This article is just another example of why Nick Eatman is one of the Cowboys best beat writers. While everyone else – including me - is messing around with extraneous stuff, Eatman cuts into some real fundamental football talk. He let’s us know that Tony Romo is doing a little work on his mechanics this year to improve.
"Yeah, I've changed my mechanics a little bit," Romo said with a smile. "It's nothing big. But yeah, I've worked on a few things to try to get better. So, that's something that's different."
Romo is trying to combine the efficiency of a quick release with the ability to throw deep.
"It's a tough combination to have a strong arm, with a quick release," Romo said. "So I've always tinkered with the idea of how do I maintain both. This off-season, I'm trying to find ways to do both. But that's nothing new. I change my mechanics probably every year. What I've learned is there's always a way to get faster with your release."
There’s also some other great stuff in the article about the wide receivers.
"What I like is that we can change it up more this year," [Romo] said. "I think everyone has the ability to run every route. We'll be more dangerous because we'll be able to mix people all around. If T.O. was the X (receiver) then he was the X. And he was on the left side by himself last year. But that will change a little more now. He'll be in the slot and other places a little more now."
There’s more about the progressions in the passing game in the new timing offense that is most definitely a variant on the Norv Turner offense.
Speaking of that new offense, it’s been confirmed that Jason Garrettwill be calling the plays on Sundays. And Garrett likes the vertical game, going back to the roots of the timing offense.
Several players have noted that Garrett likes to throw the ball downfield more than in the previous offensive scheme. During minicamps and organized team activities (OTA) passes were also going to the running back.
But he’s got a little trickery in him, too.
There have also been some reverses and end-arounds with receiver Terrell Owens.
Hey, that’s one more way to get the ball in his hands, which should make him happy, and will make us happy if he does something with it.
The DMN blog takes a shot at the Biscuit from today’s practice.
Patrick Crayton was so wide-open on a deep ball from Brad Johnson that he had time to stop and still make the catch. Roy Williams was the closest defender. He says people who think he gets beat don't understand the scheme, so I'm a bit hazy on whether Crayton was Williams' responsibility.
Ouch.
Here’s a story about Terence Newman smelling money after seeing the free agent deal CB Nate Clements signed this offseason.
Here are some random notes about today’s practice.
Mosley offers his observations from Valley Ranch today.
By the way, I’m putting out an APB on BTB-regular Deke, who hasn’t commented since May 24th, which is most unusual. Deke, if you’re out there, check in with us!