about the Texas Tech product.
 

Simpleton

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
17,418
I would feel so much better about this team with Cooper still here, and maybe a real DT.
Yea the Collins cut and Gregory situation were a bit stupid but I can also squint and kind of see the logic, the Cooper situation (in conjunction with Schultz) is and always will be complete idiocy.
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,465
Yea the Collins cut and Gregory situation were a bit stupid but I can also squint and kind of see the logic, the Cooper situation (in conjunction with Schultz) is and always will be complete idiocy.
Yeah WR still worries me and I like Tolbert. With Gallup sidelined it just feels super thin and one injury away from a total disaster and a panic trade. Like always health is going to play a major role in the success of the team. And I don't just mean Dak this time around.
 

Simpleton

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
17,418
Yeah WR still worries me and I like Tolbert. With Gallup sidelined it just feels super thin and one injury away from a total disaster and a panic trade. Like always health is going to play a major role in the success of the team. And I don't just mean Dak this time around.
They're seemingly banking heavily on Moore being able to use Pollard creatively in the passing game, which on one hand I appreciate because that bucktoothed fuck needs to actually come up with something beyond gimmick plays, but on the other hand the chances of success are...not great.
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,465
They're seemingly banking heavily on Moore being able to use Pollard creatively in the passing game, which on one hand I appreciate because that bucktoothed fuck needs to actually come up with something beyond gimmick plays, but on the other hand the chances of success are...not great.
Some teams can operate that way. I just don't think Moore or Dallas can. Requires a lot of creativity. And not just a few plays but an entire game plan.

Now give me McVay or Shannahan and I would say it could work.
 

Simpleton

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
17,418
Some teams can operate that way. I just don't think Moore or Dallas can. Requires a lot of creativity. And not just a few plays but an entire game plan.

Now give me McVay or Shannahan and I would say it could work.
Pollard could easily be used like Deebo in the running game, he won't be as good of course but schematically you should be able to use him similarly. But as you said, I don't think Moore can build a fully integrated offensive structure to do that sort of stuff week in and week out, which to me should result in him being fired at the end of the year assuming we have a similar season as last year.
 

p1_

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
26,462
Cowboysrock said:
Now give me McVay or Shannahan and I would say it could work.
The difference between these two and Moore is pretty stark. Jerry keeps backing the wrong horse.
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,465
Pollard could easily be used like Deebo in the running game, he won't be as good of course but schematically you should be able to use him similarly. But as you said, I don't think Moore can build a fully integrated offensive structure to do that sort of stuff week in and week out, which to me should result in him being fired at the end of the year assuming we have a similar season as last year.
Yeah I don't know that he is the pass catcher Deebo is. Pollard just hasn't ran many routes. Yes he played receiver in college but it's not like he was a 800 yard receiver in college.
 

Simpleton

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
17,418
Yeah I don't know that he is the pass catcher Deebo is. Pollard just hasn't ran many routes. Yes he played receiver in college but it's not like he was a 800 yard receiver in college.
I said in the running game, he could be used more creatively than he is in the passing game but not to the same extent as Deebo.
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,465
I said in the running game, he could be used more creatively than he is in the passing game but not to the same extent as Deebo.
No I agree with you. I was just highlighting the one thing we don't really know with the Pollard talk at receiver. If he can't beat corners running routes it certainly limits some of that stuff.
 

shoop

Semi-contributing member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
4,459
They're seemingly banking heavily on Moore being able to use Pollard creatively in the passing game, which on one hand I appreciate because that bucktoothed fuck needs to actually come up with something beyond gimmick plays, but on the other hand the chances of success are...not great.
My issue is that it feels like to him game plan= trick plays.
 
Top Bottom