DandyDon1722
It's been a good 'un, ain't it?
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Hey Everyone,
I know many of you were able to watch the stream and there's been a lot of conversation so I will try to provide some different perspectives from the practice to fill in the blanks.
I promise no more Tyson Walter references that I made earlier this week, I swear I have mad cow disease sometimes.
Okay...here we go.
11:30 A.M.: Got there three hours before practice and I couldn't believe the crowds outside. There had to be a quarter of a mile line of people standing waiting to get in and the line of cars going into the parking lot was at least a mile and a half long. It was unbelievable. We parked and saw a small group of people at a gate. It was the handicapped entrance and we were with a handicapped man so they were nice enough to give him and my friend and I wristbands, so those along with our True Blue wristbands really saved us.
It was quite a scene because they did not open the gates for a long time due to a swarm of bees near the merchandise truck. They were waiting for a bee keeper to get rid of them. When the gates opened it was a rush for the fence. Our handicapped friend went to the bleachers and we got right on the fence at the 50. Perfect viewing.
The place was packed in half an hour. Unfortunately for a few hundred fans they were sent to the other side of the fields and never saw a play. Oxnard is a great place for camp for the players but Jerry has to find a way to accommodate the fans better. It's just too tight. I know there probably are zoning problems but a lot of people went home disappointed today because they didn't see a thing. People who were in seats or had places were afraid to go to the bathrooms for fear of losing their spots.
Eagles Suck: Some guy had a Shady McCoy jersey on and walked through the crowd and got booed heavily and was greeted with an Eagles Suck chant (pretty cool).
Cole Beasley: Was out early stretching. He's very too himself, almost forlorn, kind of kicking the dirt and just seems out of place. He's going through a lot right now but I hope he finds a way to tough it out. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Kickers: The punting was atrocious again today. Maybe it's because of the backups but several more shanks were sent flying into the crowd. Bailey was solid all day though so that's all that matters.
Jerry: He came out and briefly came over to the crowd a few yards down from us. You could definitely hear some people giving him the business shouting things out like, "It's time to start winning, etc." Jerry waved, smiled and nodded that he agreed. That kind of startled me because you know how the masses are, usually it's all rah rah, but the natives are getting restless and he heard it.
The Start: 7 on 7 drills on the left side of the field and one on one line drills on the other and I just could not take my eyes off the line drills. They would all line up and on a simulated snap and one position at a time a one on one battle would take place. They would start at the tackles and work their way down the line. Two players were really impressive. Geathers and Coleman. They consistently got penetration or flat out beat their men. It seemed the left side of the line held their own much better than the right side. Overall the offensive line struggled again today and I will get into this more later.
Intensity: Everything was ratcheted up today. It wasn't really a scrimmage because nobody was tackling but it was very physical. The grunts and groans were obvious from where we were and there were plenty of times players went down.
I Couldn't Help Myself: In the very first play of first team on first team Radway lined up wrong. In a scene we've all witnessed a hundred times, Romo had to grab him and send him to the right spot which happened to be about ten yards from me. They have a :40 clock in the end zone and it was clicking down and I yelled at him, "You have to know that play by now!" The crowd around me cheered, the yard marker line guys turned and looked as did a few coaches on the sidelines. A whistle blew and he was pulled out of the lineup. Sorry but I've had it with that stuff, you're a professional, know the playbook.
Demarco Murray: Looks great. I mean great. His burst through the line is impressive and he busted a couple into the secondary that were breathtaking.
Victor Butler: He has an snap anticipation that I don't think you can teach. He was lined up right in front of us on a play and it seemed he started forward before the ball was snapped and beat his guy around the end.
Red Zone Work: First team first series did not score. 2nd series did not score. Andre Holmes had his hands on the ball both series in the end zone but did not hang on although it was tight coverage. 3rd series Romo had all day and hit Witten for a TD.
2nd Team first series, Orten 15 yard scramble and later a TD to Holmes. The 2nd series was horrible. 3 penalties and a missed FG.
Hurry Up Offense: They put :50 seconds on the clock and the offense was down 26 - 21 and they had to score from I think about the 40. First series Brandon Carr stepped in front of Dez for a great pick although long after the play Dez was complaining to the coaches and officials he got held.
2nd series Demarco went for 15, there was a dropped INT, followed by a Witten incompletion. With :21 Mario Butler broke up a pass to Dez. Next play Romo hits Dez with :14 seconds, the ball on the 7. Romo threw a really bad fade to Holmes in the endzone that sailed wide out of bounds. :09 Murray was stopped. With :05 seconds on the clock and the team out of time outs Romo looks, can't find a receiver, then scrambles for a TD and defiantly spikes the ball. The crows cheered but Garret was mad as hell because they play fell apart. They put the time back on the clock and ran another play and this time Carr broke up a pass to Witten.
Seemed like the same old story in the red zone again.
Bad Snaps: Yes, not horrible, but enough of high and low snaps for QB's to have to find the ball.
Ogletree: Lined up with the third team on several series and Benford looked really good today.
McGee: If you watched it you saw it. He just hangs onto the ball a beat too long every single time.
Rudy...Rudy...:The crowd loves him but he threw a terrible pick on his first throw. Came back to complete some passes though.
Overall Impressions: The offensive line had a couple of plays where Romo had all day but for the most part they struggled. I know there are injuries and no cohesion but the defense is far ahead of the offense right now. There were still red zone problems and a lot of penalties. But the intensity is there and there are flashes by individual players that are awesome. If I was being honest with you I would have to say the coaching staff was not happy with the way the day went.
The scrimmage ended and it was off to Chili's with about a hundred other Cowboy fans for dinner and beers then something really cool.
We went to the Marriott where Drew Pearson, Nate Newton and Mickey Spagnola were holding a signing event. The conference room was packed and they were taking questions. Through their answers a common theme evolved. I know those guys are old school but they were really down on players not seizing opportunities. Nate was critical of the offensive line for being soft and Drew just hates the revolving door at receiver, saying at one point he is not sure the Cowboys have a receiver on the team they can count on. Drew said he was tired of waiting for guys to "emerge" instead of taking the position over. He was not happy with Miles also, saying that he should not be lifting a single weight below his waist. He's a natural athlete who should let his body do what it does.
Nate said that Tyron Smith is struggling in camp because he's too mechanical and needs to just be a beast that mauls people. I did not see him struggle today however we had virtually coaches angles from ground level on the sidelines and it's tough to see things.
Nate was asked about his favorite Super Bowl and his answer had everybody holding their breath because there were kids in the room. He said it was Atlanta because the wives stayed away until Wednesday. He said if fans knew some of the stories that happened there that week they wouldn't believe they could win the game. I don't know how I feel about that other than to say those guys were so talented that it just didn't matter what they did off the field.
They both love Garrett and said this year he has a lot of Jimmy in him. He is going off on guys in screaming sessions but does a very good job at presenting a different face to the public.
They both like Romo and hope that he can win to validate his talent.
The shocker of the day though came when a girl came up, took the mic from Nate and wondered if we were going to sign Andre Gurarde since he was at camp. All three of them kind of laughed and Mickey smirked that he was not there. The girl interrupted him and told him flat out he was there and she has a picture of him. Again Mickey said that no he was not there and if he was he would've known. Then, the girl who was running the event yelled from the back that he was at camp and Sports Center reported that he was "circling" the Cowboys.
Nate and Drew really gave it to Mickey for being scooped and he was obviously rattled but unless any of you guys know differently, he was at camp and talking to the team.
It was a great day. We were very fortunate to get in and get the views we had while many fans got screwed. I felt terrible for people who drove hours with kids only to stand a football field away and not get a glimpse of a play or player except for Rowdy. They have to do something to address this.
I'm happy I was able to give you all some perspective. As far as the team and what I saw today...well, let's just agree that a lot of players are out and it's still very early in camp.
:starspin
I know many of you were able to watch the stream and there's been a lot of conversation so I will try to provide some different perspectives from the practice to fill in the blanks.
I promise no more Tyson Walter references that I made earlier this week, I swear I have mad cow disease sometimes.
Okay...here we go.
11:30 A.M.: Got there three hours before practice and I couldn't believe the crowds outside. There had to be a quarter of a mile line of people standing waiting to get in and the line of cars going into the parking lot was at least a mile and a half long. It was unbelievable. We parked and saw a small group of people at a gate. It was the handicapped entrance and we were with a handicapped man so they were nice enough to give him and my friend and I wristbands, so those along with our True Blue wristbands really saved us.
It was quite a scene because they did not open the gates for a long time due to a swarm of bees near the merchandise truck. They were waiting for a bee keeper to get rid of them. When the gates opened it was a rush for the fence. Our handicapped friend went to the bleachers and we got right on the fence at the 50. Perfect viewing.
The place was packed in half an hour. Unfortunately for a few hundred fans they were sent to the other side of the fields and never saw a play. Oxnard is a great place for camp for the players but Jerry has to find a way to accommodate the fans better. It's just too tight. I know there probably are zoning problems but a lot of people went home disappointed today because they didn't see a thing. People who were in seats or had places were afraid to go to the bathrooms for fear of losing their spots.
Eagles Suck: Some guy had a Shady McCoy jersey on and walked through the crowd and got booed heavily and was greeted with an Eagles Suck chant (pretty cool).
Cole Beasley: Was out early stretching. He's very too himself, almost forlorn, kind of kicking the dirt and just seems out of place. He's going through a lot right now but I hope he finds a way to tough it out. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Kickers: The punting was atrocious again today. Maybe it's because of the backups but several more shanks were sent flying into the crowd. Bailey was solid all day though so that's all that matters.
Jerry: He came out and briefly came over to the crowd a few yards down from us. You could definitely hear some people giving him the business shouting things out like, "It's time to start winning, etc." Jerry waved, smiled and nodded that he agreed. That kind of startled me because you know how the masses are, usually it's all rah rah, but the natives are getting restless and he heard it.
The Start: 7 on 7 drills on the left side of the field and one on one line drills on the other and I just could not take my eyes off the line drills. They would all line up and on a simulated snap and one position at a time a one on one battle would take place. They would start at the tackles and work their way down the line. Two players were really impressive. Geathers and Coleman. They consistently got penetration or flat out beat their men. It seemed the left side of the line held their own much better than the right side. Overall the offensive line struggled again today and I will get into this more later.
Intensity: Everything was ratcheted up today. It wasn't really a scrimmage because nobody was tackling but it was very physical. The grunts and groans were obvious from where we were and there were plenty of times players went down.
I Couldn't Help Myself: In the very first play of first team on first team Radway lined up wrong. In a scene we've all witnessed a hundred times, Romo had to grab him and send him to the right spot which happened to be about ten yards from me. They have a :40 clock in the end zone and it was clicking down and I yelled at him, "You have to know that play by now!" The crowd around me cheered, the yard marker line guys turned and looked as did a few coaches on the sidelines. A whistle blew and he was pulled out of the lineup. Sorry but I've had it with that stuff, you're a professional, know the playbook.
Demarco Murray: Looks great. I mean great. His burst through the line is impressive and he busted a couple into the secondary that were breathtaking.
Victor Butler: He has an snap anticipation that I don't think you can teach. He was lined up right in front of us on a play and it seemed he started forward before the ball was snapped and beat his guy around the end.
Red Zone Work: First team first series did not score. 2nd series did not score. Andre Holmes had his hands on the ball both series in the end zone but did not hang on although it was tight coverage. 3rd series Romo had all day and hit Witten for a TD.
2nd Team first series, Orten 15 yard scramble and later a TD to Holmes. The 2nd series was horrible. 3 penalties and a missed FG.
Hurry Up Offense: They put :50 seconds on the clock and the offense was down 26 - 21 and they had to score from I think about the 40. First series Brandon Carr stepped in front of Dez for a great pick although long after the play Dez was complaining to the coaches and officials he got held.
2nd series Demarco went for 15, there was a dropped INT, followed by a Witten incompletion. With :21 Mario Butler broke up a pass to Dez. Next play Romo hits Dez with :14 seconds, the ball on the 7. Romo threw a really bad fade to Holmes in the endzone that sailed wide out of bounds. :09 Murray was stopped. With :05 seconds on the clock and the team out of time outs Romo looks, can't find a receiver, then scrambles for a TD and defiantly spikes the ball. The crows cheered but Garret was mad as hell because they play fell apart. They put the time back on the clock and ran another play and this time Carr broke up a pass to Witten.
Seemed like the same old story in the red zone again.
Bad Snaps: Yes, not horrible, but enough of high and low snaps for QB's to have to find the ball.
Ogletree: Lined up with the third team on several series and Benford looked really good today.
McGee: If you watched it you saw it. He just hangs onto the ball a beat too long every single time.
Rudy...Rudy...:The crowd loves him but he threw a terrible pick on his first throw. Came back to complete some passes though.
Overall Impressions: The offensive line had a couple of plays where Romo had all day but for the most part they struggled. I know there are injuries and no cohesion but the defense is far ahead of the offense right now. There were still red zone problems and a lot of penalties. But the intensity is there and there are flashes by individual players that are awesome. If I was being honest with you I would have to say the coaching staff was not happy with the way the day went.
The scrimmage ended and it was off to Chili's with about a hundred other Cowboy fans for dinner and beers then something really cool.
We went to the Marriott where Drew Pearson, Nate Newton and Mickey Spagnola were holding a signing event. The conference room was packed and they were taking questions. Through their answers a common theme evolved. I know those guys are old school but they were really down on players not seizing opportunities. Nate was critical of the offensive line for being soft and Drew just hates the revolving door at receiver, saying at one point he is not sure the Cowboys have a receiver on the team they can count on. Drew said he was tired of waiting for guys to "emerge" instead of taking the position over. He was not happy with Miles also, saying that he should not be lifting a single weight below his waist. He's a natural athlete who should let his body do what it does.
Nate said that Tyron Smith is struggling in camp because he's too mechanical and needs to just be a beast that mauls people. I did not see him struggle today however we had virtually coaches angles from ground level on the sidelines and it's tough to see things.
Nate was asked about his favorite Super Bowl and his answer had everybody holding their breath because there were kids in the room. He said it was Atlanta because the wives stayed away until Wednesday. He said if fans knew some of the stories that happened there that week they wouldn't believe they could win the game. I don't know how I feel about that other than to say those guys were so talented that it just didn't matter what they did off the field.
They both love Garrett and said this year he has a lot of Jimmy in him. He is going off on guys in screaming sessions but does a very good job at presenting a different face to the public.
They both like Romo and hope that he can win to validate his talent.
The shocker of the day though came when a girl came up, took the mic from Nate and wondered if we were going to sign Andre Gurarde since he was at camp. All three of them kind of laughed and Mickey smirked that he was not there. The girl interrupted him and told him flat out he was there and she has a picture of him. Again Mickey said that no he was not there and if he was he would've known. Then, the girl who was running the event yelled from the back that he was at camp and Sports Center reported that he was "circling" the Cowboys.
Nate and Drew really gave it to Mickey for being scooped and he was obviously rattled but unless any of you guys know differently, he was at camp and talking to the team.
It was a great day. We were very fortunate to get in and get the views we had while many fans got screwed. I felt terrible for people who drove hours with kids only to stand a football field away and not get a glimpse of a play or player except for Rowdy. They have to do something to address this.
I'm happy I was able to give you all some perspective. As far as the team and what I saw today...well, let's just agree that a lot of players are out and it's still very early in camp.
:starspin
