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Cowboys News: Ezekiel Elliott Likely To Miss Preseason Opener, Plus Camp Highlights
Cowboys News: Ezekiel Elliott Likely To Miss Preseason Opener, Plus Camp Highlights
...Start Hitting Some Other Guys
Familiarity breeds distress, and nowhere is this more evident than in NFL camps where with increasing camp length, more and more fights and scuffles break out among teammates.
The Cowboys haven't had a full-fledged brawl yet, but they came close today when Demarcus Lawrence and David Irving got into a shouting match and had to be restrained by teammates. Irving was upset with Lawrence "getting into his reach level" and did not mince words telling Lawrence about it.
"Brothers fight and get over it," Irving said after practice. "I messed up a call. That’s not good for the team, so you get that sometimes. But we’re cool. Family fight."
Yesterday, Leon Lett and Rod Marinelli got into a shouting match, in today's 10th training camp practice it was the players, and when tensions start building up like that it's always good to get fresh faces to focus on. The Cowboys have one more practice tomorrow before they get to face the Rams on Saturday, and with the way the Cowboys have been practicing (and with the memory of last year's brawl in the joint practice with the Rams), I'm expecting a very aggressive Cowboys defense to take to the field on Saturday.
"Everyone is ready," Irving said. "We’re pumped. We’re amped."
Excitement Building For Defensive Line
I know it's fashionable to pooh-pooh the Cowboys defensive line. But after two live practices, I have to admit that my excitement is building. Granted, these two practices coincided with the return of Tyrone Crawford, Terrell McClain, and Cedric Thornton to practice, but this D-line clearly has potential, especially inside.
I'm not quite sure when the Cowboys were last able to consistently bring pressure inside, probably in 2009, but certainly long before the switch back to a 4-3 scheme. The absence of inside pressure meant that opposing QBs could simply take two small steps up in the pocket to avoid what little outside pressure the Cowboys could generate.
That is going to change this year. I don't know that that will necessarily result in more sacks (though I hope it will), but the pocket for opposing QBs will get decidedly smaller and less comfortable.
Today, DeMarcus Lawrence would have had a sack against Tyron Smith during team drills, David Irving would have sacked Romo up the middle, and Ryan Russell had a would-be sack on Dak Prescott that exemplifies what this D-line can do: The DTs crashed through the middle of the line collapsing the pocket, Prescott couldn't step up to avoid pressure, and Russell got him coming from the outside.
And the Cowboys are deep at DT. They probably won't keep more than four (maybe five) guys. Tyrone Crawford, Terrell McClain, and Cedric Thornton are probably roster locks, and there's no way the Cowboys release 3rd-round pick Maliek Collins. That's already four guys, and leaves Jack Crawford, Rodney Coe, and Lawrence Okoye on the outside looking in.
That's a very good problem to have...
Cowboys News: Ezekiel Elliott Likely To Miss Preseason Opener, Plus Camp Highlights
...Start Hitting Some Other Guys
Familiarity breeds distress, and nowhere is this more evident than in NFL camps where with increasing camp length, more and more fights and scuffles break out among teammates.
The Cowboys haven't had a full-fledged brawl yet, but they came close today when Demarcus Lawrence and David Irving got into a shouting match and had to be restrained by teammates. Irving was upset with Lawrence "getting into his reach level" and did not mince words telling Lawrence about it.
"Brothers fight and get over it," Irving said after practice. "I messed up a call. That’s not good for the team, so you get that sometimes. But we’re cool. Family fight."
Yesterday, Leon Lett and Rod Marinelli got into a shouting match, in today's 10th training camp practice it was the players, and when tensions start building up like that it's always good to get fresh faces to focus on. The Cowboys have one more practice tomorrow before they get to face the Rams on Saturday, and with the way the Cowboys have been practicing (and with the memory of last year's brawl in the joint practice with the Rams), I'm expecting a very aggressive Cowboys defense to take to the field on Saturday.
"Everyone is ready," Irving said. "We’re pumped. We’re amped."
Excitement Building For Defensive Line
I know it's fashionable to pooh-pooh the Cowboys defensive line. But after two live practices, I have to admit that my excitement is building. Granted, these two practices coincided with the return of Tyrone Crawford, Terrell McClain, and Cedric Thornton to practice, but this D-line clearly has potential, especially inside.
I'm not quite sure when the Cowboys were last able to consistently bring pressure inside, probably in 2009, but certainly long before the switch back to a 4-3 scheme. The absence of inside pressure meant that opposing QBs could simply take two small steps up in the pocket to avoid what little outside pressure the Cowboys could generate.
That is going to change this year. I don't know that that will necessarily result in more sacks (though I hope it will), but the pocket for opposing QBs will get decidedly smaller and less comfortable.
Today, DeMarcus Lawrence would have had a sack against Tyron Smith during team drills, David Irving would have sacked Romo up the middle, and Ryan Russell had a would-be sack on Dak Prescott that exemplifies what this D-line can do: The DTs crashed through the middle of the line collapsing the pocket, Prescott couldn't step up to avoid pressure, and Russell got him coming from the outside.
And the Cowboys are deep at DT. They probably won't keep more than four (maybe five) guys. Tyrone Crawford, Terrell McClain, and Cedric Thornton are probably roster locks, and there's no way the Cowboys release 3rd-round pick Maliek Collins. That's already four guys, and leaves Jack Crawford, Rodney Coe, and Lawrence Okoye on the outside looking in.
That's a very good problem to have...
