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We’re past the first editions of press conferences, now we’re firmly in the thick of training camp. It feels so good.
Jason Garrett took the podium on Friday. Here’s what he had to say.
The Cowboys are taking it “day by day” with Kavon Frazier
We got one of our first “day by day” drops of training camp on Friday when Jason Garrett addressed Kavon Frazier. He noted that there isn’t any new information and that they’re simply doing what they can with him at this point.
Randy Gregory is also on “day by day” status
The Cowboys aren’t going to rush him. The “day by days” are stacking up on top of one another.
There’s “hope” that Randy will be ready for Week 1
When pressed on whether or not Randy Gregory will be available for the season opener on the road against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, Jason Garrett didn’t crack. He said the Cowboys “hope” that Randy’s ready, and they obviously hope that he plays in the preseason.
Kony Ealy could see time at defensive tackle
After being asked about Kony Ealy, Garrett heaped his usual praise on a player, noting the Cowboys had been watching him for a long time. He said they hope to get him going again, and when asked about possibly playing some defensive tackle with Maliek Collins and David Irving absent, Garrett acknowledged that it could happen.
Noah Brown got some kudos thrown his way
When asked about Noah Brown Jason Garrett noted that the Cowboys anticipate him to grow. He said that what they saw out of him during Brown’s rookie season fit what they saw from his days at The Ohio State University.
Connor Williams is progressing well
Jason Garrett was asked about second-round draft pick Connor Williams and what they can expect from him in pass protection. Garrett, true to his nature, didn’t answer the question specifically, but he noted that Connor is progressing and doing very well so far. He also noted that Connor’s workout at Dallas Day was phenomenal, one of the best they’ve seen.
Jason Garrett believes Connor was “taken when he should have been taken” during the draft
There are quite a number of people who believe that the Cowboys got one of the draft’s bigger values when Connor Williams lasted all the way to the 50th pick. Garrett acknowledged that there are 32 different viewpoints on players throughout the draft, but he did say that they felt that Connor was taken around when he should have been.
Dak Prescott’s leadership was highlighted once again
It’s a sports cliche, but you want your quarterback to be your leader. Jason Garrett typically speaks glowingly of Dak in this regard and Friday was no exception. He noted that being a leader is a big part of being the quarterback, and he said that he and Dak discuss leadership often. He commented that Prescott is one of the most natural leaders he’s seen. Good for them.
The Cowboys feel good about Chidobe Awuzie
Jason Garrett noted that Chido missed some time last season, but he said that Chido has “all of the physical qualities that you could want.” Chido is expected to contribute significantly to this defense and his athletic flexibility is certainly going to help in that regard. He noted that they have high hopes for him as an outside corner even though he has such flexibility.
Jason Garrett somewhat echoed Jason Witten’s social media comments
Jason Witten wrote an article (seriously) on Friday discussing the perils of social media in the NFL workplace. Garrett noted that he hadn’t read what Witten wrote, but he talked a lot about the word focus. He said the Cowboys don’t have rules on what their players can and cannot do when it comes to social media but that they do stress focusing on the task at hand.
The Cowboys are very pleased with Jaylon Smith’s progress
Rod Smith noted earlier on Friday that he believes Jaylon Smith is back to who he was physically when at Notre Dame. These are obviously very exciting words, but Jason Garrett wasn’t going to go down that road.
Red Ball noted that he never saw Jaylon live while a member of the Fighting Irish, but he said that the Cowboys are very pleased with his growth and progression thus far.