The Rookie Mini-camp Lasted over 3 days. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here are Matt Mosley's updates from each day.....
Friday's minicamp report: Henson gets most of the work
01:35 PM CDT on Saturday, May 1, 2004
By MATT MOSLEY / ***BANNED-URL***
IRVING – Quarterback Drew Henson took almost all the snaps during his first practice Friday. Of course, the only other quarterback in Friday’s rookie mini-camp was Brett Mitchell of Evangel College.
Cowboys coach Bill Parcells and Jerry Jones seemed pleased by what they saw from Henson, although Parcells admitted to getting Henson and Mitchell’s numbers mixed up early in the almost two-hour practice.
The Cowboys’ eight rookies were all in attendance as well as 13 free-agent rookies who were signed over the past few days. An NFL rule doesn’t allow any veterans to participate in rookie camp, but plenty of veterans showed up to watch the practice.
Quarterback Quincy Carter watched with great interest as Henson threw passes to the likes of Patrick Crayton (Northwestern Oklahoma) and Brandon Middleton (Houston).
Parcells and his coaching staff took the players through a typical training camp-type practice, which included individual and team drills.
Here are the high and lows from Friday’s rookie camp:
FRIDAY'S HIGHS AND LOWS
The Henson report: Henson was 22-for-36 in 1-on-1 and team drills. He looked sharp on middle screens and out passes, especially since he was throwing into a 10-15 mph wind. Henson had plenty of arm on deep routes, but overthrew his receivers several times. He did connect with Crayton on a deep pass.
On several crossing routes, Henson led his receivers perfectly. He lost some of the zip on the ball late in Friday’s practice.
Catch of the day: Tight end and fifth-round pick Sean Ryan made the best catch of the day when he dove to make a fingertip grab of a Henson pass. Ryan made several tough catches, but he did let one slide through his hands.
Middleton, a free-agent rookie receiver out of Houston, reached back across his body to haul in a pass from Mitchell. Several receivers trapped balls against their chests, but Middleton did a nice job of catching the ball away from his body.
Who was watching practice: Carter arrived just in time to watch Henson complete a deep pass in the end zone. When Crayton made a nice grab, running back Aveion Cason (who has added 15 pounds of muscle) and receiver Zuriel Smith grabbed a roster to see who made the catch…Cornerback Terence Newman, offensive tackle Torrin Tucker, offensive tackle Javiar Collins, cornerback Jemeel Powell, cornerback Andrew Davidson and right guard Andre Gurode watched practice from the sidelines.
Jones is Parcells’ water boy: Second-round draft pick and running back Julius Jones retrieved cups of water for Parcells during Friday’s practice. Last season, Newman, the team's first-round pick, was in charge of taking care of Parcells. After the first break Friday, Jones showed nice acceleration toward the water bucket. Parcells took the cup of water without a word.
Jones looks sharp in first workout: Jones showed his 4.38 speed on several running plays. The Cowboys also worked at getting Jones the ball on middle screens. He shared time with ReShard Lee, who was on his way to making the team in training camp last season when he injured his right knee.
Rogers and Peterman work on the right side: Second-round pick Jacob Rogers worked at right tackle and third-round pick Stephen Peterman worked at right guard. Incumbent starter Andre Gurode watched each play with interest from the sidelines.
James having a solid off-season: Bill Parcells said that Bradie James has improved more than any other player on the team in the off-season. James could be the fourth linebacker when the Cowboys use the 3-4 formation this season. Parcells said that James would back up Dexter Coakley in the regular 4-3 formation.
Parcells on Hambrick: Bill Parcells said the Cowboys have talked about trying to help Troy Hambrick find another team for which he'd be a better fit. "I told him if we drafted a front-line runner then we might consider doing something with him," Parcells said. "He knew that in advance. We sat down and talked about it."
Interest in a veteran quarterback? Bill Parcells said the Cowboys weren't actively pursuing a veteran quarterback, but he didn't rule it out. "With this whole free agency thing," Parcells said. "Not just the quarterback spot ... you have to look at it and develop an opinion as to where this guy may take you. I've got a year invested in Quincy and a couple of these other kids here so I'm just hopeful they can improve and if in the meantime we get some chances to do something that might serve us better then we might to do it."
Center could be back from injury: Bill Parcells said that Al Johnson is doing very well in his comeback from microfracture surgery and he indicated that he could be the starter this season.
Quick hits: Seventh-round pick Nate Jones of Rutgers picked off Henson during the 7-on-7 drill. Jones showed nice closing speed before snagging the pass…Free-agent rookie fullback Lousaka Polite of Pittsburgh caught several passes out of the backfield. He was one of the best fullbacks that didn’t get drafted…Free-agent rookie receiver James Newson made a great move before catching a pass from Henson
Saturday's minicamp report: Henson settling in
11:42 PM CDT on Saturday, May 1, 2004
By MATT MOSLEY / ***BANNED-URL***
IRVING – Cowboys quarterback Drew Henson looked a bit startled as he sat down in front of his locker Saturday morning. Reporters and cameras were stacked four deep as Henson made his first public appearance as a Cowboys quarterback.
And this was just a rookie mini-camp.
Cowboys offensive coordinator and quarterbacks Sean Payton, who along with other assistants is usually forbidden from talking to the media, talked about the team's new quarterback.
"You had 32 clubs with 32 different opinions on him," Payton said. "But we felt comfortable with what we saw."
When asked about whether the Cowboys were interested in Payton's former Giants protégé Kerry Collins, Payton said it's not something he has had time to discuss much with Parcells.
"We've gone full speed ahead with our plans," Payton said.
It appears the Cowboys wouldn't be interested in a player such as Collins who is still in the prime of his career because it might prolong the development of Henson. On the second day of rookie camp, Henson again looked sharp. But it's important to remember that he's throwing against mostly free-agent rookie defensive backs.
Henson deftly swatted away questions about his chances of becoming the starter this season, but the questions won't go away anytime soon.
SATURDAY'S HIGHS AND LOWS
The Henson report: Henson has shown an ability to thread the needle on passes in traffic. On Saturday, though, he looked somewhat awkward when asked to roll out and throw on the run. Henson overthrew receivers the two times he rolled to the left side. He also threw his second interception over the past two days when free-agent rookie receiver James Newson fell and fourth-round cornerback Bruce Thornton made the pick.
Offensive lineman ready for a new ride: Guard Stephen Peterman, a third-round pick, said his first paycheck would go toward a "nice family car." ” Peterman and his wife and 8-month-old son have spent the last year driving a Dodge Minivan. "I'm not sure I want anyone to know that," Peterman said. Peterman and second-round pick Jacob Rogers worked at right guard and right tackle during this weekend's rookie mini-camp.
Catch of the day: Second-round running back Julius Jones dove across the middle to snag a pass from Henson in the morning practice. He didn't catch many passes in Notre Dame's run-based offense, but he said it shouldn't be a problem. "If you put it out there, I'm going to catch it," Jones said.
Florida State rookie frustrates Rogers: Using Bill Parcells terminology, Cowboys second-round offensive tackle Jacob Rogers had a couple of "no-hitters" on free-agent rookie defensive end Kevin Emanuel. Emanuel beat Rogers twice on quick inside moves during 1-on-1 drills. Rogers, a three-year starter at USC, slammed his fist into his pads in frustration.
Jones shows balance: One of the reasons the Cowboys were high on second-round running back Julius Jones was his reputation for having excellent balance. During Saturday's morning practice, Jones appeared to be on his way down as he cleared the line of scrimmage, but he caught himself with his right hand, spun around, and kept running.
Brandt's take on cornerback: Former Cowboys director of personnel Gil Brandt spent part of Saturday morning's practice talking to Bill Parcells. Brandt, who now writes columns for NFL.com, weighed in on the Cowboys' situation at cornerback by saying the team would go with Pete Hunter.
E-mail mmosley@***BANNED-URL***
Sunday's minicamp report: Parcells pleased
11:16 AM CDT on Monday, May 3, 2004
By MATT MOSLEY / ***BANNED-URL***
IRVING – The Cowboys' three-day minicamp ended Sunday afternoon with a spirited practice at Valley Ranch. For some players, the minicamp was a steppingstone for what they hope is a successful NFL career.
For others, it's the end of the road.
Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he was encouraged by what he saw from some of his free-agent rookies, but he didn't want to disclose any names for fear other teams might eventually pluck them from his practice squad.
Parcells said the three-day minicamp was actually more of an "orientation." But judging by the blocking drills, most players didn't see it that way.
Parcells spent part of Sunday morning's practice demonstrating blocking techniques to owner and general manager Jerry Jones. Later during a news conference, Parcells smiled as he said, "I think I got Jerry sold on this developmental aspect."
Parcells was referring to his reputation for churning the bottom of his roster. And that process began this weekend.
SUNDAY'S HIGHS AND LOWS
The Henson report: Cowboys quarterback Drew Henson looked sharp while completing 8 of 12 passes during team drills. Henson has been particularly impressive with out patterns, hitting receivers as soon as they come out of breaks.
Parcells shouted, "Throw it away is a good play!" several times when Henson couldn't find a receiver. "A sack, an interception or a fumble are bad plays," Parcells said.
Henson has told reporters this week that he felt like a football player playing baseball during his last couple of seasons in the Yankees' farm system and missed the contact.
"Maybe he missed being successful," Parcells said. When Parcells asked Henson why he'd struggled in baseball, Henson responded, "I used to swing at a lot of balls."
Tucker used as a blocking dummy: Wearing jeans, tennis shoes and a T-shirt, second-year offensive tackle Torrin Tucker joined in some offensive line drills. Tucker, a free-agent rookie last season out of Southern Mississippi, has added 10 pounds to his now 6-6, 335-pound frame. He ran the 400-yard dash last week in 62 seconds, one of the best times among the linemen.
Assistant coach headed overseas: Offensive assistant David Lee will leave Thursday to check up on some of the Cowboys' players in NFL Europe. He'll probably focus his time on Chad Hutchinson, who is playing for the Rhein Fire. Parcells said he is concerned that Hutchinson continues to have trouble holding on the ball, but that he's not ready to write him off.
Almost catch of the day: DeSoto's Patrick Crayton, picked in the seventh round, could make the team as a return specialist. But he's also showing big-play potential at receiver. He reached up with one hand and cradled a pass from Drew Henson before it popped out on his way to the ground.
Kicking coach takes one for the team: As kicking coach Steve Hoffman walked to retrieve a football, free-agent rookie punter Josh Boies nailed him in the back from 50 yards away. The other two punters, Mat McBryar and Ryan Flinn, failed to warn Hoffman of the incoming punt. Hoffman turned around and gave Boies a cold stare for at least 10 seconds.
Maryland stops by practice: Former Cowboys defensive tackle Russell Maryland attended Sunday's practice. Maryland, who played in Dallas from 1991-95, appeared to be several pounds north of his old playing weight.
Screen work: The Cowboys spent several minutes of each practice working on screen plays. With Troy Hambrick at running back, the screen wasn't used a lot last season. The Cowboys are working the ball to running backs Julius Jones and ReShard Lee on middle screens.
Bill's 'to do' list: Parcells said he'd spend the next couple of weeks organizing the veterans' minicamp scheduled for the first week in June and studying film of the first few opponents of the season.
Free-agent receiver drawing attention: Houston's Brandon Middleton was impressive during the rookie minicamp. He has caused defensive backs to fall down several times because his routes are so precise.
E-mail mmosley@***BANNED-URL***
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I can't seem to find the quote. Can you?????
Thats your opinion. I doubt you can find any post to add validity to it. I use those quotes to refute those who believe Carter was just along for the ride. I use those quotes to prove my point that Carter contributed significantly to the 10-6 record when most doubters think other wise. I saw Troy Aikman on NFL Network make some intersting comments. Henson has been impressive in mini-camps and the off-season in general. I guess the benignity begins when he states carter had a good year last year or he had NO running game to speak
.
I have access to every camp report. I am looking forward to finding where Parcells made the comment that Henson has made passes that no other Qb on the roster can make.
I'll be waiting forever. Maybe Hos will also find the quote where I state he hated Carter because he used Henson/Troy jpeg. sheeeshhhh