First of all, is anybody out there? Hello, is this thing on? Where is everybody?
Second, here’s what I took away from Saturday.
Romo had a good day, just because he could get back on the practice field and officially put the Seattle game in the past. Oh yeah, he supposedly threw the ball well. Nice. On the other hand, vet Brad Johnson wasn’t his sharpest by all accounts. He gets a pass.
Julius Jones is still the starter, though Wade would obviously like him to spend his time at Valley Ranch and not in Arizona. Marion Barber ran with the 2’s and Tyson Thompson got back on the field, recovered from his ankle injury. Good deal.
Oliver Hoyte and Lousaka Polite were splitting reps at FB.
The line lined up just as we expected. Adams, Kosier, Gurode, Davis, and Colombo. Pat McQuistan is making the move to guard, and it looks like Cory Procter is the backup center. Doug Free was the backup LT and James Marten the backup RT, although another report had Jim Molinaro there. Perhaps they split time. Joe Berger was the other backup guard.
As for the rest of the offense, some guy named Terrell caught some passes. You can read about it here, here, here, here and here.
Montavious Stanley is getting the first shot at backing up Jason Ferguson and UDFA Ola Dagunduro got some reps, too. Hatcher and Ratliff backed up at defensive end. Good, I always liked Ratliff at end better.
Marcus Spears was better today than he was on film last year.
On the outside, first-round pick Anthony Spencer lined up with the starters, but coach Wade Phillips made clear that Greg Ellis is the starter when healthy. Bobby Carpenter is working inside at this camp after spending time earlier in the offseason on the outside. Kevin Burnett was also working inside, leaving a lot of young kids on the outside.
Ken Hamlin is running with the first unit at free safety, and was playing a centerfield role while Roy Williams was operating closer to the line, covering backs and tight ends. Hamlin was described as "rangy" and capable of helping the corners.
And Terence Newman got beat deep by some guy named Owens.
On special teams, Isaiah Stanback tried his hand at fielding punts. While he was shaky early, the word is he improved.
Wade Phillips made it clear that Romo will not hold kicks, and Mat McBriar was the guy doing a little holding on Saturday. He did it before, but Parcells benched him. Now, he has volunteered to do it this year.
Gramatica and Folk is an open competition.
Tarleton State quarterback Richard Bartel and TCU linebacker Eric Buchanan were working out at the camp.
The atmosphere was said to be very different with Phillips in charge instead of Parcells. You think? But everyone’s happy; the press got to film from closer and they got more access, assistants could talk to the players during stretches and to the press after practice. People were scurrying around Valley Ranch no longer afraid of Big Bad Bill. It was practically a kegger out at practice today.
There you go. What did I miss?
By the way, I got all that fine information from this article, this article, this article,
and this article.