Rookie Mini-Camp Thread
- Thread starter boozeman
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Pretty minor charges.
ravidubey
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Anticipating holes is fine but should not be the determining factor in your draft strategy. You should draft for talent first. For example, Dallas drafted Kavika Pittman specifically to replace Charles Haley in 1996. They got so fixated on the DE position that when they lost out on Brackens they went to their next ranked DE and took him in the early 2nd round, oblivious to the fact there were about 100 players more talented available (including several DL, though that's not the point).
You might be right on Escobar, but Witten isn't going to last forever either. Every year now there are stretches where it looks like Witten is in decline and then he rights the ship. If it keeps on happening, great, but you can't rely on it. What surprises me is how they picked Escobar in the 2nd round when they probably could have waited for their first 3rd round pick and still gotten him.
NoDak
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WUT? He drove with a suspended DL?
That sonofabitch. Cut him before his bad influence rubs off on Dez.
Carp
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He did it all while being black as well.
NoDak
Hotlinking' sonofabitch
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Society as we know it is on a fast track to hell.
ravidubey
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His hair alone earns him a roster spot.
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Recap: Cowboys rookie minicamp
May, 13, 2013
By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com
IRVING, Texas -- Here's a quick review of what we learned after three days of Cowboys rookie minicamp practices.
Rookie running back Joseph Randle didn't participate fully during the three-day minicamp because of his recovery from thumb surgery. He said he'll be playing with a chip on his shoulder as there were nine running backs taken before Randle, who ran for 38 touchdowns in his last two seasons at Oklahoma State. Randle didn't flinch when asked if he could take over the starting running back role should something happen to DeMarco Murray.
The Cowboys signed sixth-round draft pick DeVonte Holloman late last week. As for the rest of the draft picks, don't expect many to sign right now. The new CBA makes it easier to sign players because of a sliding scale with draft picks. The only hangups are signing bonuses. The Cowboys expect to sign the rest of the draft picks in June.
If the Cowboys keep three quarterbacks this fall, take a hard look at Nick Stephens, a 6-foot-3, 226-pounder from Tarleton State. He threw a nice deep ball during minicamp. And while he's not as mobile as Tony Romo, he has the smarts to get rid of passes either by checkdowns or throwing passes away.
Toward the end of Saturday's practice session, safety J.J. Wilcox intercepted one pass in 11-on-11 drills and almost had another. Wilcox made the plays while lining up near the line of scrimmage. He's projected as a solid tackler with the ability to make plays on the ball. That's something Cowboys safeties haven't done with consistency the last few seasons.
At first glance, center/guard Travis Frederick looked pretty good during the minicamp. He's not fast, but who wants an offensive lineman who runs a 4.3 40-yard dash? Frederick is very quick in smalls spaces and uses angles with his arms nicely when creating holes on run plays. We're not sure if Frederick is going to get pushed off the line come September, but he wants to weigh 320 pounds. He's currently at 317. Frederick seems to be the perfect pick for the Cowboys because of the system he played in at Wisconsin. Offensive line coach Bill Callahan likes to use a zone blocking scheme where linemen play with power. That's what Frederick did for four seasons in college.
Notes: Randle got 21 scholarship offers when he came out of high school. Texas didn't offer him one, and Oklahoma wanted him to switch to defensive back. Randle stayed true to Oklahoma State. ... Holloman, who is getting looks at the strong side linebacker spot, said of the minicamp: "It was shocking for everybody. Nothing can prepare you for this tempo." ... WR coach Derek Dooley on what he enjoys about being a position coach: "The intimacy you develop with players and watching them progress."
May, 13, 2013
By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com
IRVING, Texas -- Here's a quick review of what we learned after three days of Cowboys rookie minicamp practices.
Rookie running back Joseph Randle didn't participate fully during the three-day minicamp because of his recovery from thumb surgery. He said he'll be playing with a chip on his shoulder as there were nine running backs taken before Randle, who ran for 38 touchdowns in his last two seasons at Oklahoma State. Randle didn't flinch when asked if he could take over the starting running back role should something happen to DeMarco Murray.
The Cowboys signed sixth-round draft pick DeVonte Holloman late last week. As for the rest of the draft picks, don't expect many to sign right now. The new CBA makes it easier to sign players because of a sliding scale with draft picks. The only hangups are signing bonuses. The Cowboys expect to sign the rest of the draft picks in June.
If the Cowboys keep three quarterbacks this fall, take a hard look at Nick Stephens, a 6-foot-3, 226-pounder from Tarleton State. He threw a nice deep ball during minicamp. And while he's not as mobile as Tony Romo, he has the smarts to get rid of passes either by checkdowns or throwing passes away.
Toward the end of Saturday's practice session, safety J.J. Wilcox intercepted one pass in 11-on-11 drills and almost had another. Wilcox made the plays while lining up near the line of scrimmage. He's projected as a solid tackler with the ability to make plays on the ball. That's something Cowboys safeties haven't done with consistency the last few seasons.
At first glance, center/guard Travis Frederick looked pretty good during the minicamp. He's not fast, but who wants an offensive lineman who runs a 4.3 40-yard dash? Frederick is very quick in smalls spaces and uses angles with his arms nicely when creating holes on run plays. We're not sure if Frederick is going to get pushed off the line come September, but he wants to weigh 320 pounds. He's currently at 317. Frederick seems to be the perfect pick for the Cowboys because of the system he played in at Wisconsin. Offensive line coach Bill Callahan likes to use a zone blocking scheme where linemen play with power. That's what Frederick did for four seasons in college.
Notes: Randle got 21 scholarship offers when he came out of high school. Texas didn't offer him one, and Oklahoma wanted him to switch to defensive back. Randle stayed true to Oklahoma State. ... Holloman, who is getting looks at the strong side linebacker spot, said of the minicamp: "It was shocking for everybody. Nothing can prepare you for this tempo." ... WR coach Derek Dooley on what he enjoys about being a position coach: "The intimacy you develop with players and watching them progress."
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Cowboys rookies can remain for offseason
May, 13, 2013
By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com
IRVING, Texas – Having just completed minicamp Sunday, Cowboys rookies can be at Valley Ranch to take part in the full offseason program today.
Some players will return to school to finish classes this week and graduate, such as first-round pick Travis Frederick, but will return quickly. Cornerback B.W. Webb was allowed to miss the final minicamp practice so he could attend William & Mary’s graduation.
The Cowboys have on-field teaching sessions Tuesday and Thursday and will begin organized team activities next week. The full-team minicamp is scheduled for June 11-13.
Last year Matt Johnson did not return to the Cowboys until the final day of the June minicamp because of league rules, and it had an impact on his rookie season.
Coach Jason Garrett said there are a couple of players that will not be able to attend the entire remaining offseason program because the players’ schools are still in session.
“Obviously you’d rather have guys here than not here, that’s just the nature of it,” Garrett said. “It’s the luck of the draft, what school you went to and what their academic calendar looked like. It’s never something that’s negatively impacted a player. We’ve never not taken a player because he’s on that academic calendar in college, but there’s no question guys being here, learning what we’re trying to ask them to do both technically and within the system will help them.”
May, 13, 2013
By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com
IRVING, Texas – Having just completed minicamp Sunday, Cowboys rookies can be at Valley Ranch to take part in the full offseason program today.
Some players will return to school to finish classes this week and graduate, such as first-round pick Travis Frederick, but will return quickly. Cornerback B.W. Webb was allowed to miss the final minicamp practice so he could attend William & Mary’s graduation.
The Cowboys have on-field teaching sessions Tuesday and Thursday and will begin organized team activities next week. The full-team minicamp is scheduled for June 11-13.
Last year Matt Johnson did not return to the Cowboys until the final day of the June minicamp because of league rules, and it had an impact on his rookie season.
Coach Jason Garrett said there are a couple of players that will not be able to attend the entire remaining offseason program because the players’ schools are still in session.
“Obviously you’d rather have guys here than not here, that’s just the nature of it,” Garrett said. “It’s the luck of the draft, what school you went to and what their academic calendar looked like. It’s never something that’s negatively impacted a player. We’ve never not taken a player because he’s on that academic calendar in college, but there’s no question guys being here, learning what we’re trying to ask them to do both technically and within the system will help them.”
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Broaddus: Some Final Thoughts On Cowboys Rookie Mini-Camp
Posted 42 minutes ago
Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout
Some parting thoughts after the Cowboys Rookie Camp this past weekend:
If you asked me to name one player from the overall camp that looked like he was ready to play right now, I would have said cornerback B.W. Webb. I thought he practiced with confidence and poise to match his ability to handle the position. There didn’t appear to be many plays where he was in a state of panic or struggling to do his job. There is an ease of movement where he almost looked like he wasn’t trying, he was that smooth. When the entire team gets together in the coming weeks, I do not believe that we will see a player that feels like the stage is too big for him. It was a very good start for him.
There will be a great deal of pressure on center Travis Frederick this summer to win the job over Phil Costa and by all rights, there should be. In watching Frederick this past weekend without pads on, it was going to be for me how well he was able to move around athletically and surprisingly, it was better than I expected. There was times where he wasn’t perfect with his technique but the effort to finish the job was not in question. When Frederick was able to work with Ronald Leary and D.J. Hall securing the down guy and working to the second level, it created opportunity for these backs to gain yards. Some of the better runs that the offense had on the stretch plays is when these three were able to hook up on their blocks and the backs were able to hit the crease. What Frederick is going to have to gain a better understanding is when he faces games up front and where he fits in the passes and pickups. Playing with balance for him will be a big key.
On Friday in my practice notes, I offered some thoughts on offensive tackle Edawn Coughman who was in town as a workout player for camp. On Monday, the front office added Coughman to the roster going forward with the opportunity to make the club this Summer. What caught my eye about Coughman was how light he was on his feet for such a large man. At 316 pounds, he has the movement skills of a man in the 280’s. There were several reps where he was either on the front or back side and he was in perfect blocking position. It was quite impressive to hustle to get to the second level and cut off the linebacker. In his pass set, he worked away from the line well, keeping a nice base while not get overextended or reaching for his man. He will need to develop some strength and power but there is plenty to work with just because of the athletic traits.
A great deal of my attention during this camp was spent in the secondary watching the safety play but I player I wanted to mention was cornerback Dustin Harris. Physically Harris is not the biggest corner (5-10, 171) you will see but he will battle you. I felt like as the camp wore on, he got better each practice. Harris showed some nice reactionary skills and putting himself in position to make plays on the ball. There were several plays where he made these receivers have to fight for contested catches. He showed the ability to drive down the stem against Terrence Williams and knock the ball away. There was another time where he was able cut off the “4” inside with good positioning. There was even a time or two when Harris had to battle Gavin Escobar down the field and he held his own.
The scouting report on tight end Gavin Escobar was that he could catch the ball no matter where it was thrown. The scouting report did not lie but was also nice about Escobar this past weekend was his ability to block some. At San Diego State, he played inline “Y” and you would see him give a good effort but was not a trained killer by any means. Early in the camp he was used on the back side and he managed to fight his way between the defender and the ball carrier to keep position. Later, he was asked to take some opportunities on the front side and he was able to tie his man up which allowed the ball to get outside of him. Jason Garrett spoke of Escobar’s length when they drafted him and you could see him at times take advantage of that. What will be Wes Phillips’ job this summer is to work with Escobar and his technique so that he will get more chances to see the field.
I really like what this front office has done by adding linebackers DeVonte Holloman, Brandon Magee and Deon Lacey but a guy that I am interested in when they get to camp and play in pads is Taylor Reed. Over the four practices that I got to observe in person, I really liked what I was able to see in Reed. Here was a guy that probably doesn’t have great height at 5-11 but he is always around the ball. When the defense was on the field, he was the first Mike linebacker and there were plenty of times where he showed up. Some guys have a nose for the ball and he is one of those guys. In college film, I have seen him be productive in coverage despite the fact that he is not the smoothest moving athlete. There is a side of me that believes when the pads come on, he and Magee will be a lot of piles because they both play with some nice instincts and when you are not the tallest guys you better have a special trait to survive and they do.
Posted 42 minutes ago
Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout
Some parting thoughts after the Cowboys Rookie Camp this past weekend:
If you asked me to name one player from the overall camp that looked like he was ready to play right now, I would have said cornerback B.W. Webb. I thought he practiced with confidence and poise to match his ability to handle the position. There didn’t appear to be many plays where he was in a state of panic or struggling to do his job. There is an ease of movement where he almost looked like he wasn’t trying, he was that smooth. When the entire team gets together in the coming weeks, I do not believe that we will see a player that feels like the stage is too big for him. It was a very good start for him.
There will be a great deal of pressure on center Travis Frederick this summer to win the job over Phil Costa and by all rights, there should be. In watching Frederick this past weekend without pads on, it was going to be for me how well he was able to move around athletically and surprisingly, it was better than I expected. There was times where he wasn’t perfect with his technique but the effort to finish the job was not in question. When Frederick was able to work with Ronald Leary and D.J. Hall securing the down guy and working to the second level, it created opportunity for these backs to gain yards. Some of the better runs that the offense had on the stretch plays is when these three were able to hook up on their blocks and the backs were able to hit the crease. What Frederick is going to have to gain a better understanding is when he faces games up front and where he fits in the passes and pickups. Playing with balance for him will be a big key.
On Friday in my practice notes, I offered some thoughts on offensive tackle Edawn Coughman who was in town as a workout player for camp. On Monday, the front office added Coughman to the roster going forward with the opportunity to make the club this Summer. What caught my eye about Coughman was how light he was on his feet for such a large man. At 316 pounds, he has the movement skills of a man in the 280’s. There were several reps where he was either on the front or back side and he was in perfect blocking position. It was quite impressive to hustle to get to the second level and cut off the linebacker. In his pass set, he worked away from the line well, keeping a nice base while not get overextended or reaching for his man. He will need to develop some strength and power but there is plenty to work with just because of the athletic traits.
A great deal of my attention during this camp was spent in the secondary watching the safety play but I player I wanted to mention was cornerback Dustin Harris. Physically Harris is not the biggest corner (5-10, 171) you will see but he will battle you. I felt like as the camp wore on, he got better each practice. Harris showed some nice reactionary skills and putting himself in position to make plays on the ball. There were several plays where he made these receivers have to fight for contested catches. He showed the ability to drive down the stem against Terrence Williams and knock the ball away. There was another time where he was able cut off the “4” inside with good positioning. There was even a time or two when Harris had to battle Gavin Escobar down the field and he held his own.
The scouting report on tight end Gavin Escobar was that he could catch the ball no matter where it was thrown. The scouting report did not lie but was also nice about Escobar this past weekend was his ability to block some. At San Diego State, he played inline “Y” and you would see him give a good effort but was not a trained killer by any means. Early in the camp he was used on the back side and he managed to fight his way between the defender and the ball carrier to keep position. Later, he was asked to take some opportunities on the front side and he was able to tie his man up which allowed the ball to get outside of him. Jason Garrett spoke of Escobar’s length when they drafted him and you could see him at times take advantage of that. What will be Wes Phillips’ job this summer is to work with Escobar and his technique so that he will get more chances to see the field.
I really like what this front office has done by adding linebackers DeVonte Holloman, Brandon Magee and Deon Lacey but a guy that I am interested in when they get to camp and play in pads is Taylor Reed. Over the four practices that I got to observe in person, I really liked what I was able to see in Reed. Here was a guy that probably doesn’t have great height at 5-11 but he is always around the ball. When the defense was on the field, he was the first Mike linebacker and there were plenty of times where he showed up. Some guys have a nose for the ball and he is one of those guys. In college film, I have seen him be productive in coverage despite the fact that he is not the smoothest moving athlete. There is a side of me that believes when the pads come on, he and Magee will be a lot of piles because they both play with some nice instincts and when you are not the tallest guys you better have a special trait to survive and they do.
ravidubey
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Worst part of the CBA by far. If Garrett could have brought one thing, it was full contact practice in pads. Between Jerry and the CBA, I don't think Garrett has any genitals left.