2015 Dallas Cowboys Off-Season News and Notes

[eagle eye]

Yesterday was Dallas second day in pads and the first day things got chippy in practice. In the one on one drills Dez and CB Tyler Patmon exchanged some words that escalated into a couple of punches being thrown. Nobody got hurt and both players hugged it out at the end of practice much to the delight of the crowd attending the practice. This sort of intensity is why the Cowboys are so happy that Dez was signed to a long term deal instead of holding out because of the energy and competitive spirit he brings to training camp. I think the Cowboys coaches are not only not mad at Dez, I believe they are delighted to have him there to ramp up the intensity of the practices.

 

Here are a couple of links from Bryan Broaddus giving us his 12 thoughts from the first two padded practices on Saturday and Sunday.

 

Saturday; http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/02/broaddus-tyron-smiths-dominance-strong-db-play-highlight-12-thoughts

Sunday; http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/03/broaddus-collins-progress-martin-vs-hardy-among-sundays-12-thoughts

 

DL Jeremy Minced returned to practice on Sunday and he got a little bump in salary which is why he was holding out. He didn't get any years added on to his contract but he got an extra $500K in pay driving his cap hit this season up to $2MM plus the $100K in fines he accumulated while holding out was waived. Everybody is happy and Mincey is a big part of the Cowboys D-line especially the first four games when Greg Hardy will be serving his suspension.

 

Tony Romo's sty in the eye didn't keep him out but one day, Friday. He got a shot in the eye area and by Saturday the swelling around his eye was nearly gone and he was ready for the first practice in pads. Thursday the eye was so swollen he could see out of it so the miracle of modern medicine comes through again.

 

Here is a link from DallasCowboys.com about UFA signee Ofe Obada. The guy was signed after the Cowboys found him playing in a semi-pro league in England. The interesting thing here is the writer is from England too. He's an American football fan and a fan of the Cowboys in particular who is making his second trip from England to Cowboys training camp. The writer's name is Dan Turner and from listening to him on DallasCowboys.com's podcast Talkin' Cowboys this Brit knows his American football.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/02/loaded-physical-talent-obada-has-steep-hill-climb-make-team

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys had a day off yesterday so no fights, no injuries and no football took place in Oxnard. The 'Boys should be back at it today. It's 9:30 our time and 7:30 in California so their day may not have begun as yet. One thing I have heard, sort of between the lines, is that CB Corey White is doing an excellent job so far. If you remember Dallas signed White as a free agent in the spring. He played for the Saints previously and he had a good season for them last year. Evidently not good enough for Rob Ryan's taste or he was a salary cap casualty. Either way Dallas has him and he's been pretty good in camp so far. The bonus you get with White is it seems he can play either corner or safety which makes him all the more valuable.

Another guy that has had a good camp if you read between the lines is G Ron Leary. When La'el Collins was signed as an UFA after this year's draft the assumption was Leary was going to lose his job. Collins played tackle at LSU but his skill set seems better suited to guard and Leary was the odd man out. Nobody seems to have told Leary because the guy has been balling and the perceived disrespect for his game in relation to Collins seems to have lit a fire under Leary who is determined to make anyone with designs on his job earn it.

I know it's early in camp and you have to take things with a grain of salt this early in camp but RB Lance Dunbar has been getting some respect from coaches and observers alike. It would be about time Dunbar showed up because if he doesn't it may be time to move on.

 

Just a thought and maybe you would agree, in the 2016 draft I expect Dallas to take one of two positions with their first round pick. That would be either RB or DT. As Dallas moves ahead in building their team it would seem like these two positions need to be addressed. Dallas could have addressed either position in this year's draft particularly the RB position. This was a running back heavy draft and Dallas chose to ignore it all together. I suppose the thinking that they felt that Joe Randle, Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar were good enough and they would sprinkle in a UFA to two and they would make do. There is also the thinking that Dallas may be too proud of the O-line and think just anyone could step in for DeMarco Murray and gain 1,800 yards. Who knows but like a lot of people I sure hated to see Murray move on. It was especially galling to see him go to the Eagles, the team I hate more than any other on the planet. But, you have to respect the discipline the Joneses are showing these days with their salary cap management. Still, to the Eagles? Arggggg!

[eagle eye]

Yesterday was a very big day for long time Cowboys fans because Jerry Jones announced at training camp that former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson will be inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor this year. The actual ceremony will be held on November 1st at AT&T Stadium at halftime of the game between Seattle and the Cowboys. It's rather fitting because in a game against Seattle on October 27, 2002, the same game that Emmitt Smith broke Walter Peyton's all time rushing record, Woodson set the record for tackles in Cowboys franchise history. He finished his career with 1,350 tackles and if you think that is something consider all the great defensive players in Cowboys history that are behind Woodson in tackles for a career. Guys like Bob Lily, Too-Tall Jones, Randy White, Chuck Howley, Cliff Harris and Harvey Martin just to name a few. It is a very impressive record. Of course Woodson was overshadowed when he broke the previous record. It just goes along with the understated way he went about his career which was spent entirely as a Cowboy. 5 Pro Bowls, 4 All Pro Selections and the unquestioned leader of the defensive backfield. Not to mention he earn 3 Super Bowl rings as a Cowboy. The guy was just flat great. He was an undersized linebacker from Arizona State when he was drafted in 1992 but a 4.37 40 in his workout prior to the draft was enough to convince the Cowboys to take him in the 2nd round of the 1992 draft, number 37 pick overall. Because he wasn't a boisterous guy, he just went about his business without a lot of fanfare people don't remember just how great he was. Hopefully, this will open the door for him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next year because he deserves it. There is a feeling that because of the Cowboys fame and success that they are under represented in the HOF and I agree but that jealousy and whatever other reason conspiracy theorists can come up with have made the Cowboys players hard to vote in. It's time and Woodson is a great beginning that I hope extends to guys like Drew Pearson, Leroy Jordan and Harvey Martin just to name a few. I'm glad for Woody, he deserves his day to be honored as one of the Cowboys greats because he really was great. How great? Dallas has been trying to replace him since he retired eleven years ago and they haven't done it yet.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys have an off day today and all things considered it's probably a really good thing. Dez Bryant was out of practice a little early yesterday after he sort celebrated a TD catch in practice and suffered a slight pull in his hamstring. It is not considered serious and when you talk about a hammy that is a very good thing. Just ask Darren McFadden who has spent his pro career nursing hammies. Fact is that is why McFadden has missed all of training camp so far. A day off probably isn't a bad thing for Lance Dunbar who sprained his ankle yesterday. As luck would have it Dunbar's ankle isn't thought to be serious either which is a good thing. When you hear about an ankle the first thing you pray for is it is not the dreaded high ankle sprain. You are talking about a minimum of several weeks to heal from one of those. In this case it is just a minor sprain but the Cowboys had an MRI done just to be safe. Now, back to McFadden. It seems like he's been running and had no set backs and he has been chomping at the bit to get into the practices but the Cowboys have been cautious with him because they don't want him right back on the sideline because he re-aggravated it. With the Cowboys running thin at running back it will be good to get McFadden back on the field which looks like it will be as early as tomorrow God willing and the creek don't rise.

 

Greg Hardy is really making a positive impression on the football field. Too bad we will have to wait for Week 5 to get him on the field. Maybe there is a secret suit going on to eliminate the suspension all together. That's not likely so it is also likely no other legal action will take place in Hardy's case.

 

Now, when is Rolando McClain getting back on the field? He is still rehabbing his knee following surgery this past May. He needs to get on the field to get some reps in because, like Greg Hardy, he will be sitting at home the first 4 weeks of the season for a suspension of his own. McClain has shown he can be an impact player when healthy but he needs to practice to knock off the rust he surely has accumulated over the last 8 months.

 

Sean Lee is working back into practice with the team. The training staff is allowing him to work in slowly to protect the knee he tore the ACL last May. Not 2015 May but 2014. He has had a long and arduous rehab but if he knee is truly ready to go then having him back at 100% will be like adding yet another impact player on the defense.

 

A lot of rave reviews for LB Anthony Hitchens. He was a 4th round draft pick of the Cowboys last year and he was a very pleasant surprise for the Cowboys. He has shown football smarts and versatility to play any of the LB roles and right now the debate is who will play MIKE linebacker spot the first 4 games of the season while Rolando McClain serves his suspension. The answer seems to be whether Kyle Wilbur is good enough to man the SAM linebacker spot to allow Hitchens to play the MIKE or will Dallas go with Hitchens at the SAM and have free agent signee from Minnesota Jasper Brinkley play the MIKE. Other considerations are the progress of rookie draft pick Damien Wilson. He was the Cowboys 4th round pick this year and the Cowboys are hoping to strike gold again this season like they did with Hitchens last year. I haven't seen too much written about Wilson but sometimes no news is good news. Hitchens got thrown into the fire last season because of Sean Lee's injury and a host of other injuries to the linebacking corp. So far (I'm knocking on every available piece of wood right now) the injury bug hasn't really sliced into the Cowboy depth chart the way it did in 2014.

 

Morris Claiborne was taken 6th in the 2012 draft. The Cowboys sacrificed their 2nd round pick to trade up for him. To date he's been a bust but it hasn't really been his fault. It's been one injury after another. Last season he was protecting a tweeked knee when he lost his starting job to Orlando Scandrick. He quit and left the team for one day then came back and apologized and went back to work. The very next Sunday Claiborne recorded an interception and was playing well when he went down in a heep with a torn patellar tendon in his knee. Game and season over. While he was rehabbing the surgery on the injured knee doctors checked out the other knee because it had been giving Claiborne trouble and they found that knee was, in many ways, worse off than the one with the torn patellar tendon which prompted surgery on that knee as well. He has spent the entire 2015 year rehabbing both knees. It's been a long excruciating process but he appears to be fully healthy. If he is finally 100% ready to go and he finds the form and confidence he had as an LSU Tiger then Dallas will be that much better off and maybe, just maybe he can rid himself that label of "bust" and be what Dallas hoped he'd be 4 years ago. If he is then that makes the Cowboys defense even stronger than they appear to be now. With the return of Sean Lee and the emergence of DeMarcus Lawrence and the additions of Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory and Byron Jones we could conceivably be looking at a top ten defense. Now wouldn't that be something?

[eagle eye]

On Thursday 2nd year DE Kenneth Boatright was literally carted off the field with his head stabilized and strapped to a body board with an apparent neck injury. It was reported that he had feeling in his extremities and it looked like the Cowboys were just being cautious with him. In the link below taken from Bleacher Report Boatright's agent reported yesterday that he was doing fine which should be a huge relief for all concerned. Boatright signed a two year deal last year after spending a year in Seattle.

 

http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/2015/08/agent-for-cowboys-de-ken-boatright-fortunately-it-appears-he-should-be-ok.html/

 

Charles Haley, the final piece of the Cowboys puzzle that resulted in 3 Super Bowls in 4 years will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame later today in Canton, Ohio. Haley and his fellow inductees San Diego LB Junior Seau, Raiders WR Tim Brown, Pittsburgh RB Jerome Bettis, Kansas City OG Will Shields, Vikings OL Mick Tinglehoff (veteran's selection committee choice) and front office men Ron Wolf and Bill Polian. The induction ceremony will be on ESPN beginning at 6 o'clock this evening. Here's a link to an article from DallasCowboys.com about the rough road Haley took in his life to reach the HOF. Haley has won more Super Bowl Rings than any other player in NFL history with 5. 2 were with his original team, the San Francisco 49ers and 3 came with the Cowboys dynasty of the 1990's. Haley was inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2011 along with legendary WR Drew Pearson (who deserves to be in the HOF too) and OL Larry Allen. That ceremony in 2011 was the first ROH induction since the Triplets (Aikman, Irvin and Smith) were inducted in 2005. Darren Woodson (another guy who should be in the HOF) will be inducted in the ROH in November.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/07/star-overcoming-%E2%80%9Cdark-moments%E2%80%9D-haley-enters-hof-defiantly-stronger

 

Here's senior DallasCowboys.com writer Mickey Spagnola and his take on the prospects for the Cowboys defense, particularly the defensive line. The impetus for the upgrade of the defense was the failure of the Cowboys to put pressure on a semi-crippled Aaron Rodgers in the NFC Divisional round of the 2014 playoffs. Rodgers threw over 30 times for over 300 yards in the 26-21 loss that most fans remember for the catch that wasn't by Dez Bryant in the 4th quarter of the game. What stuck with the Cowboys brass wasn't the non-catch it was the non pressure on Rodgers. Mickey explains way better than I could and I think everyone will agree Dallas really needed to get better on the D-line.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/07/spagnola-cowboys-clearly-%E2%80%98rush%E2%80%99-improve-defensively

 

This is a link to a video of Cowboys players responding to "mean tweets". Kinda funny.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2015/08/07/cowboys-players-read-mean-tweets-fans-volume-2

 

The Cowboys have their annual Blue-White scrimmage tomorrow and you can see it live on DallasCowboys.com. The scrimmage will begin at 2:30 PM PDT which will be 4:30 PM locally.

 

The Cowboys have a need to stock up on some depth on the O-line. 2015 draft pick Chaz Greene is on PUP after having hip surgery in June and the Cowboys lost backup lineman Reshod Fortenberry to a leg injury. The Cowboys placed LB Will Smith, a 7th round draft pick in 2014 on the waived/injured list to make room for newly signed Cody Clay who played college ball at Asuza Pacific University, a D-II school located near Oxnard in Orange County.

 

The first preseason game will take place next Thursday, August 13th in San Diego. The game will be televised starting at 9:00 PM on Fox 4.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys had their Blue-White scrimmage yesterday and all it really was another day of practice only with hitting and under a very controlled atmosphere. The one noteworthy thing was the goal line work. On Saturday the offense dominated the defense but yesterday the defense more than held their own. One reason for the turnaround was Sean Lee. Lee was held out and reports were that he was not happy about it. On Sunday he was allowed to get into the mix and he really was a difference maker as you might expect. When he's been on the field he has been a game changer or playmaker or difference maker--however you want to phrase it. The Cowboys have been quite cautious working Lee into full contact work even though he's been chomping at the bit to get on the field. One thing for sure, it's nice to add a player of Lee's caliber to the defense and that defense is a damn sight better when he is on the field.

 

Byron Jones got his name called a lot, all under good circumstances.

 

Joe Randle showed some of why the RB position could be a lot more dynamic. The question with Randle is his blocking in pass protection which is something DeMarco Murray was very good at. Here's a camp sleeper for you--RB Gus Johnson. The guy is big and pretty quick and if Darren McFadden can't be counted on there will be a place for Johnson on the roster.

 

Speaking of McFadden it was reported last week that he would be out until after the Cowboys first preseason game on Thursday. Again, as with Sean Lee and the rest of the players rehabbing various injuries the Cowboys are being cautious trying to be careful not to rush a player back on the field if he isn't ready. Lance Dunbar is in the same situation with his ankle as is Dez with the hamstring pull. I could easily see the Cowboys sitting all of these guys.

 

The good thing about the injuries is it's giving players a little deeper on the depth chart more snaps. This would be guys like WR Lucky Whitehead who has been showing up as a receiver in the last few days. Whitehead was looked at a guy who could replace the special teams contributions of Dwaine Harris who left in free agency this off season. The fact that he is running good routes and showing good hands adds another dimension to his game that the Cowboys may not have expected. It is certainly bad luck for 2nd year receiver Devon Street to out nursing a sore ankle because he was expected to be a breakout player this season and this is definitely a set back.

 

Brandon Carr broke a bone in his hand last week during a press coverage drill. He is scheduled to have surgery today back in Dallas. The injury isn't considered serious in fact the Cowboys compared Carr's injury to the same injury DeMarco Murray had late last season. Murray just missed a couple of practices but he played the next Sunday. Carr will likely be out of the preseason game Thursday and may sit out longer than Murray because it training camp. There should be no problem with him going forward. Carr and Tyler Patmon both missed the weekend practices which benefitted Byron Jones and free agent acquisition Corey White. Both players can play both corner and safety and their position flex makes them very valuable. Also, it doesn't hurt that both have performed well so far in camp.

 

Former 49er and Cowboy DE Charles Haley went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday and if you get a chance check out Haley's speech on NFL.com. In that speech he told a hilarious golf joke and he also did his impression of Jerry Jones from their first meeting when he came to Dallas in 1992. He also talked about how Jerry had a huge fund raiser for bone marrow donors at Texas Stadium just to help Haley's daughter who was suffering from Leukemia at the time. Haley was obviously nervous a heck and he was sweating like crazy but he had one of the more memorable speeches on a night of memorable speeches.

[eagle eye]

The news about Brandon Carr is good. He had successful surgery on his hand yesterday and is expected to be back at practice today. He may not, and likely will not participate, but he will be there. He was in complete uniform for the weekend practice and blue-white scrimmage even though he could not do much. He was determined to be there which says a lot about his dedication to the team. Check plus for Mr Carr.

 

Here's a recap of yesterday's practice including updates on the injury situation.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/10/thurs-practice-recap-another-rb-down-randle-out-dt-carted

 

One guy who has gotten rave reviews every day after the first practice when he wasn't so great is WR Cole Beasley. As he begins his fourth season with the Cowboys he is now a tried and true veteran player who knows how to play the pro football game. In practices he has beaten any and all defenders when he works out of the slot. He has been virtually uncoverable so far. The early comparisons of Beasley with Wes Welker were really premature when he first came into the league in terms of his ability as a receiver. It's true that both Welker and Beasley went to college in Texas and both are roughly the same size players. The major difference between Welker and Beasley was that Welker was an ace on special teams where Beasley has not had the same impact. Now it seems the comparisons to Welker are becoming totally valid except for the special teams thing. Beasley came on in the second half of last season as a guy Tony Romo is totally comfortable throwing to and when your QB trusts you enough to throw to you in pressure situations you know you have arrived. For most of Welker's career he was THE guy for Tom Brady. I know Randy Moss was in the mix for a couple of years and at the end Gronk was there but Welker was the marquee WR for New England. It was the same in his first year in Denver despite Demaryius Thomas and the sundry other receivers in the Broncos attack. That is until concussions began to haunt him. Welker wasn't the WR threat he eventually became until his 4th season in 2007. He was signed by the Patriots and he began to make an impact and in 2007 he was the NFL leader in receptions. He won that title again in 2009 and 2011. Welker was a fantasy football #1 WR pick especially in PPR leagues. This season is Beasley's 4th and with the way he's looking on the practice field and the quirky nature of injuries Beasley could emerge as a real force for the Cowboys. Need a sleeper pick in fantasy? Beasley may just be that guy.

 

Here's a link to DallasCowboys.com's daily Training Camp Live show. The show features staff writer Bryan Broaddus and a guest of one of the other writers which yesterday was David Helman affectionately referred to as Tiny Jim. This show features DB Corey White and WR Lucky Whitehead.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2015/08/10/training-camp-live-lucky-whitehead-corey-white-impress

[eagle eye]

As expected CB Brandon Carr was back on the practice field but he was on the side doing conditioning exercises.

 

2nd year backup DT Chris Whaley suffered a season ending torn Achilles tendon in practice on Monday. It is a really bad break for Whaley who missed his rookie season with a torn ACL. It's a sad example of the old saying, "...if it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.".

 

Here's a recap of Tuesday's practice from DallasCowboys.com.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/11/tues-practice-recap-randle-returns-limited-role-starters-rested

 

With Darren McFadden still out with a bad hammy and Joe Randall limited because of pulled oblique muscle the door is open for backup guys at running back to get their chance to make an impression for the coaches. The one guy who be a beneficiary of the depleted RB situation is UFA Gus Johnson. He's a player who tried out for the Cowboys this summer and was signed right before training camp and he's been doing good things in training camp. Johnson come from good ole' Stephen F Austin our SLC buddies up I-45. Here's a nice article from DallasCowboys.com about Johnson needing to take advantage of his opportunity.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/11/former-tryout-gus-johnson-tries-seize-opportunity-rbs-injured

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys play the San Diego Chargers tonight. I don't know the blackout rules or who gets precedence on the broadcast but the game will be on Fox 4 and is being advertised on the NFL Channel. The Fox 4 broadcast is likely going to be done by Dallas area broadcasters like Bill Jones and Bryan Broaddus with Mickey Spagnola as the sideline reporter. Who knows who will do the NFL Channel broadcast.

 

To me there will be several players I'll be watching to see how they do. The last regular season game between these two was in September of 2013. Dallas jumped out to a 21-10 lead 2 minutes before halftime but from there is was all San Diego who ended up winning 30-21. The Cowboys defense, which ended up 32nd out of 32 teams in '13, couldn't stop Phillip Rivers and the Chargers offense. San Diego had over 500 total yards to just over 300 for Dallas. Phillip Rivers passed for over 400 yards in the game and set a record for highest completion percentage by a QB who threw for over 400 yards with 83%. The main source of the Cowboys problems was two-fold. One, they couldn't mount any pressure on Rivers. No pass rush at all. Two, the Cowboys Bruce Carter just couldn't stop the Rivers to Danny Woodhead combination. This duo just wore out Carter and the rest of the Cowboys D. With that in mind here are some of the players I will be watching tonight.

 

Sean Lee - How does he look after being off a year with yet another torn ACL. He likely won't see more than a series.

Morris Claiborne - Mo had surgery on both knees in the off season and it will be interesting to see if he's all the way back.

Byron Jones - Dallas' 1st round pick this year, I want to see if he's a workout warrior or a real player.

Greg Hardy - I know Dallas won't have him the first 4 games but I want to see how he looks rushing the passer.

Randy Gregory - Gregory fell to Dallas in the 2nd round I want to see if he's the real deal.

Dallas pass rush as whole - DeMarcus Lawrence, Jeremy Mincey and the interior line, especially Tyrone Crawford have gotten a lot of press in the preseason. I wonder if it's all hype.

La'el Collins - Collins will likely get a lot of playing time since starting RG Ron Leary will likely miss the game. Collins was projected as a top 10 talent in the draft, I want to see it.

Brandon Weeden and Dustin Vaughn - It will be interesting to see if Vaughn has caught up to or passed Weeden. Maybe Weeden has gotten better!

RB Gus Johnson - A UFA who was signed right before training camp has turned some heads in training camp in the last week. He and former Baylor Bear RB Lache Seastrunk should see plenty of time with Joe Randle, Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar out nursing various injuries.

 

This game tonight won't likely be very entertaining. It's preseason. But it will be nice to see football and it will be nice to see the Cowboys on the field. Since the game isn't on until 9:30 I won't watch much more than the 1st quarter but I'll DVR it and have time to really check out the game Friday. I always like it better when Dallas wins but in the preseason I don't care so much as did they look good with the 1st and 2nd units on the field. If they do, I'm happy.

Edited August 13, 2015 by eagle eye

[eagle eye]

Dallas lost to San Diego 17-7 but that's not really important. What is important was how did the team play last night. I think there is good and bad to take away from last night's game. The good was that Brandon Weeden, who started the game didn't do too bad. In fact, his one bad play was actually two bad plays. One was a fumbled snap out of the shotgun and the other was not falling on the ball to keep possession. Instead, he tried to bat the bat forward which I could see not advantage to that either. The only play would be to fall on the ball and live for another down. He didn't do that and the ball went backwards about 30 yards and the Chargers recovered at the Cowboys 33. To give an observation about the game I'll reference the players I said I would be looking at in yesterday's post.

Sean Lee - did not play

Mo Claiborne - did not play

Byron Jones - played a pretty good bit and he looked ok. He was in position on plays for the most part and he didn't look overwhelmed which is great for your 1st pick!

Greg Hardy - didn't get in until the 2's got in the game. Didn't play all that much then. He did ok but no real impact on the game.

Dallas Pass Rush - They did a pretty good job for the most part. Didn't get a sack that I saw but they put pressure on the QB's and forced a few mistakes. Not great but not bad either.

Randy Gregory - He didn't do bad. He crashed the pocket and forced a fumble in the 2nd qtr and I'd say his first NFL action was ok.

La'el Collins = played right guard and he did okay. Never got beat badly and showed power at the point of attack for the most part.

Brandon Weeden and Dustin Vaughn - Weeden I talked about already. Vaughn was good in points but he missed an open receiver a time or two in his reads and he wasn't as accurate as you'd like.

Gus Johnson - Gus did alright for himself including a tough TD run in the 1st half. He didn't get many yards on the carries he had (13-35 for 2.7 ypc). Not a bad outing for a guy only in Cowboys camp 3 weeks.

 

Overall it was a little disappointing especially for the defense who couldn't consistently stop the run, particularly draw plays. Dallas still can't stop Danny Woodhead as he ran untouched into the end zone for a TD a few plays after Weeden's fumble. I'm not sure if it was because of poor gap control or what but Dallas was getting gashed for 4-5 yards on way too many plays. One bright spot on defense was the play of CB Corey White. He played a lot in the game and he made quite a few plays and he didn't give up anything that I saw.

On offense Terrence Williams had a nice night as did TE Gavin Escobar. Lache Seastrunk had a couple of nice runs as well. 3rd string QB Jameill Showers, a rookie from UTEP, had some nice plays in the 4th qtr and he also played special teams. He made a tackle on a punt return in the first half that was noted by the broadcasters of the game.

 

All in all, it wasn't great but it wasn't terrible either. Dallas sat Romo, Witten, Dez, Tyron Smith, Doug Free, Sean Lee, Brandon Carr, Orlando Scandrick and Mo Claiborne so it was disappointing not to see them play especially Lee and Claiborne but it's still early in the preseason.

 

Here's a link to what former scout and current writer for DallasCowboys.com thought about the game. BTW, I didn't read the article prior to writing my post so I'll be interested to see if he saw the same things I saw.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/14/broaddus-grading-weems-tackling-problems-among-12-thoughts-san-diego

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys got back to work on Saturday but there were several changes as a result of the game on Thursday night with San Diego.

1. RB Gus Johnson was injured in the 3rd quarter. It's being reported he has a slight separation of the AC joint in his shoulder. There is no time table for his return. It's being reported that the injury is not serious and won't require surgery but it is very painful.

2. In response the Cowboys had worked out some RB's on Friday and ended up signing two RB's. They signed former Missouri Western RB Michael Hill and former Texas A&M RB Ben Malena. Malena was in Cowboys training camp last season. It is thought they are both extra camp bodies to take reps away from the starters to give them a breather.

3. Saturday saw the return of RB's Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar. Joe Randall looks to be back maybe as early as tomorrow when practices begin with the St Louis Rams.

4 Today saw the release of WR George Farmer a rookie out of UCLA. The Cowboys thought enough of Farmer to sign him with a $55K signing bonus, most of any of their UFA's but he has not performed up to expectations. To replace Farmer the Cowboys signed rookie WR out of TCU who was recently cut by Denver, David Porter.

5. Dez Bryant is still out rehabbing from a pulled hamstring on Aug 8th. Jerry Jones is not concerned about Dez not being in practice with the team at this point. He just wants Dez healthy and ready for Sept 13th against the Giants.

6. With Rolando McClain out recovering from off season knee surgery Dallas is giving rookie LB and 4th round draft pick out of Minnesota, Damien Wilson, a good look. The Cowboys are using Wilson just like they did with last season's 4th rounder Anthony Hitchens. He's working at all 3 LB spots and like Hitchens he doesn't seem to overwhelmed by the work. The Cowboys are hoping they have hit on yet another Big Ten LB and if he is the Cowboys have seriously upgraded the talent at the position.

7. I heard one DallasCowboys.com writer say that he would not be surprised if DT Tyrone Crawford doesn't lead the team in sacks this year. The Cowboys are really impressed with him in this training camp. Since he was drafted in 2012 out of Boise State he has been used as a defensive end but last season D-coordinator Rod Marinelli moved Crawford to the 3 technique and he has made it his own. So much so that he is the leading candidate for starter on the D-line when games begin for real. Right Now the projected opening day starters are DeMarcus Lawrence at left defensive end, Nick Haden at the 1 technique d-tackle, Crawford and Jeremy Mincey at right defensive end.

8. Speaking of DeMarcus Lawrence, the reporters at camp say that Lawrence looks like a different player. He's put on 15 pounds of muscle and they say he is a real beast. If not for the signing/drafting of Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory the Cowboys may be touting the coming season for Lawrence at right D-end.

 

Here's a link to Bryan Broaddus' 12 observations at practice yesterday.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/16/broaddus-lb-shuffle-tyron-smiths-absence-highlight-12-thoughts

Edited August 17, 2015 by eagle eye

[eagle eye]

Man there are a lot of players sitting out right now. There will be a list of the injuries in the Cowboys Sunday practice recap linked below.

 

Cornerback is getting thin and the Cowboys lost 1st round pick Byron Jones during practice when he collided with Morris Claiborne as they were each covering a man in a crossing route. Neither player saw it coming but Jones got the worst of it. After practice the Cowboys said Jones is not serious but he may be out until after the San Francisco game on Sunday. It's ironic that Jones was hurt running into Claiborne who has seemed to be on the wrong end of such collisions in the past. Self described as fully healthy for the first time since he came out of LSU Claiborne has been getting into more and more of training camp activities but he hasn't been in full team drills as yet.

 

Dallas thought they had their swing tackle in Darion Weems. But he's been disappointing in practice and in the game against San Diego last Thursday. He has been ok at right tackle but he has not done so well at left tackle. Doing well at both locations is what makes you a swing tackle. While La'el Collins has worked at both guard positions so far in camp it could be possible he starts working at tackle to see if he can be the swing man. It's really bad luck that 3rd round pick Chaz Green out of Florida has been on the PUP list since before training camp as he recovers from hip surgery.

 

Here's the Sunday practice recap. Just going by the injury report you'd think Dallas needs a M*A*S*H* unit on site. The Cowboys have been cautious concerning injuries but I want to see these guys back on the field.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/16/sun-practice-recap-after-chippy-practice-cowboys-move-rams

 

Twelve thoughts from Bryan Broaddus about yesterday's practice.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/17/broaddus-gregorys-growth-unheralded-wr-highlight-12-thoughts

 

One guy back on the field Sunday was RB Joe Randle so all 3 of the top RBs are back and ready for the fight for the starting spot. I should be a good battle.

 

Dallas offense and defense got into a little scrape yesterday during practice. Nobody hurt and evidence that practicing against each other every day is getting a little thin. They won't have to worry about that today and tomorrow because they practice with the St Louis Rams. We'll see who is sitting out today with the Rams coming in.

[eagle eye]

Yesterday was an eventful day at Cowboys training camp. First and foremost the Rams and Cowboys got into a huge fight that went way past pushing and shoving. It was so bad the head coaches of both teams decided their joint practice was over. They both finished the day on separate fields. There should be one guy, I didn't get his number, but he should be fined or suspended because during the fight Dez Bryant lost his helmet and while he was talking to someone in front of him a guy came on Bryant's blind side and drilled him in the side of the face. He hit him so hard Dez lost his diamond stud out of his ear. It was a chickensh*t hit and the guy could have done some real damage to a defenseless player.

 

Earlier All Pro guard Zack Martin suffered a stinger and was down on the ground for about 20 minutes. He ended up walking off the field under his own power but it created a lot of nervousness on the Cowboys side of the field. Martin is apparently okay but the Cowboys will be cautious with him as they have been for all injuries during this off season. It's still possible that Martin will be back in time to play against the 49ers on Sunday.

 

Byron Jones, who hurt his shoulder in a collision with Mo Claiborne on Monday is going to get a second opinion about the shoulder as a precaution. The shoulder that was injured was the same shoulder that required surgery last year. The injury caused Jones to miss the final 7 games of his senior season at UConn. So, you can understand why Jones wants to be sure everything is alright.

 

Here's a recap of the practice yesterday including a mention about the fight that ended practice including a video in the article.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/18/tues-practice-recap-constant-fights-end-joint-practice-early

 

RG Ron Leary has missed a couple of practices with a back ailment and now the Cowboys are going to get an MRI done to see what the issue is with Leary's back. This means that LSU rookie La'el Collins will get a lot more first team reps as a result. The hope was that Darion Weems would step in a become the swing tackle but his spotty performance in camp and in the Chargers game last week are leaving the coaching staff to consider another alternative including using Collins as the swing tackle. It's felt that Collins doesn't have quick enough feet to play tackle but he could be one option. Another option is moving Zack Martin to tackle in case of an injury. Collins has worked at both guard positions during practices which would give at least some credence to that thinking. That would make Collins a swing guard and Zack Martin the swing tackle. Wow, it's never easy is it. The real kick in the teeth is that Dallas selected OT from Florida Chaz Green in the 3rd round of this year's draft but he's out right now recovering from hip surgery and could very well end up on PUP to begin the season. This is liable to be sort of a red shirt season for Green if his rehab lasts too long and it Dallas is filling all it's gaps.

 

A real surprise in training camp has been the debut of Dallas' newest WR David Porter. Porter was signed to replace the recently released WR George Farmer and he has had quite a 48 hours since he was signed. Check out this article from DallasCowboys.com about David Porter.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/18/dallas-area-wr-david-porter-turns-heads-strong-first-impression

 

The Cowboys get an off day today and it probably is a welcome day off since they have gone non-stop since last Saturday. Guys who need a day off to let nicks and knocks heal and just a day to decompress after a couple of intense days of practice with the Rams.

[eagle eye]

Dallas resumes practice today after a much needed day off yesterday. The news on Zack Martin is encouraging and he's expected to return to practice soon. As with all the injuries to Cowboys players this summer the Cowboys will be cautious and not hurry his return. Speculation is Martin will be out the rest of this week including the game against San Fran on Sunday with an eye on his return next Tuesday. With Martin out that makes four of the five starters on the O-line out. This is a bit of a blessing as backups, La'el Collins in particular, will get a lot more snaps which, in the long run, is a good thing. Collins has been performing pretty well according to reports and the extra reps should serve him well. It could be that he will also be asked to take some reps at tackle if Darion Weems continues to struggle.

DeMarcus Lawrence could be considered the forgotten man on the Cowboys defensive front because all the attention guys like Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory have gotten. DallasCowboys.com writers have been low key on Lawrence until now when Rob Phillips decided to take a look at Lawrence including improvements he's made in his strength and his overall top notch performance in training camp so far.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/19/after-strong-offseason-sacks-likely-follow-stronger-lawrence

 

Bryan Broaddus gives his daily 12 thoughts on Tuesday's practice prior to the fights that ended the session for the day.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/19/broaddus-12-thoughts-tuesdays-practice-fights

 

Some things I've noticed in the various reports I've seen about Cowboys training camp.

> Randy Gregory is really good, way better than normal rookies so far. I've even heard comparisons to DeMarcus Ware when he was a rookie. Probably a little overblown but a nice compliment for sure.

> The options at safety are limited and JJ Wilcox continues to be a liability in pass coverage. He's good at run support and he hits hard but his coverage ability is really limited and of the reports I've seen and heard likely won't get much better. It's really possible that either rookie Byron Jones or veteran CB Corey White could beat out Wilcox for starting safety job before it's all said and done. In 2016 Dallas may have to finally address safety in a serious way in the draft.

> The if's on whether Darren McFadden can stay healthy is a big deal but since his return he's been able to produce and he's much better in pass protection that Joe Randle. In this RB by committee McFadden could very well be the third down guy. I think Dallas coaches want Joe Randle to start but he's got a long way to go in pass protection to be considered a "bell cow" for the team.

> It's good to see Lance Dunbar, McFadden and Randle to finally kick the RB competition into high gear at last. All 3 guys should see at least a little time in the game Sunday against the 49ers.

> Is it possible that Anthony Hitchens takes over the starting middle linebacker spot even after Rolando McClain returns from his suspension? I think there is a lot of trepidation about McClain because of his injury issues and the fact he hasn't been practicing as he continues to rehab his knee which got scoped way back in May. Everyone is different but why is it taking so long to come back from a very non invasive procedure. Players are normally back from a knee scope way before the 3 and half month McClain has been out. McClain is a physical beast but he may not really want to play football after all. I'm tired of all the players for Dallas on the injured did not participate list. This situation is not acceptable but at least the majority of the players are showing some dedication to getting back on the field. I really wonder how bad McClain wants to play football.

[eagle eye]

There will be a practice today and tomorrow but the Cowboys will do so only in helmets and shells as they prepare for Sunday's game vs the 49ers. There is good news considering all we have really heard about lately is the brawl in practice with the Rams on Tuesday and daily additions to the mile long injury list. There were actually more guys coming off that list for practice today. Here are the guys who returned to practice this week. All of these guys returned to practice yesterday.

 

CB Brandon Carr (broken hand)

LT Tyron Smith (pulled bicep muscle)

RT Doug Free (foot)

CB Orlando Scandrick (knee)

WR Cole Beasley (sore Achilles tendon)

WR Antoine Goodley

DT Tyrone Crawford (back)

 

Except for Goodley (ex-Baylor Bear) all are starters or major role players so it's nice to get them back.

 

One guy that was lost (again) was RB Joe Randle who reaggrivated his oblique muscle. No time table for his return.

 

Dallas continues to churn the bottom of the roster with 4 subtractions and 4 additions to the rosters.

> Players released - CB Brandon Smith, WR Reggie Dunn, WR Deontay Greenberry, RB Lache Seastrunk (another former Baylor Bear)

> Players signed - LB Dakorey Johnson, WR Phil Bates, WR Edmond Gates

> Claimed off waivers - CB Rod Sweeting

 

Players who did not practice yesterday - G Zach Martin (stinger)

TE Gavin Escobar (head)

DE Lavar Edwards (back)

CB Morris Claiborne (rest)

LB Sean Lee (rest)

CB Byron Jones (shoulder)

LB Anthony Hitchens (foot)

G Ron Leary (back)

TE James Hanna (knee)

RB Gus Johnson (shoulder)

DT Nick Haden (ribs)

WR Dez Bryant (hamstring)

DE Kenneth Boatright (neck)

DT Terrell McClain (bone bruise/hamstring)

OL Chaz Green (hip)

LB Mark Nzeocha (knee)

LB Rolando McClain (knee)

 

Quite a list but for most it is precautionary and the injuries are minor. The last 5 guys on the list I think are worrisome. Green won't be back by Week 1. The rest are either rehabbing from surgery or have been injured for a long time with no real time table for return. With the development of younger players on the D-line Terrell McClain may find himself unemployed before Week 1. Nzeocha is someone the Cowboys like and we'll have to see. If he can't make it back to finish training camp he could be a good candidate for the practice squad. Boatright is recovering from a neck injury and he may not return in time either. He may or may not be worth signing to the practice squad. Rolando McClain is dragging out rehab from arthroscopic surgery to the extreme and he's suspended the first 4 games of the season. If he doesn't practice at all in training camp with Dallas put up with that? Or, will McClain's time as a Cowboys come to an end?

 

Everyone is still waiting on TE Gavin Escobar to finally have that breakout season that was hoped for when he was drafted out of San Diego State in the 2nd round of the 2013 draft. As this article from DallasCowboys.com's Nick Eatman this may be the year Escobar "gets it" and makes the leap the Cowboys have been waiting for.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/20/adding-dez-moves-his-game-escobar-making-steady-progress

[eagle eye]

Okay, I've been browser the tv schedule to make sure of the time and channel for the game tomorrow night and it isn't scheduled (according to the directv menu until 11 pm on the NFL channel. The game is supposed to start at 7 pm and the only game scheduled is on Fox 4 but the game listed is the Rams and the Titans. I would be surprised if that is really the game being shown. In case (heaven forbid) it is the first showing will be the 11 o'clock time mentioned above. If the game isn't being broadcast live you could still follow on any sports site via their gamecast. Little consolation, I know, but you take what you can get. If it isn't being shown I still have The Last Ship and Falling Skies to pass the evening.

 

The Cowboys went to San Fran today but their first stop wasn't their hotel after they left the airport. No, Jason Garrett is making the team go straight to the 49ers new stadium, Levi's Stadium, for a team walk through. Now, you know that JG is getting pretty good at playing those Jimmy Johnson-type head games with his team and I would bet a dollar to a donut that the trip to Levi Stadium is dripping with ulterior motives. First and foremost the obvious reason to get the lay of the land so to speak. There are definite items of concern about the field they will play on. First and foremost is the fact that the people who run the stadium are having hell getting grass to grow on the field. Apparently the dirt and sand that makes up the base for the turf and the turf itself is not all that compatable. I know, messed up right? The biggest item of concern here is that the ground crew just laid brand new turf 6 days ago meaning the footing is likely less than ideal. It would seem impossible for the new grass to take root in less than a week pretty unlikely. Guys with foot, hamstring and back injury concerns are definitely at risk here. So, it makes sense to check out the turf so they can decide just who will play and who will sit out.

The ulterior motive for this early trip to the stadium seems pretty obvious if you give it a second to think about it. Levi Stadium is going to be the site for Super Bowl 50 next February and don't think that Garrett will miss an opportunity in a controlled setting to show the team what their goal is for the 2015 season. He going to tell them, in no uncertain terms, that this is place they are playing this season to get to. I love the movie Hoosiers and when Gene Hackman's character Norman Dale takes his Hickory Huskers into the fieldhouse in Indianapolis where the state championship game will be held and everyone was sort of overwhelmed by the size of the arena. Coach Dale has a couple of players measure the distance from the foul line to the basket and the distance from the rim of the basket to the floor and Dale points out that these are the same dimensions as their gym in Hickory. A really nice psychological plot to get them free of the awe of the building and remember what they are there to do. I don't see this as all that much different. I heard on the Cowboys podcast Talkin Cowboys Nate Newton say yesterday that he has been watching Garrett interact with his team and he proclaimed, "....that (Garrett) is Jimmy Johnson made over." That is certainly scary good if you think about it.

 

Here's Bryan Broaddus' 12 observations from yesterday's practice featuring observations about 7th round draft pick from Texas Geoff Swaim and backup DT Davin Coleman among the topics covered.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/21/broaddus-swaims-progress-colemans-strong-play-highlight-12-thoughts

(okay, Windows 10 strikes again. I can copy the link address but it won't post as a link. This totally sucks. If you want to read the article you can copy and paste the web address or go to DallasCowboys.com and read it there. Sorry, I swear I'm trying to fix this.

 

 

It looks like we will see 2 if not all 3 top RB's tomorrow. Since they all missed the game last week against San Diego I'm sure the coaches want to see how they do outside of practice. The condition of the turf could make it too risky to play Darren McFadden since he's been rehabbing a pulled hamstring but reports are that he will play. It was speculated when Joe Randle returned to practice Thursday that he could play and I, for one, want to see what he's got. Same for Dunbar.

 

Who will I be watching?

> Randy Gregory - he's been very impressive according to reports.

> DeMarcus Lawrence - Same with D-Law. Want to see him work.

> Starting running back battle

> O-line - with backups likely to dominate the PT Dallas is still looking for a swing tackle and I want to La'el Collins improvement.

> Mo Claiborne - he's scheduled to play and I really am hoping Mo is back better than ever.

> Kyle Wilbur - This guy seems to have a hard time finding a position to call home since he's been drafted. Reports are the Cowboys will start him at MIKE linebacker.

> Sean Lee - with his knee problems I hope he sits. He's been doing great but if the field is bad I see no reason to risk playing him in a meaningless game.

[eagle eye]

Dallas looked like crap for the most part. The D-line had some good moments but by and large it was a forgettable night in the Bay Area. Romo played one series, a 3-and-out, and the backs played some. Joe Randle seemed to be the best of the bunch. It didn't help one bit that the 49ers dialed up blitzes every freaking down. The backups on the O-line were outmatched because of all the exotic blitzes being thrown at them. I can't blame the line for a lot of that. Another problem was the receivers just weren't getting open. One good thing was there wasn't really any serious injuries outside of a concussion to QB Brandon Weeden and a possible concussion to S Jeff Heath. Lousy night in Frisco, forget it and move on.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys had the day off yesterday but it didn't mean writer Bryan Broaddus got a day off. He spent the day looking at game film of the Cowboys-49ers game Saturday night. Here is the link to his thoughts from the game film from DallasCowboys.com.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/24/broaddus-grading-weems-tape-other-top-thoughts-49ers-game

 

This is the final week of training camp in Oxnard. Dallas has the next 4 days beginning tomorrow to un-suck what sucked last Saturday night. Here's an article from Cowboys.com from writer Rob Phillips about what he thinks the Cowboys will be trying to fix this week.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/24/final-week-oxnard-seeking-improvement-following-preseason-loss

[eagle eye]

By now you know that Dallas has lost it's best CB Orlando Scandrick for the season after he tore his ACL and MCL in practice yesterday. Fortunately, the Cowboys have some depth at the position. Start with Brandon Carr who returned to practice this week for the first since breaking his hand a couple of weeks ago in practice. Morris Claiborne is back in practice this week as well participating in team drills for the first time this summer. Reports are that Mo looks good and seems to have his closing speed back which is a good sign. The Cowboys also have free agent signee Corey White. Dallas actually claimed White off waivers after the Saints let him go this spring. White has been looking good in practice and especially in the 2 preseason games played. Dallas has Tyler Patmon who may be the guy asked first to step up and replace Scandrick. Then there is Dallas' 1st round pick this year from UConn Byron Jones. Jones missed a week of practice after injuring his surgically repaired shoulder but he's back and will definitely play a role this season. Whether it's at CB or Safety remains to be seen. There are a couple of other CB's on the roster who likely won't make the final roster. Bleacher Report is reporting that Dallas is searching for a deal for a veteran CB because, "Dallas just doesn't trust Mo Claiborne.". I personally think the notion that Dallas doesn't trust Claiborne is sort of bogus. The coaching staff has been watching Claiborne all during OTA's, mini camps and training camp and I believe they know what they have. It could be his first real test will come against Minnesota on Saturday in Dallas. That game will answer a lot of questions concerning Claiborne.

Anthony Hitchens bruised his foot pretty severely in practice on August 15th causing him to miss practice ever since. He is finally out of his walking boot and he says he feels good. It's being reported that Hitchens likely won't practice until the week following the final preseason game leading up to the season opener with the Giants on Sept 13. It is being projected that Hitchens will likely be the starting MIKE LB when he returns which is where he was working when he was injured.

 

Here's a link to Tuesday's practice recap. Notice at the end how the list of returning players is growing longer and the list of players missing is growing shorter. Nice.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/25/tues-practice-recap-cbs-jones-carr-return-claiborne-expects-play

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys were going to have one last practice today but Jason Garrett, ever the psychologist, decided to play a game and he said if one of 6 different guys caught a punt from Chris Jones, the Cowboys regular punter, then practice would be over and they would go back to Dallas today rather than tomorrow. Randy Gregory was the first up and he caught the punt ending the Cowboys stay in Oxnard in 2015. It wasn't a thing of beauty but he got it done and the Cowboys will sleep in their own homes in their own beds for the first time in a month. The Cowboys will likely have a walk through practice at Valley Ranch tomorrow in prep for their game Saturday night with the Vikings. Here's a video of the punt catch by Gregory and a short interview with him afterward.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2015/08/27/randy-gregory-catches-punt-send-cowboys-back-home

 

The Cowboys had what turned out to be their final practice yesterday. Here's a couple of links to articles from the Cowboys website. One from former scout Bryan Broaddus giving us his 12 thoughts from yesterday's session and the other a recap of practice yesterday.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/27/broaddus-linebacker-shuffle-romos-arm-strength-among-12-thoughts

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/08/26/wed-practice-recap-jenkins-continuing-shine-while-street-recovers

 

Training camp may be over but the preparation for the season is definitely not. The Cowboys will have their dress rehearsal game vs Minnesota on Saturday night. The 3rd preseason game is called the dress rehearsal game because it is really the only preseason game teams play their starters for any significant length of time. Normally it is at least the whole 1st half and sometimes extends into the 3rd quarter. It's the final game tune-up prior to the start of the regular season. The last preseason game is for the players still fighting for roster spots. The first player cuts will occur next week, Monday or Tuesday as teams prepare for that final preseason game. The last of the cuts will be Sunday after the last games are played as all NFL teams must get down to its final 53 player limit and begin to prepare for Week 1 of the regular season.

 

Speaking of Saturday's game, it has a bit of an early start and it will be televised locally live. It will begin at 6 PM on Fox 4. There will be repeat showings, one on Sunday morning at 11 AM on the NFL Channel and one on Monday at 5 PM on FoxSports-Southwest.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys lost their 3rd preseason game at home in AT&T Stadium last Saturday night but the starters played pretty well for the most part. In the race for starting RB Darren McFadden showed up better than Joe Randle but to be fair the O-line looked a little rusty at the beginning of the game and they didn't open the holes like they did later on in the second quarter. Dallas played the Vikings and they first defense looked pretty good too. They only gave up 6 points on two field goals. The only starting unit that didn't look all that great was the special teams unit. On the ensuing kickoff by Dallas after a pretty 60 yard catch and run by Terrence Williams the special teams unit gave up a 107 yard return to Corderelle Patterson. So, Dallas went from a 7-3 lead in the game to a 10-7 deficit in about 11 seconds. After that Dallas took their ensuing kickoff and marched down and scored again. This time from Tony Romo to rookie Lucky Whitehead. The rest of the game was in the hands of backups and apparently the Vikings 2nd and 3rd teamers are better than Dallas bench players.

 

On Monday and Tuesday Dallas made their cuts and roster moves to get down to the mandatory 75 man roster. On Monday they released 5 players:

> P Tom Hornsey

> LS Casey Kreiter

> CB Robert Steeples

> WR Phil Bates

> DT Carlif Taylor

On Tuesday Dallas made their final roster moves to get to 75 players. DallasCowboys.com's David Helman recaps the moves in article from late Tuesday afternoon.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/09/01/cowboys-release-four-make-six-roster-moves-meet-75-man-limit

 

Another significant change this week was that the Cowboys activated LB Rolando McClain off the PUP list and he made his first practice appearance this summer on Monday. McClain has missed all summer activities as he has been rehabbing a knee he had surgery on back in early June. It was reported that McClain had no ill effects from his first practice and he has been needing to get some work in prior to the beginning of the season because he will miss the first 4 games of the season due to his suspension because of substance abuse violation. It's good that Dallas can see him practice and maybe give him some "homework" to do during his suspension since he can't practice with the team or even be at the team facility until the day after the 4th game is completed. That 5th game will be at home against the New England Patriots who have suspension issues of their own.

Dallas will actually have two players miss the first 4 games. DE Greg Hardy will miss the same 4 games due to his suspension for personal conduct violations stemming from a domestic violence issue that occurred last summer.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys and Texans squared off in the final preseason game for both teams last night. Dallas came out on top by a score of 21-14. It was a surprisingly good game. There weren't many penalties, certainly way less than a normal game of backups and scrubs. The game was not a sloppy mess full of mistakes by either side. There were miscues but not really many more than a normal regular season game. It speaks well for both the Texans or the Cowboys depth that it was a such a good game.

> QB Dustin Vaughn looked better than he had all preseason. The Texans harassed the heck out of Vaughn with a relentless pass rush that Dallas' O-line had no answer for. It didn't help that Vaughn had some passed dropped. Vaughn played better than the 11/20 night with no TDs or picks.

> The Cowboys run game did do a good job overall. Both SFA's Gus Johnson and TAMU's Ben Malena looked good and combined for 156 yards rushing. Johnson had 16 carries for 68 yards and a TD while Malena logged 88 yards on 15 carries with a TD. Neither back was involved in the passing game. While I really like Gus Johnson's story I though Malena showed more than him. Malena showed good vision and burst and I saw him finish off two runs where he made the tackler pay a price for that tackle. On the TD run Malena made contact with a safety who had broken down and was apparently ready to make the stop short of the goal line but Malena lowered his shoulder and plowed right through the tackler for the TD. The other one was in the open field around the 50 yd line and it was the same with Malena laying the wood to the tackler to pick up a first down. The problem is Dallas will likely keep 4 backs and they will be Randall, McFadden, Dunbar and fullback Tyler Clutts. You hope one or both of these guys make the Cowboys practice squad. With the injury histories of McFadden and Dunbar both could see the field at some point in the season.

> Byron Jones did a good job but he missed some plays last night belying his rookieness. He was beaten by a TD by Keshawn Martin in the 4th qtr but credit must be given to Texans QB Tom Savage for a perfect throw and Martin for making a nice catch with Jones in Martin's hip pocket. Houston's first round pick Kevin Johnson looked better than Jones but Jones has had to play every position in the defensive secondary and he regularly alternates between CB and S in games and practice.

> The D-line and the defense as a whole looked pretty darn good. The defense accounted for one score on a pick 6 by CB/S Cory White and they caused a turnover on a fumble by Tom Savage caused by Ryan Russell who caused a sack-fumble in the 3rd qtr. The defense had a total of 3 sacks for a total of 4 turnovers in the game. The D-line was relentless in rushing Tom Savage last night. In the 4th qtr Davon Coleman broke through and sacked Savage landing right on top of him injuring his throwing shoulder. Ryan Mallett was forced to come in and finish the game.

> Lucky Whitehead likely solidified his spot on the final 53 with a good performance as both a WR and kick returner. He was the Cowboys leading receiver with 4 catches for 40 yards and he did well on kick and punt returns 2 KO returns for 56 yards and 5 punt returns for 13.

> The backup O-line didn't do much for protecting Vaughn in the pocket. Vaughn was sacked twice in the game but he was hit a lot. Vaughn's night would have looked better statistically if not for several dropped passes on the night.

> Up until last night Dustin Vaughn didn't look good really at all in the preseason games. He did look better and he did it despite a leaky O-line and some dropped passes. There has been talk that Vaughn may be let go in the final cuts with possible hopes to sign him to the practice squad. Who knows how this is going to shake out but by tomorrow afternoon we'll know if Dallas has 2 or 3 QBs on the final 53.

 

Here are 12 thoughts about last night's game from DallasCowboys.com's Bryan Broaddus.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/09/04/broaddus-12-thoughts-houston-game-focus-who-makes-it-who-doesnt

 

There are several articles from the Cowboys beat writers on their website that are good reading regarding who may or may not make the final roster. You can get to them all via the link above.

[eagle eye]

I was busy as hell today and I even missed the Lamar game tonight which irritated me to no end. The Cowboys got down to their final 53 today and among the cuts were RBs Ben Malena and Gus Johnson. Both guys looked pretty good in the preseason finale on Thursday vs Houston. Don't be bummed (Boomer) because if I was a betting man I would lay odds that one, or both, end up on the practice squad if they even clear waivers. We'll know by Monday. More on the cuts later.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys reduced their roster down the 53 man limit as mandated by the league as did all 31 other NFL teams. In this article from DallasCowboys.com by Rob Phillips we get a position by position breakdown of that 53 man roster.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/09/07/closer-look-53-man-roster-position-position-breakdown

 

As we have already seen the final 53 isn't exactly the "final" 53. Yesterday the Cowboys waived DL Lavar Edwards to make room for the signing of former Texas A&M RB and former 2nd round draft pick in 2013 by the Seattle Seahawks Christine Michael. Dallas never addressed the RB position during the NFL draft which was a real surprise to most people who felt Dallas would select one the 1/2 dozen or so highly touted prospects in this year's draft. Dallas has maintained that they were happy with the 3 guys they already have under contract and they were ready to roll with them. That is until yesterday. Dallas only had to give up a conditional 7th round draft choice which is pretty good value for a 2nd round draft choice IMO. In his two seasons in Seattle Michael was the third option behind Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbine. Why Seattle was willing to let Michael go is a bit of a puzzle because the Seahawks placed Turbin on IR due to an ankle injury. The Seahawks made a move of their own on Sunday signing FA RB Fred Jackson who was released by the Bills on Friday. The Seahawks will roll now with Lynch, Jackson and Thomas Rawls a rookie RB from Central Michigan. You kind of want to ask the question, "Why get rid of a guy who's been on the roster for 2 years and was such a high draft choice in the first place?". I can't answer that right now but if you look at Bryan Broaddus' scouting report on Michael you can see how he fits into the Cowboys scheme. He looks like a short yardage specialist who will help get the "dirty yards" DeMarco Murray was so good at getting last year. It also signals a change from the belief around Dallas they were 1) not going address the RB position this year and 2) they were only going to carry 4 backs on their roster. It's clear the Cowboys saw value in Michael enough so they were willing to go a little short on the D-line to get an extra back on the roster. Here's a link to Broaddus' breakdown of Michael as a player.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/09/06/scouting-report-evaluating-game-tape-new-rb-christine-michael

 

Christine Michael was not the only move Dallas made yesterday. They signed a QB from Detroit named Kellen Moore. He's a 4th year QB that the Lions signed as an UFA in 2012 after he had a very successful career as QB at Boise State leading the team to a 50-3 record during his time there. In his first two years Moore played under then Detroit OC and current Dallas OC Scott Linehan. Dallas release both Dustin Vaughn and Jameille Showers. It could still be possible that Dallas will sign Showers to the practice squad although it seems less likely with Moore now on the team. Vaughn did little to distinguish himself during training camp and I really doubt Vaughn has a future in Dallas.

 

There are rumors that RB Gus Johnson will be signed to the practice squad if he clears waivers. He was impressive especially since he was a last minute addition to the Cowboys training camp roster to replace Darren McFadden who suffered a hamstring injury just prior to camp. As for Lavar Edwards he could find a place on the practice squad too as he showed flashes during training camp. It's my opinion that Dallas will sign Englishman Efe Obada to the PS too. Obada is a raw player who didn't even have the benefit of playing college ball in England but he has the size and athleticism enough to impress Cowboys coaches this summer. He is definitely a developmental player but you can't coach size, speed or athleticism and Obada has all three. We should see official signings to the practice squads around the NFL as early as today.

 

Another guy I hope gets signed is 2nd year RB Ben Malena formerly of TAMU. He really showed some spark in training camp and IMO it would be hard to sign Gus Johnson and not Malena. This was Malena's second year in training camp with Dallas. In 2014 he was signed as an UFA but injuries kept him from showing anything at all. Another D-lineman Ben Gardner was cut on Saturday and I would be surprised as heck if he doesn't make the practice squad. By far the D-line was the deepest position group on the team and a lot of guys like Gardner and Edwards were tough cuts. We'll see how it all shakes out, maybe even today.

 

Dez Bryant, who has missed the last 2-1/2 weeks of training camp with a pulled hammy will practice with the team when they begin their practice for the NY Giants on Wednesday. Even though the players have off today I'm sure they are at Valley Ranch lifting weights or getting a run in. They are probably doing film study as well as they begin their normal weekly routine for the regular season. Tuesday is usually an off day and practices for the next team up begin in earnest on Wednesdays. Three other players who have missed practice are OG Zack Martin (neck stinger), WR Devon Street (ankle) and LB Anthony Hitchens (foot) all look to be back at practice Wednesday as well meaning the Cowboys will be at full strength going into the Sunday Night Football game with the Giants----THIS FREAKING WEEK!

[eagle eye]

I'm going to bring my input into this thread to a close today with these last little tidbits as the Cowboys tweak the roster.

 

> The Cowboys have claimed OT Jordan Mills off waivers from the Chicago Bears who let Mills go. Mills was 5th round draft pick by the Bears in the 2013 draft and he started all 16 games with the Bears his rookie season. His play dropped off last season and he failed to win over new head coach John Fox as he was cut on Saturday. Dallas has been looking for a quality tackle to handle being the "swing tackle" meaning a guy who could come in a do a serviceable job at minimum at either left or right tackle spots if needed. The Cowboys were hoping that Darion Weems would be that guy but he just never was consistent enough to make the Cowboys feel warm and fuzzy about their depth at tackle. Arguably, the swing tackle spot is critical for a team's success and will likely get a call sometime during the season. When RT Doug Free went down last year with a foot injury Jermey Parnell came in a did a decent job replacing Free for the rest of the season. Parnell did well enough that he got a nice free agent deal from Jacksonville this past offseason. Some may remember Mills from his days at LA Tech. To make room for Mills on the roster Dallas let LB Jasper Brinkley go giving him his outright release. Dallas will need to eat some dead money there because Brinkley was signed as a free agent this past spring. Dallas may still hold out hope that Weems will get better and thus they have retained him on the roster. Weems was a rookie in 2014 but he missed all of his rookie season due to injury. The wild card here is Dallas' 2015 3rd round draft pick Chaz Green. Green missed all of training camp after having to have hip surgery. Green was a very good tackle from Florida that I'm sure the Cowboys were counting on heavily when they drafted him. His spot wasn't quite as solid though after the Cowboys landed La'el Collins from LSU as an undrafted free agent. Green will begin the season on reserve/Physically Unable to Perform mean he will miss the first 6 weeks of the season and Dallas has another six weeks to decide if he can play this year before they release him or place him on IR. Sorry, that was way too much info about a backup tackle.

 

The Cowboys have yet to finalize their practice squad but QB Jameille Showers, RB Gus Johnson, WR Vince Mayle (from Cleveland), S Tim Scott and OT John Wetzel have been confirmed as having been signed.

 

As for Christine Michael, the Cowboys will be slowly working him into the Cowboys playbook. CCO Stephen Jones said that it's highly unlikely Michael will play this week against the Giants.

 

Dallas seems to be full speed ahead even though they continue to churn the bottom of their roster. It sure has been a long 7 months since that fateful day in Green Bay ended the Cowboys 2014 season. Here's hoping that Dallas can not only equal their 12-4 mark from last season but build even more on it by going deep into the playoffs. Maybe even, dare I say it? Super Bowl 50.