Cowboys Training Camp: First Day Tweets

I am new to the Twitter world. KD certainly has a better handle on it than I do, but it does seem that breaking news has found a new forum in the twitter world. Instead of waiting for a written piece with a constructed storyline and ebb and flow of information and conclusions, Twitter is like a quickie you can enjoy now and contemplate afterward. This is becoming clearer to me as my brother, football fanatic and scholar, provides me updates through Twitter. And since we now have football practice going on, let's take a break from the business. The team is certainly not complete yet, but we can take a look at some Twitter updates from the first day of Cowboys training camp and perhaps see what the action reveals about the future makeup of this team and possible free agency results. For example:

Could the slow move for signing a safety or two be in part due to coaches Garrett and Ryan studying the in-house options? Instead of scrambling to keep up with the free agent market, are the Cowboys using the strange overlap with training camp to better judge their needs and also wait for new options released from teams?

We will not know for sure until the Cowboys complete the process and acquire all their free agents, but we can start looking for signs.

There has been more news about Cowboys released players, not to mention the bad news of "stolen" free agent Stephen Bowen, than re-signings and new acquisitions. While camp battles won't become completely clear until the roster is full, the current starting line-ups (and how they change tomorrow and the days to come) at practice may prove enlightening.

Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon)
7/28/11 11:46 AM
If the season started tomorrow, the Cowboys' starting safeties apparently would be Barry Church and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah.

Church and AOA, I assume as strong and free safety respectively, are the starters at the first day of camp. It will be interesting to see if the top two change in the next couple of days, a sign that the coaches are spreading the reps and likely studying their current safeties a little more before making a choice on free agents.

Another interesting situation is apparent as we look at the second-string personnel in the secondary.

Bryan Broaddus (@BryanBroaddus)
7/28/11 11:51 AM
Sendejo and McCray are with the 2nd group. Ross Weaver a FA from Michigan St and Scandrick are at the corners. 

Most likely, Andrew Sendejo is playing strong safety while Danny McCray is trying to make big plays as a free safety. It wouldn't surprise me if we start hearing Sendejo's name along AOA's as the starters in the upcoming days while the Cowboys take a couple of days (prolonging free agent negotiations) to assess the situation of the young in-house options that do have talent to coach up.

Undrafted free agent Ross Weaver appears to be the #4 corner at this time. Really?! Perhaps Garrett is trying to see quickly if the UDFA is worth keeping, but it is surprising that Bryan McCann didn't get second-string reps. It should be noted that rookie Josh Thomas and the infamous Alan Ball are not signed and not at practice.

So, how about the rookie linemen we just signed?

Bryan Broaddus (@BryanBroaddus)
7/28/11 3:55 PM
Watching Tyron Smith do the "mirror drill" where he reacts to the defender is impressive. No struggle at all then a good punch. 

I have said it before, perhaps I should say it again, do not be shocked to see David Arkin win the starting job at guard opposite Kyle Kosier. Not only is he the RKG with loads of potential who is sure to be a hard worker at every practice, but Montrae Holland seems a bad fit in the new Jason Garrett offensive line. The lack of an offseason also seems to have been a bad thing for Holland.

Bryan Broaddus (@BryanBroaddus)
7/28/11 6:22 PM
Just going to be honest here, Holland does not look like he is in good shape at all. He will have to get better. Lack of off season hurt him. 

Holland may not be well prepared at the moment, but the Cowboys will have a large number of young and hungry players at camp looking to prove themselves worthy of some open starting jobs. If there is one thing we have repeatedly heard from Coach Garrett, it is having competitive players trying to be perfect every day/practice. And as more players are signed and practices get more intense, we should see some great competition fueling the 2011 Cowboys, what I believe will become a trademark of the Jason Garrett Era.