• Home
• Privacy Policy
• “The Sports Doctors”

Subscribe

• Games
  • Previews
  • Threads
  • Wrapup
• General
  • Fantasy
  • The Leon Awards
  • Trends
  • Trolling the Universe
• News
  • Draft
  • History
  • Interviews
  • Podcast
• NFL
  • Players
  • Teams
• Training Camp

Deep Depth Thursday: Cowboys Camp, July 31st

The Cowboys built on some of yesterday’s camp themes, working more on their offensive and defensive packages when the ball is inside the opponents’ 30, 20 and 10 yard lines.

Dallas also continued to work on the change on the defensive line, where Marcus Spears took all the snaps at nose tackle and Jay Ratliff took all his reps with the defensive ends.

I asked DL coach Todd Grantham if these were permanent moves, since Spears spent every session and scrimmage rep at the nose and Ratliff spent every session and scrimmage rep at end. He told me no, that these moves had been discussed for quite some time and that the time was right in camp to roll out the changes. These are supplementary changes: Ratliff will continue to work inside at nose tackle but also get reps outside. The same is true for Spears who will get nose work in addition to his normal spots at end.

The moves were prompted by each man’s relative strengths. Ratliff is Dallas’ fastest D-lineman and the move gives him more space in which to work.

Spears has more strength and “his stoutness comes into play.” Indeed, when you look at them they seem miscast in their current starting roles. Spears is shorter and has a thicker midsection. Ratliff is what scouts call “high cut” with longer legs and a shorter torso.

Wade Phillips said in his presser today that both lineman asked to get more reps at their new positions and this is why they they got so much time at their new spots today.

Grantham said he was eager to see how rookie Marcus Dixon plays in next week’s game. Dixon had his best day, according to his coach and may be getting the hang of the pro game. “He’s starting to learn how to play with his hands. The hardest part of adjusting to the pro game is learning to play with your hands.

Watch Dixon, number 95, when the Cowboys play the Chargers next Saturday. His coaches will be eyeing him closely. If the light goes one for him he may push the coaches to consider keeping seven linemen. I asked Grantham if the team would keep six or seven and he told me it’s too early to tell. Right now, Dixon has to be considered one of the bubble boys, with Spears, Ratliff, Chris Canty, Jason Hatcher, Tank Johnson and Stephen Bowen holding the six golden tickets at the moment.

Better to Get This Mistakes Out Now

The Cowboys brought in referees to oversee their scrimmages and the yellow flags were abundant. The Cowboys corners have been playing very tight coverage the first week of camp and today they were flagged several times for playing too closely. Wade Phillips said the referees would be available to the players to clarify rules and rules changes.

Notes:

Alonzo Coleman put a nifty ole move on a closing Anthony Henry in the last scrimmage. He and Keon Lattimore are pushing to be the kept as a 5^th running back, though I’d put Coleman in the lead.  He seems to make a play every day, though both guys face long odds.

‘
Anthony Spencer made the best of his time in Demarcus Ware’s role. He got consistent pressure looping inside on a blitz and later crashing from the edge. The offense later tried running a bootleg at him. Spencer ignored the fake and blew up the play. He’s looked strong against the run and shows more pressure as a rusher.

Ware was held out as a precaution for after having his bell rung in yesterday’s morning practice.

The team held a one-on-one drill with linebackers and backs and Phillips said his younger backs did a solid job against the blitzers.

The Sports Doctors — 07/31/08

Welcome to the July 31^st thread for The Sports Doctors, streamed live from KSOX, ESPN Radio 1240.

Once again, the Doctors will be in at 6 pm ET, 5 pm CT. We’ll go over today’s practice and and have an in-depth discussion about the Cowboys’ secondary. We’ll also have comments from Dave Campo, Terence Newman, Anthony Henry and Ken Hamlin.

And, as always, we’ll take your calls at 888-806-1661.

If you do not feel like calling in, post your questions on this thread. Just post your Name and Town (and country, if not in the United States) and we’ll try to answer them on the air.

To listen live, click on one of the links to the right. If all goes well, we’ll have a replay after the show.

Early Teaser and a Program Update

Ugh!

The live streaming pulled up lame yesterday.  Seems the computer at the BMP studios can stream or record, but not do both.  Since we’re good coaches and don’t believe in making the players on our show do things they can’t do, we’ve got Raul handling the recording duties today.

Bottom line:  we’re live streaming again at 6 pm ET, 5 pm CT today.  We’ll go over practice, profile the secondary, share comments from Dave Campo, Terence Newman, Anthony Henry and Ken Hamlin, and take your calls at 888-806-1661.

We’ll also put up a program thread about at about 4 pm CT, so post your questions there and we’ll try to answer them on the air. And remember … name and town.

Some notes from yesterday’s practice that didn’t make the initial cut:

– How confident are the coaches in the defense’s ability to generate interceptions?  The defense ran a drill yesterday where a corner or safety intercepted a duck thrown up by a coach and the rest of the unit practiced blocking for the pick return.

– Hudson Houck told me all the backup linemen need to play multiple positions.  He wasn’t joking.  Yesterday, in the 1-on-1 pass blocking/rushing drills, James Marten took three consecutive snaps at left guard, left tackle and right tackle.

The Defense Pushes Back, Cowboys Camp Report, July 30th

The Cowboys went through a spirited workout Wednesday morning, mixing in lots of one-on-on drills, giving us a better view of the players making pushes to make the team.

Joe Juraczek started the team off with their regular stretching drills. Fans should get the chance to see him lead the warm-ups. You might think this is a throwaway time but Juraszek makes sure each player works hard on his stretches. He commands their attention because he does them himself. Joe lies on the ground in the middle of the group and does the stretches himself, showing proper technique.

He also deserves a nod for getting the team in top shape. Wade Phillips mentioned that every player on the roster reported at his assigned weight. The Cowboys have lots of enormous linemen but you do not see any guts on them.

In the positional drills Todd Grantham worked with his guys on getting under a o-lineman’s punchout with rip moves. “Get your fist above his shoulder” he said over and over again. Later, the d-linemen were schooled on spin moves. More on this later.

In the middle of the far field the tight ends and defensive ends squared off in a one-on-one run blocking drill. The tight ends tried to engage, turn their man outside and maintain their blocks to the whistle. Some matchups were won by the offensive guys and some by the defensive guys but here are some mini-summaries:

Jason Witten is solid, as we might expect. He stalemated every end he faced, though Erik Walden did get past him on one rep.

Tony Curtis also shows solid blocking skills.

Martellus Bennett is up and down. He’s got the size and power to do this, but is still putting the whole package together. One one play he locked out his man and turned the LB outside but was chastised by John Garrett for not keeping his feet in motion. Bennett is clearly improving but you get the feeling he’s still working through mental checklists out there from time to time.

Rodney Hannah looks like a “bubble boy.” He’s huge but I saw Anthony Spencer fold him backwards.

The offense worked on its packages inside an opponents’ ten today. In the opening drills the offense worked alone on pass plays and draws from the defense’s nine yard line. In the later 11-on-11s, those same plays were tried on the defense.

The team then assembled for its first 11-on-11 session and the defense had the upper hand. Demarcus Ware gave Marc Colombo some problems off the edge; Kevin Burnett tipped a later pass for Tony Curtis; Jason Witten caught a short pass over the middle but Bobby Carpenter just missed the ball.

The offense also made its share of plays. Tony Romo checked down and found a tight end for a completion on a play where Anthony Spencer and Bobby Carpenter overloaded one side and Carpenter broke cleanly into the backfield. Tashard Choice stopped a Justin Rogers blitz and earned a complement from his position coach.

The team went back to 7-on-7 and Adam Jones started to notch some plays, shutting down Sam Hurd on a go route. Mike Jefferson made a nice catch of a deep fade over Evan Oglesby. Isaiah Stanback started to see more passes and made his balls count, catching a comeback route in front of Mike Jenkins and later making a sliding catch of a low Brad Johnson ball over the middle. He was open on a later corner route but Johnson badly underthrew him.

The team then had a special team’s drill that worked on kickoff coverage. Bruce Read worked with his group on beating the initial block and on blowing up an opponent’s wedge.

Later, the team broke into two groups. One ran another 7-on-7 in the red zone while the offensive and defensive linemen worked a one-on-one pass blocking/rushing drill. I focused on the linemen. The plays were a split decision and you have to look at each lineman to tell who “won” the drill.

Flozell Adams was solid, pushing Demarcus Ware around the outside on every one of his reps. He’s another vet who could probably start the season next week.

Kyle Kosier looks solid, though he was surprised by a Chris Canty spin move, with Canty applying what he worked on in his position drill.

Andre Gurode was solid, though Marcus Spears slipped past on one rep.

Jay Ratliff and Leonard Davis had an interesting standoff. Davis stopped Ratliff but was stunned by Ratliff’s punchout, which bent him backwards. Ratliff has strong hands and you wonder how many linemen who are not Davis’ size could recover from a burst like that?

Anthony Spencer threw a wicked inside counter at Marc Colombo and slid into the backfield.

Finally, the team moved to one last 11-on-11 drill, working on plays from the 30 and inside the ten. Some general observations:

Same as it ever was with Jason Witten. He’s open almost any time a QB needs a target.

Felix Jones is dangerous on draws. He slithered through the line for two big gains in the red zone.

Adam Jones ripped the ball from T.O. in the end zone, nullifying a good Tony Romo throw. Jones has been close all week, but had been missing close. He’s starting to break up more close plays now.

Dallas ran an I formation play where Felix was the tailback and Marion Barber was the fullback. Barber got the ball on a draw here.

Notes:

Why is Camp ’08 “Camp T.O?” Because Terrell Owens practices like Michael Irvin. Jason Garrett didn’t make that comparison explicitly, but see if the O.C.’s assessment of his star wideout reminds you of another star Dallas WR: “in every practice I’ve been around the guy he’s the first guy in line and he’s running harder than anybody else, and when you have your best players doing that, it just trickles down through the team like you can’t imagine. And on the good teams I was on in the ‘90s that’s what we had. Our best players were our hardest workers. They loved playing football and [on this team] Terrell is that guy.”

Mike Jefferson is catching lots of passes. I asked Ray Sherman if he’s making a push and was told that it’s partly the reads that are sending the ball his way. I asked for an update on the trio of understudies (Hurd, Austin and Stanback) and he told me Hurd “is really coming on.” Austin shows improvement but needs to show consistency. He was diplomatic on Stanback, saying “he’s made remarkable improvement” since the OTA and if he can continue to improve at that rate he has a chance to be active on game day.

Sherman deferred the question of whether the Cowboys would keep five or six WRs, saying that would be up to Wade Phillips and that special teams play would determine the final number.

Adam Jones worked with the first unit today. I asked Dave Campo if anything should be read into this and he said no. He stressed that there’s no set depth chart, simply a rotation and that every corner is getting his reps with the first-team front seven.

Marcus Spears worked a lot a nose tackle today and clogged things up. I may have received an inadvertent comment on Spears’ play when I asked Jay Ratliff why he was moved to end. I wanted to know if the team was trying to get him more reps but he looked at me a bit defensively and said, “I was told it’s because they want more size inside.” Draw your own conclusions.

Ratliff told me the toughest interior lineman he’s faced is Leonard Davis. He said Philadelphia and Minnesota have the toughest lines, because they’re the biggest and the most relentless.

Dave Campo complemented Alan Ball and Evan Oglesby, saying they’re having a great battle and “there are three or four guys fighting for spots and they’re two of them. They’re practicing hard, they’re competing and one of them is going to shake out hopefully.”

Campo waffled on whether the team would keep five or six corners, saying the final cut would be a “tough decision. A good one, but a tough one.”

Campo also singled out second year safety Courtney Brown, who made an impressive play in one of the 7-on-7 drills, saying, “there’s a battle going on a safety and he’s right in the middle of it.” Brown is playing mostly strong safety right now but Campo pointed out that the strong and free safety spots “are pretty much interchangeable in our system” and that Brown has the speed and athleticism to play free safety as well. One major question that might determine whether Brown makes the team is his tackling ability; Campo says the coaches won’t know until they see him in games.

Campo made an intriguing statement. When I asked if Anthony Henry was set at right corner, he said that none of the spots are set. You have to think Terence Newman is the left corner if he’s healthy and Campo stressed that nickel corner has to be considered a starter in today’s game. That said, you wonder if they’re waiting to see how Newman heals and if Adam Jones is reinstated before a final trio – and their relative positions – are set.

Impress your friends: The Cowboys packages are numbered 11 – for 3 WR packages; 12 for two-TE sets and 21 for two-back packages.

Anthony Henry mentioned that Terence Newman’s groin injury was not as bad as Newman originally feared. He’s still likely to miss most, if not all of the preseason, but this increases the odds he’ll be ready for Cleveland on opening day.

The Scientist Visits the Doctors

Football Scientist and ESPN analyst K.C. Joyner will be our guest on The Sports Doctors on Wednesday. K.C. will discuss his new book Blindsided and the upcoming Scientific Football 2008, which goes to the publisher next week.

Submit your questions in the thread and listen in on our live stream, 5-6 pm Central Time. You can also call in live at: 888-806-1661

We’ll of course be commenting on Terence Newman’s injury and the latest camp news.  A special thanks to everybody who called in today and blogged in their questions.  We’ll try to fit in more questions tomorrow.

Getting a Push: Cowboys’ Camp, July 29th

On the first day of full pad contact the defense whipped the offensive line, charging into the backfield numerous times and catching backs before plays could get started.

Since then the offense line has been slowly edging into control. Today, with the offensive and defensive lines again squaring off in one-on-one pass rush drills, as they did on Sunday, we got another look at an offensive line that is gaining its collecting legs and cutting out those from the defense.

Hudson Houck worked his guys hard again on handling spin moves, switching on stunts and on sliding laterally to drive rushers past the edge.

When the offensive players went to blocking defensive players rather than offensive ones, the stalemates continued. Marc Columbo locked up Jay Ratliff, who was lined up at RE and later stopped Jason Hatcher. Leonard Davis handled Tank Johnson. Flozell Adams was a brick wall against Demarcus Ware.

Whatever Houck is putting in their water and in their training sessions is working. When the team played 11-on-11, the quarterbacks faces little pressure unless the defense blitzed heavily. I told you yesterday that the offensive line appears to be blocking better and today offered more evidence to support that claim.

Notes from the Scrimmage

Dallas worked on its three WR and nickel packages today.

Welcome to the NFL, rookie: Martellus Bennett flexed into the backfield and was hammered back into his running back by Demarcus Ware.

Hello Rookie II — Zach Thomas blew up Tashard Choice on another run, zipping into the backfield.

The defense didn’t get much pressure on the offense in that last session but Bobby Carpenter did break clean on an inside blitz.  However, Tony Romo was able to hit Sam Hurd in the area Carpenter vacated.  Romo’s reads and delivery are as quick as ever.

Keon Lattimore shows surprising elusiveness for a fullback. He pulled an olé move on Ware one play later, giving Ware a target and then hopping backwards before running around Ware to the outside. The juke was positively Emmitt-like. But can he block? And play special teams? His roster spot will depend on it.

Mike Jenkins got several reps against Terrell Owens and held his own. He had to do some clutching and grabbing and might have drawn a flag on one deep route but was not outrun or overpowered. He needs more work but he’s got promise.

Isaiah Stanback finally is getting some passes his way, catching a comeback from Brad Johnson. He also made a significant gain on a reverse.

Note: Marcus Spears is getting more reps inside in the Cowboys’ fronts and will continue to get more.

Newman: A “Significant” Groin Injury

Wade Phillips opened his presser today with the news that an MRI on Terence Newman revealed a “significant” groin injury that will keep him out a minimum of three weeks.

Dr. Luis Rios, the medical doctor half of the sports doctors, said, “if this is a normal individual, I’d tell them they were out at least six weeks. But pro athletes are not normal people and with the trainers they can access, I’d say maybe four to six weeks.  I doubt he’ll play in the pre-season, but why does he need to?”

The Sports Doctors — Episode 1

Well, campers, today’s the day!

Rafael and his partner in crime, Luis Rios, will be hosting The Sports Doctors, a one-hour call-in radio show being broadcast on KSOX, ESPN Radio 1240 from Raymondville, TX.

Use this thread to post your questions for The Sports Doctors — when doing so, be sure to also post your first name and the city you are blogging from. You can also listen live by clicking on one of the sound logos to the right under the ESPN 1240 logo.

If you would like to call in and get your chance to chat with Rafael directly, the number is 888-806-1661.

The show will air from 5 PM to 6 PM Central time Tuesday through Friday for this week and next week. If all goes well, we could be extended into the regular season, so help get the word out and make sure you participate.

“The Doctors will be with you shortly …”

Tuesday Teaser — Cowboys Camp, July 29th

One tasty morsel from yesterday’s notes that somehow missed the post:

In the last 11-on-11 drill the Cowboys offense ran a play from a one back set that had Felix Jones behind quarterback. Jones ran a circle route out of the backfield and crossed in front of linebacker Zach Thomas. Thomas tracked Jones and closed in when the QB checked down with his pass.

I should say that Thomas tried to close, because he never had a chance to make the tackle. Felix (there are always too many Jones on this team, so I’m going to call Felix and Adam by their first names) caught the pass and blew away from the veteran.

Folks, we’ve all mused about the exotic ways that Dallas can use Felix Jones. We’re all wondering if he’ll line up at receiver and if he’ll line up with Marion Barber in a two running back set.

What I saw was one of the most basic plays in the Cowboys playbook. The route is one backs were running a generation ago.

The Cowboys don’t have to do anything crazy with Felix Jones. They just need to get him the ball in space. He’ll do the rest. Wade Phillips compared Felix to Thurman Thomas, whom Wade coached in Buffalo. When I watched Felix make Zach Thomas look like he was wearing cement cleats, I thought of another back who wore Jones’ number 28 — Marshall Faulk. Now, don’t misunderstand me. I know that comparison is not fair. Faulk was a superstar. Jones hasn’t even played his first pro game. However, Felix Jones shows the same receiving skills that made Faulk so dangerous in his prime.

Look forward to that when Dallas visits San Diego a week from Saturday.

Cool, but Hot — Cowboys Camp Report, July 28th

The famed Oxnard weather finally appeared Monday morning with overcast skies, cool ocean breezes and temperatures in the 70s. The atmosphere was perfect for practicing football and the Cowboys took advantage, drilling fundamentals, special teams and working a lot more 9-on-9 running drills and 11-on-11 open drills.

Fundamentals are a constant at every Wade Phillips practice. Today, for instance, the quarterbacks, tight ends, fullbacks and running backs spent a lot of time working on proper spacing on running plays. The staff rolled out long blue and yellow strips, marking off the camps on the line of scrimmage and the backfield units worked on running their plays through their designed gaps.

Across field, Hudson Houck worked his guys on running the same running plays against different defensive fronts, so his blockers knew precisely who they should block, regardless of the scheme they face.

In individual drills the tackles continued to practice beating spin moves. Erik Williams showed his group how to slide laterally and not lunge, which would give his opposing lineman a free shot into the backfield.

The teams then worked up to a 9-on-9 running drills. There were good plays by both offense and defense but the offense got the better of most plays. Their run blocking looks better than this point last year.

The team then alternated kickoff coverage and return drills between two 11-on-11 anything goes sessons. Observations from those sessions are below.

Notes:

Terence Newman missed the practice with a leg injury. Dave Campo told me after practice that he’s not sure whether Newman injured an ankle or a groin. Nor was he sure of the severity, leaving all questions for the training staff. I’m sure we’ll all learn more at Wade Phillips’ afternoon presser.

Mike Jenkins got the majority of the reps with the first team and Campo said his play made a quantum leap from yesterday’s session, which was Jenkins’ first. When asked why Adam Jones didn’t get the reps, Campo said simply that Jones has yet to be re-instated and he does not want to give him first team play until he’s sure the former Pacman can play.

Erik Walden is running with the second unit at weakside outside linebacker, behind Demarcus Ware. He showed a burst in yesterday’s session but was stonewalled by Flozell Adams and Doug Free in the 11-on-11s today. That’s typical. New players will have a good practice and follow it up with a so-so performance.

Jenkins’s time with the first unit gave Alan Ball a lot of reps at corner on the second unit, opposite Adam Jones.

Brad Johnson continues to look for Mike Jefferson.

Johnson also threw a lot of deep balls in the 11-on-11s. Don’t get carried away thinking he’s found the fountain of youth. One was broken up and another was picked.

Zack Knows – The defense faced a shotgun formation while in its base. Zach Thomas yelled “watch for the draw” and then stepped up to stop Marion Barber when the offense in fact ran the draw. It’s hard to fool the old vet.

The defense sees Terrell Owens everywhere. On one play Owens and Sam Hurd lined up in a slot formation, with T.O. inside. When he released upfield both corners on that side hesitated, wondering whether he should take the receiver. A safety rotated over the top. While all three DBs were tracking Owens, Felix Jones ran untouched around end to their side of the field. Owens laughed at the trio when he loped back to the huddle.

Tank Johnson continues to show an inside burst. We know Jay Ratliff can be what Bradie James terms a “hybrid” nose tackle, in that he can rush as well as stopping the run. If Johnson can make a contribution, and it appears he can, the Cowboys rush gets that much stronger.

Dallas continues to sprinkle zone blitzes into liberal doses of man-to-man coverage.

The defense blitzed their Mike inside backers a lot today and Bradie James and Bobby Carpenter broke through cleanly numerous times. The result was several Tony Romo incompletions.

T.O. has been Mr. Sizzle for the passing game thus far. Jason Witten is Mr. Reliable. Romo could hit him on deep ins and outs whenever he needed a play. He’s another veteran who could start the season this Sunday.

Bobby Carpenter got a lot of love from his position coaches today. He had his assignments down and was cursing when he mistimed a leap and therefore missed a sure interception.

Dallas practiced a play where the tight end , linemen and fullback all block to the strong side while the tailback takes a pitchout naked around the weakside end. The play broke for a huge gain when it was run in the 11-on-11s.

The Cowboys are not scaling back their running play list. They have more traps and toss plays than ever.

Evan Oglesby had two breakups at right corner.

It’s Alumni Week. First, Dave Campo and Hudson Houck return. Then, Duane Thomas and Calvin Hill stop by. Erik Williams pops in on a coaching fellowship and today Michael Irvin and Nate Newton are about, Irvin hosting for ESPN Radio in Dallas.

Note: I will not be covering this afternoon’s session, which will focus on special teams. The next report will come mid-day tomorrow.

Camp Cowboys: Compare and Contrast, ‘07 vs. ‘08

It’s hard to get a definite read on anything after three days of camp. Hudson Houck laughed when I asked him on Saturday what, if anything he could tell me after one day in pads? “That I still have 22 practices to go,” was his reply.

Still, Cowboys fans hate deferred gratification. Especially after 12 years without a playoff victory. With that in mind, I went back one year to see where the team was at the same stage in their Phillips Over San Antonio ‘07 Tour. This year’s tour is already looking much better. Consider:

– At quarterback, Tony Romo was looking sharp but everybody was wondering if his dropped ball in Seattle would harm his development. Now, he’s trying to stay out of the tabloids. Call this one a wash.

– At running back, Dallas was staying with the status quo, starting Julius Jones and rotating Marion Barber into the lineup. This year, the unit looks faster and deeper. Felix Jones and Tashard Choice have not played pro games yet, but I can already say with confidence that Felix will be a better receiver than Julius and I’ll take Choice already over Tyson Thompson. Score: plus one for the ‘08 squad.

– On the offensive line, the Cowboys were waiting for starters Flozell Adams and Marc Columbo to return from knee scopes. Jim Molinaro and Pat McQuistan were manning the tackle spots. This year, McQuistan is at right tackle and second year man Doug Free is at the left tackle spot. The starting lineup looks set. Score: plus one for the ‘08 squad, based on health and continuity.

– At wide receiver, Terry Glenn was about to drop off the roster with a knee injury, not to return until January. Isaiah Stanback was in a walking boot. This year, Glenn is gone again, perhaps for good. Stanback is playing, though he’s still far from polished. Sam Hurd looks better, but if he’s not displacing Patrick Crayton, he’s risen to his level. That’s a step down from ‘06, when T.O., Glenn and Crayton were the trio, but a minor step up from last year, when Hurd was an unknown. Score: a wash

– At tight end, Jason Witten was a sure thing and Anthony Fasano was the clear backup. Tony Curtis was a promising backup. This year, Curtis is the number two. Martellus Bennett has replaced Fasano, who’s now a Dolphin. He’s a big, talented player, but nobody knows how Bennett will play this year. Score: minus one, because of inexperience.

– On the defensive line, Jason Hatcher’s promising start was wiped out by a hamstring injury. Jason Ferguson was the starting nose tackle. Chris Canty and Marcus Spears were eager to wipe out underachiever labels. This year, Canty and Jay Ratliff are set at RE and NT, after stepping up their respective games last year. Tank Johnson replaces the departed Ferguson. He shows some explosion in drills, but I’ll wait until I see him in some real games before I rate him against Ferguson. Score: plus one for ‘08, because there is far less uncertainty this year.

– At linebacker in ‘07 it was Demarcus Ware and a lot of questions. Greg Ellis was rehabbing a torn Achilles and was grumpy about his contract. Anthony Spencer was an unknown rookie. Inside, Bradie James was claiming his poor ‘06 was due to playing overweight in Bill Parcells’ scheme. Kevin Burnett was an injury prone enigma and Bobby Carpenter had the eau de bust about him.

This year, many experts are touting the Cowboys’ LB corps as the league’s best. Ware and Ellis both had double digit sacks last year. Spencer looked good in a backup role. James bounced back with a steady season. Burnett found a home in the nickel, where he excelled in coverage. And the Cowboys added Zack Thomas to replace Ayodele, who’s also joined Parcells and Tony Sparano in Miami. Score: plus one for the ‘08 guys.

– In the secondary, the Cowboys were hoping for better health and play at several positions. Anthony Henry was trying to come back from a knee injury that hobbled him in ‘06. Terence Newman was days away from a plantar fascia tear. Ken Hamlin was a low budget signing from Seattle but hardly a sure thing. He had a so-so ‘06 after missing ten games in ‘05 with a severe head injury. It was far from clear if he could regain his outstanding ‘04 form. One year ago, Roy Williams was the surest bet in the secondary.

Today, he’s the most maligned. Hamlin earned his first Pro Bowl berth in ‘07. Newman overcame his heel injury and earned his first trip to Honolulu. Henry was leading the league in picks when he suffered a high ankle sprain that cost him six starts.

In addition, the Cowboys have Adam Jones and first rounder Mike Jenkins replacing Jacques Reeves and Nate Jones. Score: plus two for the ‘08 team, based on better health, and much greater depth.

Overall, the ‘08 team looks much deeper and has far fewer question marks than Wade 1.0. The injury questions at offensive tackle, outside linebacker and cornerback are gone. You could pencil in the entire starting 22 for Dallas today, where you could not do so for several positions last year.

It’s far too early to hit the giddy button, but there’s clearly far less reason to even consider locating the panic button this time around. Let’s hope things stay this way.

T.O. Beats Everybody: Dallas Cowboys Camp Report: July 27th

Your line for the day: T.O. beats everybody.

Repeat after me: Terrell Owens beats everybody.

Owens put on a scintillating show for HBO and the crowd, schooling every defensive back who tried to cover him. Adam Jones was on the down end of the day’s signature play; in a one-on-one drill, Owens rotated into a matchup with Jones. Richard Bartel was under center but with the desired matchup up for the first time today, Tony Romo was waved into the spot. Jones locked on to Owens for five yards but T.O. exploded away when he added the second half to the out-an-up. He was five yards in the clear when he gathered in Romo’s deep pass.

It’s always a question when a receiver is running free whether the receiver is really that good or the secondary is suspect. I remember watching Terry Glenn do the same thing to Terence Newman and Anthony Henry back in ’05 and it was the set up to a big season.

The corners are good. They knock down bad passes and they take some good ones away too. Owens is simply playing at a different level at the moment.

Say it with me…

The day began with the setup for kickoff return and coverage units. On the far field Bruce Read set up his first and second units, which lined up as follows:

First unit:

• First line: Pat Watkins, Bobby Carpenter, Justin Rogers, Martellus Bennett, Kevin Burnett
• Wedge: Tony Curtis, Cory Proctor, Pat McQuistan, Anthony Spencer
• Returners: Miles Austin, Sam Hurd

Second Unit:

• First line: Tashard Choice, Darrell Robertson, Mark Bradford, Erik Walden, Dowayne Davis
• Wedge: Julius Crosslin, Stephen Bowen, Jason Hatcher, Ronnie Cruz
• Returners: Orlando Scandrick, Mike Jenkins

You probably wondering where Adam Jones, Felix Jones and Isaiah Stanback were?

Adam was on the short field, where a large group of returners was taking turns fielding punts, including Patrick Crayton, Terence Newman, Anthony Henry, Danny Amendola and Quincy Butler.

When the team broke into units the receivers worked on catching passes at their highest point on fade routes and making one-handed catches.

The quarterbacks and running backs started with the most basic of skills, perfecting the spacing on a handoff. Across the short field, Hudson Houck and his guys worked on combination blocking in the middle and on the edge of the line. Houck worked with the interior linemen and had coaching fellow Erik Williams working with the offensive tackles.

On the back field, Todd Grantham and his guys worked on proper footwork on stunts and on proper hand usage on rushes.

Across the defensive field Dave Campo ran the secondary through defending stack or “bunch” formations, stressing communication, switching and proper spacing when receivers criss-crossed.

The offense and defense then worked together, with the receivers going one-on-one against the corners and the offense going 9-on-9 against the defense. Following both produced a mild headache but here’s what I gleaned:

Adam Jones can blanket receivers. He nevertheless had a frustrating session as Sam Hurd, Patrick Crayton and T.O. caught passes in front of and behind him.

That’s because Crayton and Hurd are running very precise routes. Hurd has been very impressive the last couple of days at getting separation. He told me yesterday he’s gunning for a starting spot and he’ll definitely get more playing time if he keeps playing this way.

Same as it ever was with Anthony Henry. Guys seem ready to blow past him and eat up his cushion with ease, but he stays with his man up the field and makes up ground when the ball is in the air. He recovered and stole the ball from Hurd on a deep route early in the drill. Guys can get away from him on deep ins, but receivers have always been able to do this.

Isaiah Stanback can beat jams and get up the field but the two deep throws I saw in his direction were thrown out of bounds. Give him an incomplete for the day.

Meanwhile, the offensive line got the better of the defense on most of the running plays. Felix Jones and Tashard Choice made impressive gains in the session going inside and outside. Marc Colombo has showed some good drive on plays to the right, while the interior trio of Kosier, Gurode and Davis created lots of lanes for the backs.

Jones’ speed is as good as advertised, but I think the fans will be pleasantly surprised by Choice’s explosiveness. He’s decisive and is quick through the hole.

On the defensive side, Anthony Spencer stopped everything to his side. He started to get reps more late in the season for his run stopping ability and he looks like he’s still improving.

In the next session the team went back to kickoff returns, with John Garrett and Bruce Read splitting the duties. Garrett worked with the up men, drilling them on getting the proper drops back towards the wedge and then turning, finding their targets, engaging and maintaining blocks to the whistle.

Read meanwhile worked with the wedge players. After a few minutes both halves of the unit worked together. Here, Stanback and both Jones took turns as returners: one return pair consisted of Miles Austin and Felix Jones and a second had Adam Jones and Sam Hurd. It appears that Read may have an abundance of return men this year. Austin was effective last year after replacing Tyson Thompson and Dallas now has three other returners who may be as good or better.

The team again split up with the tight ends and receivers going 7-on-7 on one half of the field while the offensive and defensive linemen staged their 1-on-1 on the other half.

I spent most of my time watching the linemen but caught these tasty crumbs:

First, Dallas unveiled its two tailback set, with Felix Jones and Marion Barber lining up in the backfield together. Felix motioned into the flanker spot and ran a go route. He got wide open and Tony Romo found him.

Next, Martellus Bennett drew his first cheers of the camp, catching a deep seam route.

The lineman drill showed the relative skills of veterans and the rookies, as the kids could beat other kids but had a lot more trouble dealing with the vets.

Rookie Erik Walden showed an impressive burst on an inside counter move that left Doug Free grasping for air. He found no such room on his next rotation when he went after Flozell Adams, who was his steady self, keeping everybody, including Demarcus Ware, away from his quarterback.

Jay Ratliff is getting a lot of reps at both end and nose tackle. He zipped past Leonard Davis on one play but had trouble with Colombo when he tried going wide. Colombo handled all comers his way.

Tank Johnson shows some explosiveness, in the drills and in the 1-on-1s. He got the better of Andre Gurode on one play but was stacked up by Kyle Kosier on another. Kosier was another mister steady.

It’s one step back and one step up for James Marten, who is trying to make it as a guard. He was pushed deep into the pocket on one rotation but fought back on his next chances.

The practice ended with a full 11-on-11 drill, that I’ll term a stalemate. The offense made some plays while the defense stopped others. Newman blanketed Crayton out of the slot and picked off a pass. Felix Jones took a stretch play for a long gain up the left side, showing impressive speed around the corner.

A likely immaterial drill note:

Backup QB Brad Johnson is doing his best to give UFA Mike Jefferson a chance to make the squad. Johnson threw almost all of his downfield passes Jefferson’s way. The rookie make a couple of sliding catches but also dropped a few. He’s still a long shot from where I’m sitting.

Dallas Cowboys Camp: Sunday Appetizer

Some “press pancakes,” complements of Chef Terence Newman:

Q: I see you guys practicing a lot of press coverage. Are you planning on being more aggressive this year?

Newman: I hope so. I hate sitting off, playing off-man. To me that’s not a great style of defense. There’s no aggresiveness in that, you’re just sitting back waiting. You know the guys on this team like to get up in people’s faces and make things happen, make them work a little bit… If we can get up and press and Demarcus Ware, Greg Ellis and Tank Johnson, if we get those guys to do what they do, this team could be awesome.

Q: All of you want that?

Newman: Yeah, we’re used to that. That’s what we’re capable of doing so why not allow your guys to go up, press, buy a little more time for the interior guys and make plays that way.

Q: Is that something you’ve asked coaches for in previous years and…

Newman: Oh, I’ve asked Stew [DC Brian Stewart] earlier this year, I said, ‘hey, let’s press some more…’ I know they want to do some zone blitzes and whatnot, that’s what they did in San Diego but with the players we have here I think you have to let them play to their abilities…

Q: does the defense feel that they’ll be the talk this year and take the ink away from the offense?

Newman: Offense is always going to get the hoopla, but we don’t care. We go out and do what we do. We’re the gritty side of it. We’ve got a lot of softer guys on offense, but defense is where all the tough guys are so, we’re cool with that.

Is he entirely tongue-in-cheek on that last one? I report, you decide.

Seeing Stars — Afternoon Report, July 26th

After their intense full pads morning workout the Cowboys scaled back to helmets, shoulder pads and shorts for their afternoon session. The practice focused on special teams, fun and caution.

After the extended stretching session that opens every practice the team broke into individual units, who also spent a lot of time working on stretches, all targeting the hamstrings and other leg muscles which can so often pull after intense exertion.

Bruce Read’s guys again worked on punt coverage and blocking on the far field.

Later in the practice the teams worked on punt returns, with Adam Jones and Terence Newman alternating as returner. Jones showed the breathtaking shake that made him such a return weapon in ’05 and ’06. The man can change direction multiple times at high speed. That warp drive lateral movement recalls Deion Sanders, who had the same ability to lose the first gunner up the field.

The offensive and defensive lines squared off in man-on-man drills, which drew lots of ooohs from the crowd, especially when Jason Hatcher poleaxed Leonard Davis. Hatcher’s teammates were jumping up and down after Bigg Leonard got his comeuppance.

The team engaged in 7-on-7 drills but I was occupied on the far field interviewing one of the great Cowboys personalities. Duane Thomas appeared at today’s practice, honored for scoring the first touchdown at Texas Stadium. Thomas stood with Calvin Hill, Larry Lacewell and team announcer Brad Sham recalling the glory years of ’70 and ’71 when the team made its first two Super Bowl appearances and won its first title.

Thomas agreed to take questions and held court for more than half an hour, discussing psychology, the relationship of theology and football, personal development and how he viewed playing football as art, among other topics. I’ll give a much fuller write-up on his comments later, since trying to encapsulate them here could not do them justice.

Other tid bits:

I spoke to much of the Cowboys’ receiving corps today. Terrell Owens, Partrick Crayton, Sam Hurd and Isaiah Stanback all shared their thoughts, along with WR coach Ray Sherman. The unit is tight and they believe they can carry on despite Terry Glenn’s departure. They all noted that the receivers – and the offense – were were all very successful last year and feel they can continue to improve.

Coach Sherman and the other receivers were all complimentary of Stanbach. Hurd and Crayton depict him as a player on the cusp, who has the skills to stretch a defense if he can take the next step in his learning curve.

More on this later.

Note: Keyshawn Johnson also spent some time on the sidelines, adding to the Cowboys Alumni star power.

Building Blocks — Camp Report, Morning, July 26th

The morning was surprising hot and so was the pace of the Cowboys first practice in full pads. The structure of the practice showed the emphasis on building units upon sound fundamentals.

Perhaps the best way to understand the work underway is to compare it to the structure and pace of Bill Parcells’ Oxnard camps, since this is the first session here for Wade Phillips.

The first and most noticeable difference is in tone. Camp Bill was fast paced and intense. It also had the shadow of paranoia about it. A high school coach who was spotted charting plays one year was brought before The Tuna by security and interrogated. The electronic press had their video access limited in year one.

And the practices were hard to view for the fans. There are two fields at Oxnard, one near the fans stands and another set behind it. Parcells always kept his offensive players on the far field and at the left end, where they were hardest to view.

Camp Wade, by comparison is an open city. The offense works out right in front of the fan stands, giving them what they want – the maximum chances to ooh and aah over a Tony Romo pass and a T.O. or Jason Witten catch.

Security is still tight – two bragged to me this morning of spotting and evicting a “reporter” with a counterfeit press pass, but everything sits in plain sight. HBO has brought “Hard Knocks” here, after all, and their cameras are everywhere, on the sidelines and in the bleachers. Players linger much longer after practice, working in small groups and signing autographs. At Camp Wade, openness and progress are not seen as enemies.

With that atmosphere surrounding them, the players jumped immediately into work. On defense, the initial drills emphasized chaos – for opposing offenses. Each position coach took a unit and stressed stripping the football, handing the football properly after an interception or fumble recovery and knocking down passes. After two minutes, the groups rotated to the next station, where they learned another way of disrupting an offense.

At this point, the offensive and defensive units returned to their respective coaches and worked from individual drills to unit drills. For instance, the quarterbacks and receivers worked together on routes and route combinations, with nobody opposing them. Then, the tight ends and running backs were summoned from the far end of the field, where those units were working with the offensive linemen on run blocking.

The QBs, RBs, TEs and WRs, then worked on integrated patterns. Later, they joined with their linemen and squared off against the defense.

The initial pairing saw the offensive and defense square off on running plays. The group then broke up and special teams coach Bruce Read took over, working today on punt coverage. He, like his coaching peers, broke the act down into discrete units: gunners worked in units on their releases, while the core group worked on blocking inside charges. The units later merged and worked on covering together.

Later, the team returned to 11 on 11 drills, with new units being run in on every play. The result was hard to track. The first offensive line, for example, would stay in for several plays while a new QB, RB, TE and WR set would enter on each play. The constant churn made it hard to get a feel for who looks good and who looks bad, since players didn’t have extended runs today. Nonetheless, here are some observations of scattered plays:

Sam Hurd’s route running looks very crisp. He got consistent separation on all CBs I saw in 1-on-1 drills and turned Terence Newman around on a comeback route.

Terrell Owens could start the season now. He torched Newman on a deep fade where T.O. started in the slot. He left Adam Jones in his wake a couple of times. I’ve watched enough camps now to get a feel for whether a player is doing well or the corners are stumbling. It’s only day two, and day one in pads, but don’t worry about T.O. slowing down.

– WR coach Ray Sherman and WRs Sam Hurd and Patrick Crayton all commented on Isaiah Stanback’s deep speed. He got behind Adam Jones with ease on a fly pattern but could not snatch a pass that was short and outside. He lined up exclusively as the flanker this morning.

– Anthony Spencer can’t be blocked by running backs or fullbacks on blitzes, at least not the ones I saw try to block him today.

– The defensive line, or at least the first unit, got the better of the offensive line in the 11-on-11 drills, which is no surprise on day two. The rushers put steady pressure on Tony Romo and Jason Hatcher batted down one of his passes.

Dallas is practicing a lot more press coverage. On one play the offense lined up in a slot formation and Anthony Henry and Terence Newman both took a man, lining up just two to three yards off the ball. Newman told me he has asked DC Brian Stewart to let the defense play more press. “I know they want to zone blitz, that’s what [Stuart and Phillips] did in San Diego, but with the players we have here, I think you have to let them play to their abilities.” Based on this morning’s work, the defensive coaches may have paid attention.

Other Notes:

– Felix Jones was not at the morning practice, but is expected to play this afternoon.

– Terence Newman and Adam Jones alternated returning punts. I asked Newman if he was going to return more kicks this year and he smiled, shook his head and said, “we’ll see when the first game comes…”

– The special teams punt coverage session was an ensemble production today: While ST coach Read focused on the inside blockers, Dat Nguyen coordinated the rotation of rushers. On the outside, TE coach John Garrett worked with the gunners on their releases.

• 2008 Cowboys Tickets on eBay

• Burst Media

Copyright © 2008 Blue and Silver Report · Log in