- Messages
- 79,811
- Reaction score
- 47,779
Mick Shots: Nothing Mini About These Campers
These rookies certainly look the part. Plus, DQ possibilities, NFL strong, the Natural and a name to remember.
So allow me my best shots from the three-day rookie minicamp this past weekend.
Click to Read Full Story
These rookies certainly look the part. Plus, DQ possibilities, NFL strong, the Natural and a name to remember.
So allow me my best shots from the three-day rookie minicamp this past weekend.
- First Impressions: Those 11 Cowboys draft choices, eight defensive and three offensive, well, let me tell you this. They all look the part. Not a one looked out of place. All athletic. All with respectable size, speed and capable of keeping harm an arm's length away. Most seemingly with a path to make this team, depending on what happens when the pads come on. Now, granted these drills were in helmets, jerseys and shorts, no contact, and against those of their own ilk, including 15 undrafted rookies, and not saying all 11 will make the final 53-man roster. That would be a huge but welcomed upset. But there seems no reason for at least seven making the final roster, health willing, and the rest would seem to be practice-squad capable. That is if they can clear waivers first.
- Seniority: Last January former Cowboys linebackers coach George Edwards (1998-01) was a late addition to McCarthy's coaching staff as the three-time NFL defensive coordinator (Washington, Buffalo and lastly Minnesota from 2014-19) was named senior defensive assistant. Edwards hung primarily with the linebackers, his coaching expertise, during practice aiding McCarthy's former Green Bay assistant Scott McCurley. Well, sure became obvious just watching this rookie minicamp that Edwards, maybe still with the same title, was taking charge of the linebacker position – even if there were only three rookie linebackers in the group. When asked about a role change, McCarthy said, "Not a big change, as much as a shift."
- DQ Possibilities: We quickly discovered listening to the players that new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will go by "DQ" in their books. A marketing opportunity awaiting? All the 19th-year NFL coach has to do now is perform a quality fixer-upper on last year's atrocious Cowboys defense. Also good news, Quinn, with extensive experience coaching defensive lines when he hasn't been the DC in college and at Seattle or the head coach in Atlanta, is working primarily with the defensive linemen even though he and McCarthy have brought in DQ's defensive assistant Aden Durde from Atlanta as a defensive line coach. Oh, and speaking of Aden, he introduced himself as "AD." And how about this for a little known fact. He was born in Middlesex, England, and began his football career playing for the London Olympians and came to the Carolina Panthers in 2005 as part of the NFL Europe's International Practice Squad Program before progressing to a coaching career.
- The Natural: If first-round pick Micah Parsons is looking for a nickname, this one would fit. Such a "natural" athlete, and that was readily apparent in the one 11-on-11 drill and the one 7-on-7 non-contact drill on Saturday, along with the special teams and positional drills. He instinctively flows to the ball in the running game. Has no problem dropping back into coverage against the pass. And in one special teams tackling drill, while moonlighting as the ball carrier, my goodness, he put a Walter Payton-quality shake on the air-grabbing defender, going back to his Harrisburg High School days when he ran for 1,200 yards his junior year and 27 touchdowns. Oh, and the one time he lined up as the right defensive end, he started off going to the edge on fourth-round draft choice Josh Ball, and without missing a beat, jumped back left inside unabated to the quarterback.
Click to Read Full Story
