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Mosley's Cowboys Observation Deck
July 27, 2008 10:56 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
OXNARD, Calif. - Greetings from Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, Calif., where temperatures soared into the mid-60s this afternoon. The NFC East blog (still waiting for a name) blew into town Sunday and attended its first practice of training camp. And if you're reading this entry and wondering why I'm not in Ashburn, Va., Bethlehem, Pa. or Albany, N.Y., rest assured that I have trips planned to those destinations in early August.
But without further adieu, here's the debut of Mosley's Observation Deck, which is packed full with knee-jerk reactions from the only practice I've seen:
T.O. burns Adam: Beginning Saturday, cornerback Adam Jones started lining up across from Terrell Owens every chance he got. During one-on-one drills Sunday afternoon, Jones lined up a foot away from T.O. and started pumping his arms to fire up the crowd. When quarterback Tony Romo saw what was about to happen, he pulled third-string quarterback Richard Bartel out of the drill and lined up under center.
About 10 yards upfield, T.O. faked a hard out and then ran a skinny post. Jones bit hard on the fake and was easily beaten for a touchdown. More than 4,000 fans erupted, and then T.O. put his hands to his ears to make them scream louder.
I'm told that Jones did a nice job against T.O. Saturday, but this afternoon, he didn't have a chance. Romo completed passes to him all over the field, and you could tell that Jones was frustrated.
Head coach Wade Phillips said he loves the fact that the two players want to compete against each other. He also pointed out that Patrick Crayton has been trying to line up against Pro Bowl cornerback Terence Newman in several drills.
Phillips joked that T.O. received the "practice game ball," but we're still waiting on the formal presentation. After practice, I had a long talk with former Cowboys head coach Dave Campo, who is back with the organization coaching the secondary.
"We didn't come out and play as well as we have the last couple of days," Campo said. "I told Adam that he has to keep his eyes on Terrell a little bit more."
Campo, who spent the past three seasons with the Jaguars, said he never stopped rooting for the Cowboys.
"I was in New York last year and five policemen recognized me as the old Cowboys coach," he said. "I said, 'what the heck's up with New York's finest recognizing me?"
Campo described Jones as "very coachable" and said he's been asking a lot of questions in meetings.
Phillips on the main stage: In past years, Bill Parcells would sit on a makeshift podium and sip on iced tea during news conferences. Phillips and owner Jerry Jones conduct all their news conferences from an elaborate "Built Ford Tough" stage that sits in front of an enormous blue curtain. There's just something strange about watching Phillips answer questions when he's sitting inches above the picture of a Super Duty's grill.
Jones is eyeing punt return job: If you happened to stand close to Adam Jones, you'll notice how bloodshot his eyes look. But not to worry. He's actually wearing red-tinted contacts to make it easier to pick up the ball on punts and kickoffs.
NFL Films has heavy presence: It's pretty easy to tell the NFL Films crew from the rest of the photographers. They're the only ones allowed to walk all over the practice field. When I asked Phillips whether all the cameras had been a distraction, he pretended to be wired and asked me to speak up. Good times.
Defensive play of the day: Cornerback Anthony Henry made an outstanding over-the-shoulder catch while covering wide receiver Sam Hurd during one-on-one drills. He barely grabbed the ball with his fingertips, but he managed to snatch the ball from above Hurd's head. The crowd started up a "Henry, Henry" chant. As I wrote last week, it's way too soon to give Henry's starting job to Adam Jones. I was told by a team source that Henry will be the starter no matter what happens in camp -- unless it's an injury. He led the team with six interceptions, and throughout his career, the ball's always found him.
Rough day for the rook: Cornerback Mike Jenkins struggled throughout the practice. It's obvious that he has a ton of athleticism, but he got turned around by several receivers. And to the naked eye, he's having a hard time re-routing receivers.
Darkhorse of the day: Former University of Washington quarterback Isaiah Stanback has obviously made a ton of progress since his rookie season. Last year, he was hampered by shin splints and a shoulder injury. In Saturday's practice, he looked a lot more fluid and at 6-2, 208, he would give Tony Romo another big target. One of the reasons Jerry Jones released Terry Glenn is he didn't want him to impede the progress of players such as Stanback, Sam Hurd and Miles Austin.
Stanback credits former college quarterback Patrick Crayton for helping him make the transition to wide receiver.
"I'm probably closer to him than anyone on the team," Stanback said of Crayton. "He's helped me learn all the proper angles to take on routes. I was a former 100-meter guy, so I'm used to taking off and not stopping. That's been the hardest thing about making the change."
Campo also said that cornerback Alan Ball had made huge strides in the offseason and that he's having a nice camp so far. On Sunday, Ball sent running back Keon Lattimore stumbling toward the fence.
Hatcher having a strong camp: Former Grambling defensive end Jason Hatcher appears to be making a move early in camp. He's dominated during one-on-one drills and he's using his 6-6 frame to frustrate Tony Romo and the other quarterbacks.
Familiar face: Former Cowboys director of personnel Larry Lacewell has returned to camp now that the coast is clear (Bill Parcells is gone). The two did not see eye to eye and Lacewell was replaced by Jeff Ireland. During his retirement, he's done some consulting with the Saints and now it appears he's once again helping the Cowboys in an informal role.
Dallas Cowboys, observation deck, Mike Jenkins, Terrell Owens
link:http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfceast/0-1-70/Mosley-s-Cowboys-Observation-Deck.html
July 27, 2008 10:56 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
OXNARD, Calif. - Greetings from Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, Calif., where temperatures soared into the mid-60s this afternoon. The NFC East blog (still waiting for a name) blew into town Sunday and attended its first practice of training camp. And if you're reading this entry and wondering why I'm not in Ashburn, Va., Bethlehem, Pa. or Albany, N.Y., rest assured that I have trips planned to those destinations in early August.
But without further adieu, here's the debut of Mosley's Observation Deck, which is packed full with knee-jerk reactions from the only practice I've seen:
T.O. burns Adam: Beginning Saturday, cornerback Adam Jones started lining up across from Terrell Owens every chance he got. During one-on-one drills Sunday afternoon, Jones lined up a foot away from T.O. and started pumping his arms to fire up the crowd. When quarterback Tony Romo saw what was about to happen, he pulled third-string quarterback Richard Bartel out of the drill and lined up under center.
About 10 yards upfield, T.O. faked a hard out and then ran a skinny post. Jones bit hard on the fake and was easily beaten for a touchdown. More than 4,000 fans erupted, and then T.O. put his hands to his ears to make them scream louder.
I'm told that Jones did a nice job against T.O. Saturday, but this afternoon, he didn't have a chance. Romo completed passes to him all over the field, and you could tell that Jones was frustrated.
Head coach Wade Phillips said he loves the fact that the two players want to compete against each other. He also pointed out that Patrick Crayton has been trying to line up against Pro Bowl cornerback Terence Newman in several drills.
Phillips joked that T.O. received the "practice game ball," but we're still waiting on the formal presentation. After practice, I had a long talk with former Cowboys head coach Dave Campo, who is back with the organization coaching the secondary.
"We didn't come out and play as well as we have the last couple of days," Campo said. "I told Adam that he has to keep his eyes on Terrell a little bit more."
Campo, who spent the past three seasons with the Jaguars, said he never stopped rooting for the Cowboys.
"I was in New York last year and five policemen recognized me as the old Cowboys coach," he said. "I said, 'what the heck's up with New York's finest recognizing me?"
Campo described Jones as "very coachable" and said he's been asking a lot of questions in meetings.
Phillips on the main stage: In past years, Bill Parcells would sit on a makeshift podium and sip on iced tea during news conferences. Phillips and owner Jerry Jones conduct all their news conferences from an elaborate "Built Ford Tough" stage that sits in front of an enormous blue curtain. There's just something strange about watching Phillips answer questions when he's sitting inches above the picture of a Super Duty's grill.
Jones is eyeing punt return job: If you happened to stand close to Adam Jones, you'll notice how bloodshot his eyes look. But not to worry. He's actually wearing red-tinted contacts to make it easier to pick up the ball on punts and kickoffs.
NFL Films has heavy presence: It's pretty easy to tell the NFL Films crew from the rest of the photographers. They're the only ones allowed to walk all over the practice field. When I asked Phillips whether all the cameras had been a distraction, he pretended to be wired and asked me to speak up. Good times.
Defensive play of the day: Cornerback Anthony Henry made an outstanding over-the-shoulder catch while covering wide receiver Sam Hurd during one-on-one drills. He barely grabbed the ball with his fingertips, but he managed to snatch the ball from above Hurd's head. The crowd started up a "Henry, Henry" chant. As I wrote last week, it's way too soon to give Henry's starting job to Adam Jones. I was told by a team source that Henry will be the starter no matter what happens in camp -- unless it's an injury. He led the team with six interceptions, and throughout his career, the ball's always found him.
Rough day for the rook: Cornerback Mike Jenkins struggled throughout the practice. It's obvious that he has a ton of athleticism, but he got turned around by several receivers. And to the naked eye, he's having a hard time re-routing receivers.
Darkhorse of the day: Former University of Washington quarterback Isaiah Stanback has obviously made a ton of progress since his rookie season. Last year, he was hampered by shin splints and a shoulder injury. In Saturday's practice, he looked a lot more fluid and at 6-2, 208, he would give Tony Romo another big target. One of the reasons Jerry Jones released Terry Glenn is he didn't want him to impede the progress of players such as Stanback, Sam Hurd and Miles Austin.
Stanback credits former college quarterback Patrick Crayton for helping him make the transition to wide receiver.
"I'm probably closer to him than anyone on the team," Stanback said of Crayton. "He's helped me learn all the proper angles to take on routes. I was a former 100-meter guy, so I'm used to taking off and not stopping. That's been the hardest thing about making the change."
Campo also said that cornerback Alan Ball had made huge strides in the offseason and that he's having a nice camp so far. On Sunday, Ball sent running back Keon Lattimore stumbling toward the fence.
Hatcher having a strong camp: Former Grambling defensive end Jason Hatcher appears to be making a move early in camp. He's dominated during one-on-one drills and he's using his 6-6 frame to frustrate Tony Romo and the other quarterbacks.
Familiar face: Former Cowboys director of personnel Larry Lacewell has returned to camp now that the coast is clear (Bill Parcells is gone). The two did not see eye to eye and Lacewell was replaced by Jeff Ireland. During his retirement, he's done some consulting with the Saints and now it appears he's once again helping the Cowboys in an informal role.
Dallas Cowboys, observation deck, Mike Jenkins, Terrell Owens
link:http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfceast/0-1-70/Mosley-s-Cowboys-Observation-Deck.html
