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Everyone has an opinion on who started what, however we're not too interested in the 'he-said, she-said'. Time for the early morning news reports while you enjoy your cup of Joe.
BTB Dallas Cowboys Podcast: 1-90 Roster Review; Camp Analysis With Dan Turner! - Rabbs & McCool- Blogging The Boys
Rabbs and McCool discuss their ranking of the Cowboys' roster from 1-90, and welcome Dan Turner into the studio to share his thoughts about what he's seen at camp.
After Scary Injury, Cowboys Optimistic Guard Zack Martin Will Return Soon | Nick Eatman - Dallas Cowboys
This is a bit more information than the initial news report with this commentary by resident Cowboys' insider Nick Eatman. So far, the Cowboys are being as cautious as possible with their precious offensive power.
Four of the starting five offensive linemen are now banged up, leaving only center Travis Frederick with the first-team group during practice. Tyron Smith(biceps), Ron Leary (back), Doug Free (foot) and now Martin are all banged up. The good news for the Cowboys is neither of those four have serious injury concerns that might prevent them from playing in the Sept. 13 season opener.
DeMarcus Lawrence Not Into A Numbers' Game This Season - Todd Archer - ESPN
DeMarcus Lawrence wants us to know that he means business this season. He's not exactly shy about his expectation in his sophomore year.
"My expectation is to go out and get 10 sacks, 10-plus sacks," Lawrence said.
It was a pretty brash statement from a second-round pick. DeMarcus Ware, the Cowboys' all-time leader in sacks, had just eight as a rookie. Only 31 rookies recorded 10 or more sacks since sacks became an official stat in 1982. St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald led rookies last year with nine sacks.
Injuries Along O-Line Likely Mean More First-Team Reps For La’el Collins - David Helman - Dallas Cowboys
In the wake of the bug that has bit the offensive line early, it points to La'el Collins getting just about every opportunity to win the starting job. Will he be able to capitalize?
By and large, the Cowboys don’t seem to think the majority of their injuries are serious ones. For the present, though, it certainly looks like Collins is in line for another round of serious playing time when the team travels to San Francisco.
That’s fine by Collins, who said the added opportunity shouldn’t change his mindset.
"It’s no different – it’s the same approach," he said. "You just want to come out and take those reps and learn with them. The more reps you can get, the better."
"I'm enjoying every second": Rookie Mark Nzeocha's NFL Diary With The Dallas Cowboys - One.Cool.Customer - Blogging The Boys
Mark Nzeocha could be the fifth German to make the jump to the NFL, and to mark the occasion, German-based SPORT1.de is carrying a diary of his transatlantic adventures, which we have duly translated for you.
"I am proud to be the fifth German to make it to the NFL and I'll use this SPORT1 diary to share my preseason impressions and progress with you. The ultimate goal is to get a spot on the 53-man roster, and I'll do everything I can to achieve that."
JUST CHILL: 10 Thoughts From Tuesday’s Cowboys Practice- Clarence Hill -The Star Telegram
Clarence Hill gives you his ten impressions of what went down at yesterdays practice among other Cowboys-related topics. Maybe I would be upset too, if the Cowboys offense just ran roughshod over me like they did on 4th and 2.
The beginning of Tuesday’s practice scuffle was actually funny when it started on the side of the field with the Cowboys defense going against the Rams offense. The Cowboys offense was facing fourth-and-goal from the 2. The Rams defense ran to help teammates while Tony Romo and the offense lined up to score. Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis was the lone defender. He kicked the ball out of play and off the line of scrimmage. The Cowboys got it back, and Romo handed it off to Joseph Randle for the easy touchdown.
At What Point Does Dez Bryant's 'Passion' Become An Issue For Cowboys? - David Moore - Dallas Morning News
Though this may be an unpopular opinion, Moore discusses how maybe Dez Bryant's passion shouldn't always be lauded as it has been with these coaches and front office officials.
When passion is constantly extolled as a virtue, when it’s lauded as someone’s defining trait, that person will feel all actions are justified because, well, they just care more than anyone else.
Can Dez Bryant's Passion Ever Be Too Much?- Todd Archer - ESPN
Archer examines the opposite notion that Dez Bryant's passion is what makes the entire team better and people realize just 'how much' Bryant cares about his team and this game.
Now, the reason the Cowboys paid Bryant a five-year, $70 million contract is his ability as a receiver. He is at or near the top of the list of best receivers in the NFL. He has crazy athletic ability that separates himself from the craziest athletes in the NFL.
But it’s the desire Bryant brings every day -- the passion -- that is his calling card.
Randy Gregory Turning Heads As Rookie For Dallas Cowboys Defense | The MMQB with Peter King
Lately, reports would suggest that Randy Gregory could be a bigger part of the defense than we originally expected. The latest praise is from MMQB's creator, Peter King.
Randy Gregory came to Dallas under the microscope after off-field issues dogged him in the pre-draft process. But the rookie defensive end has impressed early and is drawing favorable comparisons from coaches.
Cowboys Mid-Preseason Roster Assessment: Modeling a Cut-Down To 53 - Rabblerousr - Blogging The Boys
A step-by-step look at the - wait for it - process of whittling down the current list of 90 Cowboys players to a 53-man opening day roster.
As this seemed a fitting way to end our respective Oxnard sojourns last year, we decided to re-enact the experiment this year as well. Given that Tuesday was the last time both KCF and I were to be at camp together, we scheduled another lunch-cum-roster-assessment. This year, we added a third party, the great Dan Turner, our British compatriot who, as a writer for The Mothership, has also been at every training camp practice and, due to his proximity to Bryan Broaddus and Mickey Spagnola, has kept his ear close to the ground about what's happening in deep Cowboyland. So, we figured he'd be an invaluable addition to our little front office.
Chris Jones Has A Golfer's Feel As Dallas Cowboys' Punter - Dallas Cowboys Blog - Todd Archer - ESPN
When you hear Jones talk about punting, Archer says there is a lot of golf terminology to his game and the way he prepares. Though punters are often a forgotten position until they mess up, it's an interesting approach nonetheless.
Jones’ world revolves so much around numbers that you wouldn’t think he was a physical education major at Carson-Newman -- but instead a math major. As he talks about his lines and angles, it’s almost a lesson in geometry. Then there is a bit of science involved as well with hang time.
Dallas Cowboys Training Camp: Randy Gregory Boosts Pass Rush - Steve Wyche - NFL.com
Wyche spent a day at Cowboys practice in Oxnard and has quite a few notes from the action he saw. What a surprise? More praise for Randy Gregory.
Gregory, who entered the draft with a lot of question marks, seems to be settling in with his play on the field and his engaging persona when dealing with teammates, fans and media. His quickness and athleticism are easy to identify, but seeing the rookie in person and listening to Garrett talk about him, it seems like Gregory's physicality and coachability are what really could have him trending toward a big season. "What impresses me most is that he is a good learner," Garrett said. Gregory competed hard against Rams LT Greg Robinson, which will only make him better in the long run.
London Calling: After Slow Start, DE Russell Starting To Make Strides - Dan Turner - Dallas Cowboys
The Mothership's residential Englishman takes a look at the the Cowboys 5th round pick Ryan Russell and how he's come along strongly through training camp. It seems that once he learned the scheme change, he started to fit in nicely.
One of Russell’s biggest learning curves has been the scheme change, as he played in a 3-4 defense at Purdue. He admits that it’s challenging, but that he’s learning quickly.
"A little bit, but when I first started playing football, it was as a 4-3 defensive end, so I’m a little more familiar with that," Russell said. "Right now, I’m playing a little inside as well, so that’s quite new for me, but Coach (Rod) Marinelli keeps everything pretty clear and clean-cut. We’re all on the same page so we can go fast."
Apparently the Dallas Cowboys' brass award nine players with golf carts for outstanding work during the offseason. Once you see the list, you'll have to agree with the notion.
The winners are determined by offseason leadership and how they perform during a series of tests that measure agility, speed and strength. Strength and conditioning coordinators Mike Woicik, Brett Bech and Kendall Smith compile the list with the coaching staff, attempting to break it down by position group.
12 Thoughts On Tuesday's Practice, Before The Fights - Bryan Broaddus - Dallas Cowboys
Despite all the nonsense created by the 'fights' of yesterday, the scout will always scout. Bryan Broaddus has his 12 takeaways from how practice went before all the unnecessary hoopla. Especially good words for veteran running back Darren McFadden.
I like what I saw from Darren McFadden in his first extensive work during the various team periods in which he took snaps. He looked decisive and committed to what he was handed from this Rams defense in the running game. He was in position to execute the check downs when needed and when asked to step up for pass protection, he was up to the task.
The Cowboys return to practice today and surely will be getting ready for their preseason exhibition with the 49ers. Make sure you stay tuned to BTB for all your training camp notes including our amazing Twitter feed with up to the second news and notes.