Hail, hail, the gang's all here; well, most of the gang. Dez Bryant was a conspicuous no-show for the Dallas Cowboys as voluntary OTAs began at Valley Ranch. For everyone else, stars, reserves, rookies, and camp bodies, Tuesday was a work day. It is back to football in Dallas and Jason Garrett will once again be preaching his mantra of "Competition up and down the roster" to anyone who will listen.
"For all rookies, I think going into OTAs Coach Garrett does a great job of telling them, ‘Create competition,' A lot of them we're counting on to play and play significant roles, and others are going to be contributors. This is the start of it. We've had good offseason workouts so far, but nothing like going to the field and taking those practice reps and getting better." - Jason Witten
This time around Garrett will have the added credibility provided by the success that the team experienced last season. For the first time in his tenure he will have the background to prove that his philosophy is working. .After three seasons of 8-8 football that left many questioning his ability to get the Cowboys on the proper course, Garrett and his staff led the team to a 12-4 record and the organization's first playoff berth since the Wade Phillips era. This track record should add to the synergy that now surrounds the Cowboys headquarters.
The rookie class that the front office brought in and the free agents signed should push veteran Cowboys for coveted slots on the 53-man roster of a presumed playoff contender. Every player wants to be a part of a successful franchise and each one will be laying it all on the line in OTAs, in the upcoming mini-camp, and once the team heads west to Oxnard later this summer. Some players, think Danny McCray and Jeff Heath, will be battling head to head for what will likely be a single available job. Others, such as the offensive linemen, will be squaring off among themselves to figure out who the 'best five' really are. Every position group will be in a contest to set the 2015 pecking order.
This competition will serve to make the team stronger. The coaching staff will put together what they feel is the best 53-man combination. Good football players will get cut; some will find homes with the other 31 clubs around the league. The end result will become the 2015 edition of the Dallas Cowboys that you and I will support this coming season. A team that was pretty damned good last season will emerge from the crucible of the offseason even stronger than the one who left Lambeau Field in January. In part this will be due to the enhanced competition that Jason Garrett has sought ever since he took over the Dallas Cowboys.
Let the competition begin.