DMN: Rookie Minicamp Observations...05/02/08
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Jenkins has one heck of a mentor
1:41 PM Fri, May 02, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=armmKMwfUtk
The video above shows Deion Sanders as a Florida State Seminole. And that's when the connection between he and Cowboys first-round pick Mike Jenkins got its start.
Jenkins' uncle, Tracy Sanders, was the starter opposite Prime Time at FSU in the late '80s, before playing for a few years with the Packers. So one Sanders put the other Sanders in touch with Jenkins, and the kid wound up with a pretty good professor in the school of cornerbacking.
Deion and Jenkins have talked more than ever over the last year, and traded text messages just a couple days ago in advance of this camp. And as he starts his professional career, Jenkins is listening as intently as he ever has to all of the wise words of No. 21.
"He keeps me level," Jenkins said today. "He keeps my confidence up, and he always has a lot of good things to say about me that I can feed off of. He's willing to help anytime, I can text him anytime of the night or day, and he's going to get right back to you and he's going to be ready to help you."
Because of Deion, Jenkins isn't a novice when it comes to Cowboys history. But it's not like he was really a Dallas fanatic. He'd also rooted in spurts for the Falcons and 49ers, which if you followed Sanders' career, makes a whole lot of sense.
"(Deion's) one of the greatest players ever," Jenkins said. "I pretty much followed him everywhere he went. Each team he went to, that was my favorite team."
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The entry "Jenkins has one heck of a mentor" is tagged: Deion Sanders , Mike Jenkins
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High picks and Texas Tech kid catch Jerry's eye
1:36 PM Fri, May 02, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips
You can only tell so much from watching rookies run around in shorts and helmets, but Jerry liked what he saw this morning.
He singled out four guys who impressed him: the Cowboys' first three picks and undrafted free agent WR Danny Amendola, aka "that boy from Texas Tech."
Jerry gushed about how "smooth" RB Felix Jones looked, especially catching the ball. He was pleased with CB Mike Jenkins' quickness, and he liked TE Martellus Bennett's hands. Of course, it's no surprise that the owner/GM likes guys who he picked high and will pay big money.
It is noteworthy that Jerry would single out an undrafted guy like Amendola, who beat Jenkins one-on-one at least three times and caught everything thrown his way.
"He's real refined," Jerry said of the Wes Welker wannabe. "He really runs routes well, and he's got that quickness. He does and will separate. He will be able to separate in the NFL."
It's way too early to declare that Amendola will make the team, but Miles Austin better be ready to fight for his job.
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The entry "High picks and Texas Tech kid catch Jerry's eye" is tagged: Danny Amendola , Martellus Bennett , Mike Jenkins
Categories: Felix Jones, Jerry Jones
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Cricket puts the 'full' in fullback
1:27 PM Fri, May 02, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips
Fullback Deon "Cricket" Anderson isn't participating in the rookie minicamp, but he attended the workout. He sported a red Stewie T-shirt and looked a lot like the Kool-Aid Man.
You see, Cricket has swelled up to 260 pounds, 20 more than he weighed as a rookie. He plans to slim back down to 240 by September. What the heck has he been eating to get so big?
"Children, cattle, crickets," he deadpanned.
Cricket reports that his surgically repaired rotator cuff is just fine. He's been lifting a lot at the dinner table and in the weight room.
"I had 405 on the bench the other day," Cricket said, flexing just in case I didn't believe him.
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The entry "Cricket puts the 'full' in fullback" is tagged: Deon Anderson
Categories: Injuries, Offense
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Cowboys want Martellus to watch his mouth
1:17 PM Fri, May 02, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips
Martellus Bennett learned one major difference between college and the pros within 24 hours after being drafted.
"In college, if you get in trouble, they call your mom," the ex-Texas A&M tight end said. "Here, if you get in trouble, they call you."
Some Valley Ranch folks got their britches in a bunch about an innocent Jessica Simpson joke Bennett made during his media conference call minutes after he was drafted. TE coach John Garrett called Bennett to let him know that Jessica jokes are a no-no around these parts.
"I apologized," Bennett said. "I didn't mean to be rude."
Bennett, an athletic 6-6, 260-pound second-rounder who showed off his strong hands during this morning's workout, will still be a quote machine. He had a couple gems today.
He limped around after catching a seam route, prompting me to ask later if he tweaked something. "Nah, man, I got hit in the kids."
And Bennett, who actually declared for the NBA draft as a high school senior before withdrawing his name, used an interesting comparison to describe his love for the sport.
"Football is my wife," he said, "and basketball will always be my mistress."
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Quick hits from camp ...
1:52 PM Fri, May 02, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
Here's five observations I came away with ...
1) Bennett's a beast: Second-round Martellus Bennett is a load and flashed some athleticism in the passing skeleton and one-on-ones. Seems to do a good job, in most cases, of catching the ball away from his body and looks like he could develop into a matchup nightmare.
2) Jenkins rough around the edges: No one got more individual attention than first-rounder Mike Jenkins, and part of it was that he was getting beat on a fairly regular basis. You can see the athleticism, the ability to turn and run, the ability to sink his hips and explode ... but it needs to be more consistently. He'd look great one play, and very, very average the next. He had real trouble catching the ball.
3) Amendola shines: I know Timmy already addressed this, but there was a whole lot to like about Danny Amendola (and not just because I wrote about him this morning). He runs sharp, precise routes, gets in and out of his breaks quickly, and knows how to set up a DB. Plus, he didn't drop a ball. It's worth noting that Jenkins couldn't stop him once in one-on-ones, at least in the three instances I say the two match up.
4) Jones' wheels: Jerry called Felix Jones' style "smooth" and there might not be a better way to describe it. He almost looks like he's gliding, and not running out there, and you can see his change-of-direction skills. Felix looked fairly natural catching the ball for the most part, save for a couple drops. Tashard Choice had a couple early drops, but rebounded late and showed the skills in the passing game he flashed as a collegian.
5) Garrett's involvement: One thing's pretty clear here -- Jason Garrett is not simply the overseer of the offense. He has his hands in everything. And it seems like he can coach every position, which is something that I remember being impressive about Bill Belichick when I covered the Patriots. Garrett sets a pace for practice -- a quick one -- and his guys seem to respond.
1:41 PM Fri, May 02, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=armmKMwfUtk
The video above shows Deion Sanders as a Florida State Seminole. And that's when the connection between he and Cowboys first-round pick Mike Jenkins got its start.
Jenkins' uncle, Tracy Sanders, was the starter opposite Prime Time at FSU in the late '80s, before playing for a few years with the Packers. So one Sanders put the other Sanders in touch with Jenkins, and the kid wound up with a pretty good professor in the school of cornerbacking.
Deion and Jenkins have talked more than ever over the last year, and traded text messages just a couple days ago in advance of this camp. And as he starts his professional career, Jenkins is listening as intently as he ever has to all of the wise words of No. 21.
"He keeps me level," Jenkins said today. "He keeps my confidence up, and he always has a lot of good things to say about me that I can feed off of. He's willing to help anytime, I can text him anytime of the night or day, and he's going to get right back to you and he's going to be ready to help you."
Because of Deion, Jenkins isn't a novice when it comes to Cowboys history. But it's not like he was really a Dallas fanatic. He'd also rooted in spurts for the Falcons and 49ers, which if you followed Sanders' career, makes a whole lot of sense.
"(Deion's) one of the greatest players ever," Jenkins said. "I pretty much followed him everywhere he went. Each team he went to, that was my favorite team."
Comments (1) Leave comment | E-mail entry
The entry "Jenkins has one heck of a mentor" is tagged: Deion Sanders , Mike Jenkins
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
High picks and Texas Tech kid catch Jerry's eye
1:36 PM Fri, May 02, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips
You can only tell so much from watching rookies run around in shorts and helmets, but Jerry liked what he saw this morning.
He singled out four guys who impressed him: the Cowboys' first three picks and undrafted free agent WR Danny Amendola, aka "that boy from Texas Tech."
Jerry gushed about how "smooth" RB Felix Jones looked, especially catching the ball. He was pleased with CB Mike Jenkins' quickness, and he liked TE Martellus Bennett's hands. Of course, it's no surprise that the owner/GM likes guys who he picked high and will pay big money.
It is noteworthy that Jerry would single out an undrafted guy like Amendola, who beat Jenkins one-on-one at least three times and caught everything thrown his way.
"He's real refined," Jerry said of the Wes Welker wannabe. "He really runs routes well, and he's got that quickness. He does and will separate. He will be able to separate in the NFL."
It's way too early to declare that Amendola will make the team, but Miles Austin better be ready to fight for his job.
Comments (0) Leave comment | E-mail entry
The entry "High picks and Texas Tech kid catch Jerry's eye" is tagged: Danny Amendola , Martellus Bennett , Mike Jenkins
Categories: Felix Jones, Jerry Jones
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cricket puts the 'full' in fullback
1:27 PM Fri, May 02, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips
Fullback Deon "Cricket" Anderson isn't participating in the rookie minicamp, but he attended the workout. He sported a red Stewie T-shirt and looked a lot like the Kool-Aid Man.
You see, Cricket has swelled up to 260 pounds, 20 more than he weighed as a rookie. He plans to slim back down to 240 by September. What the heck has he been eating to get so big?
"Children, cattle, crickets," he deadpanned.
Cricket reports that his surgically repaired rotator cuff is just fine. He's been lifting a lot at the dinner table and in the weight room.
"I had 405 on the bench the other day," Cricket said, flexing just in case I didn't believe him.
Comments (2) Leave comment | E-mail entry
The entry "Cricket puts the 'full' in fullback" is tagged: Deon Anderson
Categories: Injuries, Offense
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cowboys want Martellus to watch his mouth
1:17 PM Fri, May 02, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips
Martellus Bennett learned one major difference between college and the pros within 24 hours after being drafted.
"In college, if you get in trouble, they call your mom," the ex-Texas A&M tight end said. "Here, if you get in trouble, they call you."
Some Valley Ranch folks got their britches in a bunch about an innocent Jessica Simpson joke Bennett made during his media conference call minutes after he was drafted. TE coach John Garrett called Bennett to let him know that Jessica jokes are a no-no around these parts.
"I apologized," Bennett said. "I didn't mean to be rude."
Bennett, an athletic 6-6, 260-pound second-rounder who showed off his strong hands during this morning's workout, will still be a quote machine. He had a couple gems today.
He limped around after catching a seam route, prompting me to ask later if he tweaked something. "Nah, man, I got hit in the kids."
And Bennett, who actually declared for the NBA draft as a high school senior before withdrawing his name, used an interesting comparison to describe his love for the sport.
"Football is my wife," he said, "and basketball will always be my mistress."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quick hits from camp ...
1:52 PM Fri, May 02, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
Here's five observations I came away with ...
1) Bennett's a beast: Second-round Martellus Bennett is a load and flashed some athleticism in the passing skeleton and one-on-ones. Seems to do a good job, in most cases, of catching the ball away from his body and looks like he could develop into a matchup nightmare.
2) Jenkins rough around the edges: No one got more individual attention than first-rounder Mike Jenkins, and part of it was that he was getting beat on a fairly regular basis. You can see the athleticism, the ability to turn and run, the ability to sink his hips and explode ... but it needs to be more consistently. He'd look great one play, and very, very average the next. He had real trouble catching the ball.
3) Amendola shines: I know Timmy already addressed this, but there was a whole lot to like about Danny Amendola (and not just because I wrote about him this morning). He runs sharp, precise routes, gets in and out of his breaks quickly, and knows how to set up a DB. Plus, he didn't drop a ball. It's worth noting that Jenkins couldn't stop him once in one-on-ones, at least in the three instances I say the two match up.
4) Jones' wheels: Jerry called Felix Jones' style "smooth" and there might not be a better way to describe it. He almost looks like he's gliding, and not running out there, and you can see his change-of-direction skills. Felix looked fairly natural catching the ball for the most part, save for a couple drops. Tashard Choice had a couple early drops, but rebounded late and showed the skills in the passing game he flashed as a collegian.
5) Garrett's involvement: One thing's pretty clear here -- Jason Garrett is not simply the overseer of the offense. He has his hands in everything. And it seems like he can coach every position, which is something that I remember being impressive about Bill Belichick when I covered the Patriots. Garrett sets a pace for practice -- a quick one -- and his guys seem to respond.
CrazyCowboy
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great report....let's go Cowboys!
Baileyneverfailey
Joshmvii
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I wonder if it will be Hurd or Austin who gets beat out first? In my opinion, Austin has much more upside if he works on catching the ball. I like both of them though.
CrazyCowboy
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good report.
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I would imagine if you're serious about your woman, especially one who takes a bunch of heat, that you'll be a bit defensive about her.BigWillie;2068410 said:
Also, Jessica jokes are no-no's in the Cowboys locker room? Tony must be an angry little guy when it comes to his woman.
Same for a woman, SHE can talk about her man, but her friends better not say a thing.
Chocolate Lab
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Cowboys22;2068411 said:
Same here. He's the only fullback on the whole roster, and the last thing we need is for him to come to camp out of shape.
I don't understand these guys. Losing 20 pounds in just a few months sucks. Why get that fat in the first place?
And all he had was a rotator cuff injury. It's not like he blew out a knee and couldn't run.
Yeah, he sure seemed that way after the Carolina game last year.WG said:
But what do you expect when you date celebrities?
BigWillie
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WoodysGirl;2068417 said:
Having played just college football before (lower levels), I can tell you, nothing is off limits in a locker room. If you cannot take a joke about anything, you are in the wrong sport by far.
The bad thing is, once you show it bugs you, it only makes it that much worse in most cases. I've even seen coaches jump in on the trashing just for giggles when they know someone is an easy mark.
Locker rooms are meant to be fun, crack some jokes and just have a good time. I'm sure none of the guys there mean anything they say. Just have to know how to take a punch as well as give them out when someone tries to throw a jab your way.
Chocolate Lab
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hboy: