ravidubey
DCC 4Life
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He's definitely overstating Wilcox' case. [/picture of calm]
The OTA/Mini Camp Thread...
- Thread starter boozeman
- Start date
L.T. Fan
I'm Easy If You Are
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I think the instinct conversation is being confused with intuitive and physical coordinators abilities . To me instinct deals more with iniate ability to perceive without thought. Whether it is a physical trait is another question. I suppose it could be if you think some act without thinking but that has a lot of connotations.
Smitty
DCC 4Life
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Ehm, no, what made him intriguing was his athleticism.
Lotuseater
Banned
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The only reason I'm overstating is so it is definetly remembered by some that I said this kid would be a hell of a player.
Just setting them up for later, its fine.
Genghis Khan
The worst version of myself
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Thank you.
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W2W4: Cowboys veteran minicamp
June, 10, 2013
By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com
The Cowboys conclude their offseason work with a three-day mandatory veteran minicamp that starts Tuesday.
Who will participate: It's mandatory, so if you don't have an excused absence, players will be fined. So expect 89 players in attendance. Why 89? Defensive tackle Josh Brent is on the reserve/non-football illness list and didn't attend any of the organized team activities this offseason. Brent is awaiting trail for an intoxication manslaughter charge resulting in the death of practice squad player Jerry Brown. FullbackLawrence Vickers (back surgery) will be in attendance, but will be limited to rehab work. Quarterback Tony Romo (back) and defensive end DeMarcus Ware (shoulder) are not expected to practice as they continue to heal. Several others might also be given some time off, including WR Miles Austin, DT Jay Ratliff and guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau. RB Joseph Randle, the team's fifth-round pick, has a cast on his thumb and is out.
Who needs the minicamp? Center Travis Frederick was getting first-team reps over Phil Costa during OTAs and that might continue this week. Frederick is projected as the starter, and the more practice time he gets, the better. Safety Matt Johnson, who missed all of last season with hamstring injuries, got first-team reps with Barry Church during OTAs over veteran Will Allen, who was getting some rest. Johnson has to prove he can become the playmaker the Cowboys thought they had when he was drafted in the fourth round last year. With Ware out, DE Kyle Wilber needs snaps as he was moved from outside linebacker to end this offseason to add depth. Wilber's ability to play end will dictate how much playing time he receives in 2013.
So the playcaller is? The biggest offseason secret was revealed last week when Bill Callahan confirmed he'll call the offensive plays. One problem: Coach Jason Garrett hasn't confirmed it, despite owner/general manager Jerry Jones implying it last week. Garrett most likely will be asked about the play-calling situation again this week. It will be interesting to see if he confirms anything.
Players worth watching: Guards Ronald Leary, Kevin Kowalski and David Arkin; wide receivers Danny Coale, Eric Rogers and Cole Beasley; running back Phillip Tanner and tight end Dante Rosario; right tackles Doug Free and Jermey Parnell.
June, 10, 2013
By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com
The Cowboys conclude their offseason work with a three-day mandatory veteran minicamp that starts Tuesday.
Who will participate: It's mandatory, so if you don't have an excused absence, players will be fined. So expect 89 players in attendance. Why 89? Defensive tackle Josh Brent is on the reserve/non-football illness list and didn't attend any of the organized team activities this offseason. Brent is awaiting trail for an intoxication manslaughter charge resulting in the death of practice squad player Jerry Brown. FullbackLawrence Vickers (back surgery) will be in attendance, but will be limited to rehab work. Quarterback Tony Romo (back) and defensive end DeMarcus Ware (shoulder) are not expected to practice as they continue to heal. Several others might also be given some time off, including WR Miles Austin, DT Jay Ratliff and guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau. RB Joseph Randle, the team's fifth-round pick, has a cast on his thumb and is out.
Who needs the minicamp? Center Travis Frederick was getting first-team reps over Phil Costa during OTAs and that might continue this week. Frederick is projected as the starter, and the more practice time he gets, the better. Safety Matt Johnson, who missed all of last season with hamstring injuries, got first-team reps with Barry Church during OTAs over veteran Will Allen, who was getting some rest. Johnson has to prove he can become the playmaker the Cowboys thought they had when he was drafted in the fourth round last year. With Ware out, DE Kyle Wilber needs snaps as he was moved from outside linebacker to end this offseason to add depth. Wilber's ability to play end will dictate how much playing time he receives in 2013.
So the playcaller is? The biggest offseason secret was revealed last week when Bill Callahan confirmed he'll call the offensive plays. One problem: Coach Jason Garrett hasn't confirmed it, despite owner/general manager Jerry Jones implying it last week. Garrett most likely will be asked about the play-calling situation again this week. It will be interesting to see if he confirms anything.
Players worth watching: Guards Ronald Leary, Kevin Kowalski and David Arkin; wide receivers Danny Coale, Eric Rogers and Cole Beasley; running back Phillip Tanner and tight end Dante Rosario; right tackles Doug Free and Jermey Parnell.
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Broaddus: Some Thoughts Entering Three-Day Minicamp
Posted 4 minutes ago
Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout
IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys begin their mandatory three-day camp Tuesday, which will be the final opportunity for the coaches to work with the players before the start of training camp in July.
Here are some thoughts of what we will be talking about this week.
· Last week during OTAs, Jay Ratliff and Jason Hatcher received more work inside at the one and the three techniques, respectively. I am going to be very interested to see if that continues. Reports that I heard from the field were that Ratliff looked quick and powerful playing the three. I truly believe that if this defense is going to be successful, Jay Ratliff is going to have to play a huge role. When Ratliff was out of the lineup, it was Hatcher playing in that spot with Sean Lissemore andNick Hayden working as the one.
Lissemore has been working with Ben Bass with the twos and that has been a nice combination. Bass has been one of those players that has looked a little better each practice and would not be one bit surprised if he makes that jump that we spoke about in training camp when the pads come on. I am liking the movement from the backup defensive ends as well. Tyrone Crawford looks stronger and Kyle Wilber more comfortable playing with hand down than as a linebacker.
· During the rookie minicamp, I thought that B.W. Webb was the best player on the field. But since the veterans have joined the practices the last three weeks, I haven’t noticed him as much as I had before. In these camps, there has been a great deal thrown at these rookies to learn but this scheme is nowhere as complex as what Rob Ryan ran here the last two seasons so I do not believe it’s a mental situation with him, because I have not heard one negative comment about his ability to learn.
In these next three practices, I am going to play very close attention to see how he handles the opportunities presented to him. I honestly believed that he could have pushed Orlando Scandrickfor that nickel role from what I observed from Scandrick last season and how Webb played on college tape, but it has been Scandrick that has shown up better to this point and is playing like he doesn’t want to lose that spot. There is no doubt that training camp will tell the story for Webb and where he fits in but I feel like it’s important for him to close these practices on a solid note heading for Oxnard.
· Since day one of these camps, Travis Frederick has been the starting center overPhil Costa despite the fact that Costa has more than held his own when given the opportunity and at times has even outplayed Frederick technique wise. I have said this a couple of different times on our Talkin’ Cowboys shows that I expect Frederick to remain at center and work with the ones throughout the summer but something to keep an eye on as we move forward here, the minute that you see Frederick getting some reps at guard, which hasn’t happened at all in these camps, that would tell me that Costa is making a push to get on the field.
The one advantage that Costa has other than experience is that I feel like he has a better understanding of how to use his feet to put himself in position to gain and maintain leverage on the down linemen. Costa is one of those players that looks bad when he has to one-on-one block with power but when he can move to get into position, you see him finishing the block. It’s just a feeling that these coaches will not put Costa at guard even if he is playing well and Frederick still beats him out. If there is a move at guard for one of the starting guard spots, I believe it will come from Frederick or Leary keeping Costa at center. Something I will be following closely this summer is how and when they use Travis Frederick.
· It has been a positive sign in my eyes to see all these rookies to get opportunities with the veteran players. Guys like Terrence Williams, J.J. Wilcox, and Gavin Escobar have been rolling in with the ones learning what is expected of them going forward. If there has been a negative or two, it’s been guys like Joseph Randle and Jakar Hamilton have not practiced and will not get a chance until we get to Oxnard because of injuries. I did get to see Hamilton work in the rookie camp which caught my eye because there is something there with his game. We have to remember that Hamilton started his career at Georgia before he transferred to South Carolina State and was a starter for the Bulldogs as a true freshmen, so he can play some big time football. For Randle, he too has played big time football but he will come in behind Phillip Tanner and Lance Dunbar on the depth chart and is really going to have to hit the ground running in Oxnard. What Randle is up against is that Tanner and Dunbar have been very productive in the practices plus they have that experience in their back pocket.
By missing these practices, Randle and Hamilton are missing the reps, because when they make mistakes, the coaches can correct them now instead of later. When we get to Oxnard, it will be about getting ready for a season and the pace is much different. I have always felt that these camps are so important not for the physical aspects of it but for the mental ones. I am not saying that Randle and Hamilton will not be able to function well at training camp but it would have been nice to
see them on the field these last several weeks making progress like some of their younger teammates that have a nice jump getting themselves ready for training camp.
Posted 4 minutes ago
Football Analyst/Scout
IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys begin their mandatory three-day camp Tuesday, which will be the final opportunity for the coaches to work with the players before the start of training camp in July.
Here are some thoughts of what we will be talking about this week.
· Last week during OTAs, Jay Ratliff and Jason Hatcher received more work inside at the one and the three techniques, respectively. I am going to be very interested to see if that continues. Reports that I heard from the field were that Ratliff looked quick and powerful playing the three. I truly believe that if this defense is going to be successful, Jay Ratliff is going to have to play a huge role. When Ratliff was out of the lineup, it was Hatcher playing in that spot with Sean Lissemore andNick Hayden working as the one.
Lissemore has been working with Ben Bass with the twos and that has been a nice combination. Bass has been one of those players that has looked a little better each practice and would not be one bit surprised if he makes that jump that we spoke about in training camp when the pads come on. I am liking the movement from the backup defensive ends as well. Tyrone Crawford looks stronger and Kyle Wilber more comfortable playing with hand down than as a linebacker.
· During the rookie minicamp, I thought that B.W. Webb was the best player on the field. But since the veterans have joined the practices the last three weeks, I haven’t noticed him as much as I had before. In these camps, there has been a great deal thrown at these rookies to learn but this scheme is nowhere as complex as what Rob Ryan ran here the last two seasons so I do not believe it’s a mental situation with him, because I have not heard one negative comment about his ability to learn.
In these next three practices, I am going to play very close attention to see how he handles the opportunities presented to him. I honestly believed that he could have pushed Orlando Scandrickfor that nickel role from what I observed from Scandrick last season and how Webb played on college tape, but it has been Scandrick that has shown up better to this point and is playing like he doesn’t want to lose that spot. There is no doubt that training camp will tell the story for Webb and where he fits in but I feel like it’s important for him to close these practices on a solid note heading for Oxnard.
· Since day one of these camps, Travis Frederick has been the starting center overPhil Costa despite the fact that Costa has more than held his own when given the opportunity and at times has even outplayed Frederick technique wise. I have said this a couple of different times on our Talkin’ Cowboys shows that I expect Frederick to remain at center and work with the ones throughout the summer but something to keep an eye on as we move forward here, the minute that you see Frederick getting some reps at guard, which hasn’t happened at all in these camps, that would tell me that Costa is making a push to get on the field.
The one advantage that Costa has other than experience is that I feel like he has a better understanding of how to use his feet to put himself in position to gain and maintain leverage on the down linemen. Costa is one of those players that looks bad when he has to one-on-one block with power but when he can move to get into position, you see him finishing the block. It’s just a feeling that these coaches will not put Costa at guard even if he is playing well and Frederick still beats him out. If there is a move at guard for one of the starting guard spots, I believe it will come from Frederick or Leary keeping Costa at center. Something I will be following closely this summer is how and when they use Travis Frederick.
· It has been a positive sign in my eyes to see all these rookies to get opportunities with the veteran players. Guys like Terrence Williams, J.J. Wilcox, and Gavin Escobar have been rolling in with the ones learning what is expected of them going forward. If there has been a negative or two, it’s been guys like Joseph Randle and Jakar Hamilton have not practiced and will not get a chance until we get to Oxnard because of injuries. I did get to see Hamilton work in the rookie camp which caught my eye because there is something there with his game. We have to remember that Hamilton started his career at Georgia before he transferred to South Carolina State and was a starter for the Bulldogs as a true freshmen, so he can play some big time football. For Randle, he too has played big time football but he will come in behind Phillip Tanner and Lance Dunbar on the depth chart and is really going to have to hit the ground running in Oxnard. What Randle is up against is that Tanner and Dunbar have been very productive in the practices plus they have that experience in their back pocket.
By missing these practices, Randle and Hamilton are missing the reps, because when they make mistakes, the coaches can correct them now instead of later. When we get to Oxnard, it will be about getting ready for a season and the pace is much different. I have always felt that these camps are so important not for the physical aspects of it but for the mental ones. I am not saying that Randle and Hamilton will not be able to function well at training camp but it would have been nice to
see them on the field these last several weeks making progress like some of their younger teammates that have a nice jump getting themselves ready for training camp.
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I am kind of hoping one of these schlubs looks like ass or gets hurt so we can go out and sign some real DL depth while there is still some out there.
Nick Hayden? Ben Bass? Really?
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- Apr 7, 2013
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- 123,361
Todd Archer@toddarcher1m No sign of Mo Claiborne at minicamp practice. Unsure why. Also no Anthony Spencer (knee), Alex Albright
Bryan Broaddus@BryanBroaddus5m Working no huddle and Orton has been awful. Missed two throws to his right to Bryant then Harris that he has to make.
Calvin Watkins@calvinwatkins4m
Anthony Spencer missing minicamp today with knee issue.
CB Morris Claiborne misses practice today for an undetermined reason.
Will Allen back with 1-team at safety.
Carlos A. Mendez@calexmendez4m
11 on 11. Arkin and Leary continue to work in place of Bern and Livings.
Still no team work for Coale.
Second guardKowalski right and Dominguez left. Ray Dominguez. First year. Arkansas.
Tanner does look fast. Faster.
Jon Machota@jonmachota3m
DeMarco Murray looks good today running with the first team offense, doesn't seem to be bothered by any injuries.
With Cowboys CB Morris Claiborne not at today's mini camp, B.W. Webb taking his place with first team.
Clarence Hill@clarencehilljr41s
As expected, romo, spencer, livings, Bernardeau, Parnell, mccray, coale are all out
Alex Albright is out with an ankle injury
Todd Archer@toddarcher3m
Jay Ratliff taking a lot of team reps. Didnt do much of that during OTAs. Will Allen, Matt Johnson sharing S duties next to Barry Church
Nick Eatman@nickeatman5m I love watching check downs every other play ... Dunbar - hands .. Check
Doesn't look good for Dwayne Harris .. Hurt with a right leg ...
Calvin Watkins@calvinwatkins1m
These QBs are garbage at Cowboys minicamp.
Kyle Orton just threw a pass behind Dez Bryant. SMH
Dwayne Harris is on his feet. But is limping off. pic.twitter.com/XeViQDBiKD
Clarence Hill@clarencehilljr25s
Quarterbacks are struggling right now. All of them. Miss romo yet?
Dwayne harris just went down with leg injury. Let out a scream. Not good.
Todd Archer@toddarcher26s Dwayne Harris rolled up on run play. Looks like right ankle. Practice continues
Charean Williams@NFLCharean8m Nick Stephens just led the second team right down the field for a TD.
Jason Witten has had a good practice. He told me yesterday that it gets harder every year to get ready for these offseason practices.
Witten was ready today.
Sterling Moore and Dez doing some talking.
Dez just caught a slant against Moore. Teammates are egging on Dez: All day, Dez.
Jon Machota@jonmachota2m
Dez Bryant's fired up, going back and forth with Sterling Moore. Dez just beat him on a slant for a score and let him know about it.
Clarence Hill@clarencehilljr2m
Dez caught td pass. Witten leading the cheers. "All day Dez. All day"
Calvin Watkins@calvinwatkins42s Anthony Spencer says he missed practice with a bone bruise.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Moore@DavidMooreDMN1m CB Mo Claiborne was out today due to a severe migraine.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Todd Archer@toddarcher3m Practice ends with Dan Bailey kicking a winning FG.
Nick Eatman@nickeatman7m Dwayne Harris says right ankle injury felt bad initially but he expects to be back tomorrow
Rowan Kavner@KavnerDC16m
Spencer was out with a bone bruise on his left knee
Bryan Broaddus@BryanBroaddus5m Working no huddle and Orton has been awful. Missed two throws to his right to Bryant then Harris that he has to make.
Calvin Watkins@calvinwatkins4m
Anthony Spencer missing minicamp today with knee issue.
CB Morris Claiborne misses practice today for an undetermined reason.
Will Allen back with 1-team at safety.
Carlos A. Mendez@calexmendez4m
11 on 11. Arkin and Leary continue to work in place of Bern and Livings.
Still no team work for Coale.
Second guardKowalski right and Dominguez left. Ray Dominguez. First year. Arkansas.
Tanner does look fast. Faster.
Jon Machota@jonmachota3m
DeMarco Murray looks good today running with the first team offense, doesn't seem to be bothered by any injuries.
With Cowboys CB Morris Claiborne not at today's mini camp, B.W. Webb taking his place with first team.
Clarence Hill@clarencehilljr41s
As expected, romo, spencer, livings, Bernardeau, Parnell, mccray, coale are all out
Alex Albright is out with an ankle injury
Todd Archer@toddarcher3m
Jay Ratliff taking a lot of team reps. Didnt do much of that during OTAs. Will Allen, Matt Johnson sharing S duties next to Barry Church
Nick Eatman@nickeatman5m I love watching check downs every other play ... Dunbar - hands .. Check
Doesn't look good for Dwayne Harris .. Hurt with a right leg ...
Calvin Watkins@calvinwatkins1m
These QBs are garbage at Cowboys minicamp.
Kyle Orton just threw a pass behind Dez Bryant. SMH
Dwayne Harris is on his feet. But is limping off. pic.twitter.com/XeViQDBiKD
Clarence Hill@clarencehilljr25s
Quarterbacks are struggling right now. All of them. Miss romo yet?
Dwayne harris just went down with leg injury. Let out a scream. Not good.
Todd Archer@toddarcher26s Dwayne Harris rolled up on run play. Looks like right ankle. Practice continues
Charean Williams@NFLCharean8m Nick Stephens just led the second team right down the field for a TD.
Jason Witten has had a good practice. He told me yesterday that it gets harder every year to get ready for these offseason practices.
Witten was ready today.
Sterling Moore and Dez doing some talking.
Dez just caught a slant against Moore. Teammates are egging on Dez: All day, Dez.
Jon Machota@jonmachota2m
Dez Bryant's fired up, going back and forth with Sterling Moore. Dez just beat him on a slant for a score and let him know about it.
Clarence Hill@clarencehilljr2m
Dez caught td pass. Witten leading the cheers. "All day Dez. All day"
Calvin Watkins@calvinwatkins42s Anthony Spencer says he missed practice with a bone bruise.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Moore@DavidMooreDMN1m CB Mo Claiborne was out today due to a severe migraine.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Todd Archer@toddarcher3m Practice ends with Dan Bailey kicking a winning FG.
Nick Eatman@nickeatman7m Dwayne Harris says right ankle injury felt bad initially but he expects to be back tomorrow
Rowan Kavner@KavnerDC16m
Spencer was out with a bone bruise on his left knee
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- Apr 7, 2013
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- 123,361
Broaddus: Def. Tackles Shine; Witten Cranks Up Intensity
Posted 2 hours ago
Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout
Some thoughts and observations from the Cowboys first mini-camp practice of the week.
•I thought it was an outstanding day for the defensive tackles on this team during the practice as a group. Jay Ratliff and Jason Hatcher were disruptive throughout the day. Depending on the call, there were times where Hatcher lined up as the three and Ratliff as the one and he was a handful for Travis Frederick.
Hatcher had a couple of plays where he was explosive up the field, one time using a swim move going to his right beating the block of Ronald Leary and getting into the backfield for what would have been a tackle for loss. Ben Bass at the three beat blocks on-on-one and even got so far up the field, he was able to get his hand up to deflect a Kyle Orton pass. Nick Hayden did a nice job of keeping his shoulders square in the running game, not getting turned from the one and making the ball have to spill outside to his teammates.
Newly-signed Jeris Pendleton even got in the action as a one technique and appears that he will need to focus more on his quickness off the snap because it was very clear that his line mates did a much better job of getting off the rock. Pendleton looked a tick slow which caused him to get hooked on the play a couple of different times but overall as a group their film review will be positive.
•If it is possible for a player to continue to take his game to another level, Jason Witten is doing his best to make that happen. Witten has always been super competitive in the way he practices but with veteran safety Will Allen back at practice, Witten did his best to try and wear him out with his routes.
Allen prides himself as a physical cover man did his best to match Witten who is a nightmare to deal with because of how well he understands how to run his route that puts the defender off balance. He did a nice job of leaning on Allen to give himself room in the route, then later came back against Sean Lee on a crossing working his right arm into Lee which knocked him away, on the play, Lee could do nothing but watch as Witten then turning up the field for the catch.
What I have also noticed more about Witten and this offensive scheme that he is running more routes down the middle of the field in the red zone. Too many times in the past seasons when drives have stalled in the red zone, I often wondered to myself, why not try and get the ball to the best player on the field when it comes to playing in a tight area and making a contested catch. It appears that the coaches are trying now to get him more in the mix which a good thing. If Anthony Spencer has been the best defensive player in my eyes in these camps and no disrespect to Dez Bryant but Witten is that player on the offense for me.
•On Monday, I wrote that I had my eye on B.W. Webb to see if he could have a type of practice where it gave him a little momentum going into Oxnard. Today with Morris Claiborne out of the lineup, he showed up with some quality work when he was asked to work with the first defense in the nickel and with the twos when he worked inside on the slot.
One of Webb’s best traits is his footwork and the quickness of his feet. On a route today against Anthony Armstrong who has the best vertical speed of all the receivers, he tried to take Webb down the field to gain separation but he was unable to do so.
Webb managed to keep inside position on the route all while playing the ball in the air. Later in the blitz period, Webb was in the slot on coverage off the defensive right side and Kiffin sent him on a blitz like he had done with Ronde Barber for so many seasons while in Tampa. Webb timed the blitz perfectly and was on Nick Stephens before he had a chance to set his feet. Jason Garrett after practice spoke how Webb does a little something each day to get noticed and for today, he was absolutely correct. I thought this was Webb’s best practice since I had seen him work in that rookie camp several weeks ago.
•On my twitter account every time a player gets released from another club I am always asked if that player is a fit for this club. If I don’t have a good thought one way or another, I usually ask someone in the organization that would be able to steer me in the right direction. I had a good idea that the Cowboys like Mike Kafka the quarterback that the Patriots released on Monday and there was most likely a shot of them putting in a claim on Tuesday which they did but he was awarded to Jacksonville because they had a worse record than the Cowboys. I see today that Baltimore released fullback Vonta Leach and he is free and clear to sign with any team. Would Leach be a good fit for this offense? My answer would be no from what I have seen scheme wise from Garrett and Callahan. This team is working one
single back runs with a combination of tight ends playing in the roles of the “H” and “F”. I have yet to see a run where they have used a true fullback like in years past. The majority of their runs have been zone calls or out of the pistol formation with a hand off to a back behind the quarterback. As the front office has continued to add tight ends to this roster, it was very clear that the fullback was a position that was going to get phased out and after watching Callahan calling plays in the running game, I believe that even more. Vonta Leach is a heck of a football player but in what this football team is trying to accomplish scheme wise, he is not a good fit and that is the bottom line.
Posted 2 hours ago
Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout
Some thoughts and observations from the Cowboys first mini-camp practice of the week.
•I thought it was an outstanding day for the defensive tackles on this team during the practice as a group. Jay Ratliff and Jason Hatcher were disruptive throughout the day. Depending on the call, there were times where Hatcher lined up as the three and Ratliff as the one and he was a handful for Travis Frederick.
Hatcher had a couple of plays where he was explosive up the field, one time using a swim move going to his right beating the block of Ronald Leary and getting into the backfield for what would have been a tackle for loss. Ben Bass at the three beat blocks on-on-one and even got so far up the field, he was able to get his hand up to deflect a Kyle Orton pass. Nick Hayden did a nice job of keeping his shoulders square in the running game, not getting turned from the one and making the ball have to spill outside to his teammates.
Newly-signed Jeris Pendleton even got in the action as a one technique and appears that he will need to focus more on his quickness off the snap because it was very clear that his line mates did a much better job of getting off the rock. Pendleton looked a tick slow which caused him to get hooked on the play a couple of different times but overall as a group their film review will be positive.
•If it is possible for a player to continue to take his game to another level, Jason Witten is doing his best to make that happen. Witten has always been super competitive in the way he practices but with veteran safety Will Allen back at practice, Witten did his best to try and wear him out with his routes.
Allen prides himself as a physical cover man did his best to match Witten who is a nightmare to deal with because of how well he understands how to run his route that puts the defender off balance. He did a nice job of leaning on Allen to give himself room in the route, then later came back against Sean Lee on a crossing working his right arm into Lee which knocked him away, on the play, Lee could do nothing but watch as Witten then turning up the field for the catch.
What I have also noticed more about Witten and this offensive scheme that he is running more routes down the middle of the field in the red zone. Too many times in the past seasons when drives have stalled in the red zone, I often wondered to myself, why not try and get the ball to the best player on the field when it comes to playing in a tight area and making a contested catch. It appears that the coaches are trying now to get him more in the mix which a good thing. If Anthony Spencer has been the best defensive player in my eyes in these camps and no disrespect to Dez Bryant but Witten is that player on the offense for me.
•On Monday, I wrote that I had my eye on B.W. Webb to see if he could have a type of practice where it gave him a little momentum going into Oxnard. Today with Morris Claiborne out of the lineup, he showed up with some quality work when he was asked to work with the first defense in the nickel and with the twos when he worked inside on the slot.
One of Webb’s best traits is his footwork and the quickness of his feet. On a route today against Anthony Armstrong who has the best vertical speed of all the receivers, he tried to take Webb down the field to gain separation but he was unable to do so.
Webb managed to keep inside position on the route all while playing the ball in the air. Later in the blitz period, Webb was in the slot on coverage off the defensive right side and Kiffin sent him on a blitz like he had done with Ronde Barber for so many seasons while in Tampa. Webb timed the blitz perfectly and was on Nick Stephens before he had a chance to set his feet. Jason Garrett after practice spoke how Webb does a little something each day to get noticed and for today, he was absolutely correct. I thought this was Webb’s best practice since I had seen him work in that rookie camp several weeks ago.
•On my twitter account every time a player gets released from another club I am always asked if that player is a fit for this club. If I don’t have a good thought one way or another, I usually ask someone in the organization that would be able to steer me in the right direction. I had a good idea that the Cowboys like Mike Kafka the quarterback that the Patriots released on Monday and there was most likely a shot of them putting in a claim on Tuesday which they did but he was awarded to Jacksonville because they had a worse record than the Cowboys. I see today that Baltimore released fullback Vonta Leach and he is free and clear to sign with any team. Would Leach be a good fit for this offense? My answer would be no from what I have seen scheme wise from Garrett and Callahan. This team is working one
single back runs with a combination of tight ends playing in the roles of the “H” and “F”. I have yet to see a run where they have used a true fullback like in years past. The majority of their runs have been zone calls or out of the pistol formation with a hand off to a back behind the quarterback. As the front office has continued to add tight ends to this roster, it was very clear that the fullback was a position that was going to get phased out and after watching Callahan calling plays in the running game, I believe that even more. Vonta Leach is a heck of a football player but in what this football team is trying to accomplish scheme wise, he is not a good fit and that is the bottom line.
Carp
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IRVING, Texas – With two more days of minicamp action still to come from Valley Ranch, let’s take a quick look at come observations from Day 1:
•With Morris Claiborne out with a migraine, rookie CB B.W. Webb worked with the first-team nickel. He came up with a sack and was able to stick with WR Anthony Armstrong on a go route in seven-on-seven drills.
•Nate Livings missed practice with a sore knee, so Ronald Leary took all of the left guard snaps with the first team. Don’t be surprised if Leary is in that mix with Livings early in training camp.
•LB Brandon Magee doesn’t shy away from contact. He knocked down TE Andre Smith in an OTA practice and he wiped out RB Kendial Lawrence near the sideline Tuesday. Practices are supposed to be non-contact, but the undrafted rookie knows he has to make an impression.
•WR Cole Beasley was beaten badly while blocking in the slot on a running play in which his defender made the tackle. That’s one of the cons of having the undersized Beasley on the field a lot.
•LB Sean Lee was able to meet RB DeMarco Murray in the hole after C Travis Frederick was slow to get to the second level. But maybe it was less about Frederick being slow and more about Lee diagnosing the play quickly.
•TE Jason Witten had another excellent practice with his best catch coming down the middle of the field as he created room between safeties Matt Johnson and Barry Church by arcing his route some to give QB Kyle Orton more room.
•CB Sterling Moore had good back-to-back plays, first breaking up a Nick Stephens throw to Eric Rogers and then intercepting a Stephens throw to Armstrong. In two-minute work, however, he tempted Dez Bryant close to the line and was beaten badly on a slant that eventually led to a winning field goal by Dan Bailey.
•It was a good day for the interior defensive linemen in terms of getting pressure. Jay Ratliff was in on the most team drills he has had this offseason and was difficult to block, as was Jason Hatcher. Even Sean Lissemore came up with a would-be sack.
•Orton’s best throw came on a deep ball in seven-on-seven drills when he perfectly led Bryant, who got past Brandon Carr. But later Orton was off on an in-cut to Bryant and forced a throw into double coverage when Bryant was bracketed by Justin Durant and Orlando Scandrick.
•With Morris Claiborne out with a migraine, rookie CB B.W. Webb worked with the first-team nickel. He came up with a sack and was able to stick with WR Anthony Armstrong on a go route in seven-on-seven drills.
•Nate Livings missed practice with a sore knee, so Ronald Leary took all of the left guard snaps with the first team. Don’t be surprised if Leary is in that mix with Livings early in training camp.
•LB Brandon Magee doesn’t shy away from contact. He knocked down TE Andre Smith in an OTA practice and he wiped out RB Kendial Lawrence near the sideline Tuesday. Practices are supposed to be non-contact, but the undrafted rookie knows he has to make an impression.
•WR Cole Beasley was beaten badly while blocking in the slot on a running play in which his defender made the tackle. That’s one of the cons of having the undersized Beasley on the field a lot.
•LB Sean Lee was able to meet RB DeMarco Murray in the hole after C Travis Frederick was slow to get to the second level. But maybe it was less about Frederick being slow and more about Lee diagnosing the play quickly.
•TE Jason Witten had another excellent practice with his best catch coming down the middle of the field as he created room between safeties Matt Johnson and Barry Church by arcing his route some to give QB Kyle Orton more room.
•CB Sterling Moore had good back-to-back plays, first breaking up a Nick Stephens throw to Eric Rogers and then intercepting a Stephens throw to Armstrong. In two-minute work, however, he tempted Dez Bryant close to the line and was beaten badly on a slant that eventually led to a winning field goal by Dan Bailey.
•It was a good day for the interior defensive linemen in terms of getting pressure. Jay Ratliff was in on the most team drills he has had this offseason and was difficult to block, as was Jason Hatcher. Even Sean Lissemore came up with a would-be sack.
•Orton’s best throw came on a deep ball in seven-on-seven drills when he perfectly led Bryant, who got past Brandon Carr. But later Orton was off on an in-cut to Bryant and forced a throw into double coverage when Bryant was bracketed by Justin Durant and Orlando Scandrick.
Bluestar71
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I have a feeling they're going to try and shoehorn Costa in at RG once Frederick gets settled in. Which is equally troubling.
Lotuseater
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Monster season, incoming.
Carp
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Maybe, but I'd rather that Leary is more the competition for Bernadeau.
Lotuseater
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Costa is too small and not near strong enough to play guard for any length of time reliably.
I don't think he can hold up in the league anyway. He's a technical player that relies on being in the right place, not strength, and it has taken it's toll on him in the form of constant injuries.
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Yeah, but in reality he's at LG for Livings, due to his bum knee.
Carp
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Sure, for this camp, but the writer made it seem like he was going to just be competing with Livings. Bernadeau needs more competition than RLAR.