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Here we go! Day two of training camp is here. Come along and join us...
Mr. 88 stepping into his office #CowboysCamp pic.twitter.com/LI3PPU1fld
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) July 31, 2016
The Cowboys would take the field again for practice number two. It was more of the same from yesterday, consisting of another day without the pads.
Offense
Tony Romo sat out practice on Sunday. All is well with the Cowboys quarterback as this is just a "deliberate" move that will be a regular occurrence in Oxnard to keep players healthy. Romo had successful surgery to repair a fractured collarbone and is coming along nicely. These days off for Tony is something Cowboys fans have grown accustomed to. As David Moore reports, the team will go back to the "two days on, one day off" regime that they used in 2014.
Romo has shown he can operate at peak efficiency in this model. He practiced no more than two consecutive days for the vast majority of the '14 season and that was one of the best years of his career.
Sure, it’s only been one day and already Romo is taking a day off, but tomorrow will start the first practice with pads so that will give him a fresh start.
With no Romo, that opens up additional opportunities for the team’s number two quarterback, Kellen Moore.
Moore to Dez
Dez Bryant pic.twitter.com/w0IwbA1rDx
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 31, 2016
Moore to Williams
Kellen Moore finds Terrance on the sideline. pic.twitter.com/jFEK5LaL0B
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) August 1, 2016
Watch S Byron Jones come down in the box for a blitz before Terrance Williams catches a pass: pic.twitter.com/F1aDdhZ6cQ
— Brandon George (@DMN_George) July 31, 2016
Moore to Beasley
Walkthrough. Kellen Moore (running first-team) with the screen to Beasley. pic.twitter.com/i0kwiZhzyv
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) July 31, 2016
Moore to Witten
Kellen Moore pass to Jason Witten coming right at you: pic.twitter.com/5Gva9yHrjn
— Brandon George (@DMN_George) July 31, 2016
Moore to Butler
Kellen Moore pass to Brice Butler coming right at you: pic.twitter.com/VgKFI7jKMy
— Brandon George (@DMN_George) July 31, 2016
It's very clear that Moore is noticeably behind these other QBs in terms arm strength
— ✭LandoMcCoolrissian✭ (@McCoolBTB) July 31, 2016
Dak Prescott
Prescott would do a lot of checking down, but he looked comfortable in the pocket.
Walkthrough. Hey, it's Dak Prescott! Throwing a crossing route to Geoff Swaim. pic.twitter.com/2LIgOuqCq1
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) July 31, 2016
Ezekiel Elliott
Romo wasn’t practicing today, but Zeke talked about how instrumental he as been sharing his knowledge. He called Romo the "smartest football mind on the team." Reporters would ask him about the domestic violence accusation made against him, and he responded with "I’m not going to comment on anything regarding any legal matter, but I’d love to talk about football." They would dance around it and try to reword it, but each time he answered it the same way. They stopped after three tries. Zeke did struggle with one thing - his rookie singing performance. He didn’t pass the test and will have to give it another go.
And if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, he’s got a Hall Of Famer busting his chops.
Zeke just took the field. Charles Haley yelling "There he is! Hall of Famer! How many yards you gained? ZERO" at him.
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) July 31, 2016
He wouldn’t be Charles Haley if he wasn’t wondering about trying to push your buttons.
Elliott would work with RB coach, Gary Brown on several drills with fellow rookie, Darius Jackson. Both running backs looked impressive. Our own Landon McCool said they both looked smooth catching the ball. (Be sure to check out McCool whenever he goes live on Facebook on the Blogging The Boys page).
Zeke doing drills:
Cowboys RB coach Gary Brown: "It's going to cost you to be the best." pic.twitter.com/NGn4K5UdD4
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 31, 2016
Ezekiel Elliott pic.twitter.com/Z9d8zxaus1
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 31, 2016
Ezekiel Elliott on Day 2. pic.twitter.com/pSSBzsFgbV
— Drew Davison (@drewdavison) July 31, 2016
One of the exciting things about Zeke is how fast he darts through the holes.
Cowboys rookie RB Ezekiel Elliott with a run up the middle in training camp: pic.twitter.com/Q5PMXFCn0h
— Brandon George (@DMN_George) July 31, 2016
Watch how quickly Ezekiel Elliott hits the hole ... and this is a walk-through practice: pic.twitter.com/alMXk5UQ4W
— Brandon George (@DMN_George) July 31, 2016
The last time the Cowboys were so stacked at running back, they had Tashard Choice as their number three RB. It seems only fitting that Choice is back on the field showing the rookie Darius Jackson the correct foot positioning for what I believe is the beginning of the Michael Jackson "Thriller" dance.
Tashard Choice giving Darius Jackson some pointers before practice. pic.twitter.com/Eo8cLHNV3n
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) July 31, 2016
Darius Jackson will wear number 34. Get used to him being a fan favorite during preseason games.
Gavin Escobar
One piece of information that keeps buzzing is the progress of Gavin Escobar. Not only does he look healthy, but he’s looking like a more threatening presence on the football field. Some people have written this kid off. That might have been a mistake.
Camp thoughts: kinda shocked to see how well Gavin Escobar is moving after such a gruesome injury just months ago.
— Lindsay Cash Draper (@LindsCashDraper) July 31, 2016
It’s been seven months, but he’s making great progress.
And here is the Mike Pope zany-drill-of-day...
Weird Mike Pope drill starring Jason Witten: https://t.co/uNQfSSc8Ia
— Mark Lane (@therealmarklane) August 1, 2016
Defense
Speaking of a day off, Tyrone Crawford did not practice either. He looked good yesterday, but wasn’t on the field today. It was just so he could get rested up before the pads come on tomorrow. He had surgery on his right shoulder after the end of the 2015 season to repair a torn rotator cuff that limited his effectiveness last year.
First-team front 7:
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 31, 2016
DEs: Ryan Russell, Tank Lawrence.
DTs: Terrell McClain, Tyrone Crawford.
LBs: Sean Lee, Anthony Hitchens, Kyle Wilber
First-team base defense DBs: Orlando Scandrick, Brandon Carr, Barry Church and Byron Jones. Morris Claiborne working in at nickel
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 31, 2016
Cedric Thornton
Cedric Thornton pic.twitter.com/u736dfvor1
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) July 31, 2016
Jack Crawford
Jack Crawford pic.twitter.com/fd6XBBZrPw
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) July 31, 2016
DeMarcus Lawrence
Attempt No. 2 pic.twitter.com/ruMF0bMN8z
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) July 31, 2016
The Cowboys signed a couple new linebackers to start the weekend off, but it looks like they’ll be losing one of them. Darius Eubanks is expected to be released on Monday. After two practices, Eubanks decided he wasn’t in good enough shape to make it through camp. This will open up another spot on the roster. The Cowboys might look to bring in another linebacker, considering both Rolando McClain and Damien Wilson is not available.
Speaking of Damien Wilson, he is anxiously awaiting to get back on the field. After injuring his eye in a paintball accident, he is patiently waiting to be cleared for football activities.
"It is disappointing because I had planned to pick up where I left off (this offseason)," Wilson said, "but I guess I have to postpone it. I’m going to stay in shape so when I do come back I can pick up where I left off."
If all goes well, he should be able to resume practice in about 10 days.
Byron Jones
It seems like only last year, he was just a rookie, but the kid seems to have a mind like a savvy veteran. If you ever want to hear what a "right-kind-of-guy" sounds like in it’s finest form, watch his interview. The kid is so poised and you can tell he has learned so much. He talks about the influence of Orlando Scandrick and how on point he is with his direction. And he speaks highly of Sean Lee and said he was one of the better players he’s played with in his life.
But it’s not just his mind that has grown.
Byron Jones is starting to look more like a safety: pic.twitter.com/ZzNPaxZNFG
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) August 1, 2016