The Dallas Cowboys got back to work this week. Tuesday marked the second day of OTAs for America’s Team, but what was significant about it was that it was open to the local media. This means that for the first time since the 2020 season ended we were treated to actual information pertaining to the team. A welcome treat.
In assessing what was uncovered on Tuesday, it is clear that the Cowboys aren’t in any rush when it comes to the health status of certain players. They are clearly taking things slow with the likes of Dak Prescott, Tyron Smith, La’el Collins, Zack Martin Ezekiel Elliott, and Co., and given the way that last season went for them on the injury front, can you blame them?
We are only in late May which means that there are still about two months between now and the start of training camp, but having any kind of work being done still does bring with it the annual optimism that accompanies a season’s beginning.
What was your favorite thing that we found out about the Cowboys on Tuesday?
There wasn’t a whole lot of new information uncovered as a result of Tuesday’s OTAs, but we did learn some notable things. We have discussed health already, but the health of one particular player is fantastic to see early on.
An important question in Cowboys’ secondary: When will S Damontae Kazee be ready to see substantial practice reps following Achilles tear early last season? Answer: now. His medical outlook a key reason why Dallas felt comfortable signing the ballhawking FS in free agency. pic.twitter.com/PFVRpMLdCX
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) May 25, 2021
Kazee tore his Achilles in early October last season while a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Obviously he has a level of familiarity with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn from their time there together. Returning from an injury of that magnitude is not an easy thing so it is nice to see that he is ready and it makes sense that the Cowboys felt optimistic about this when they signed him.
The secondary as a whole for this team is going to be a big reason as to why they either have success or are inhibited in some way. Dallas drafted Kelvin Joseph in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, but they also selected a corner in the next round in Nahshon Wright.
In the moment, Wright’s selection was met with much consternation, but it appears as if the Cowboys might be onto something. The rookie apparently had a nice moment on Tuesday.
CB Nahshon Wright jumped an 11-on-11 route against QB Ben DiNucci in right flat, all but positioning himself for a pick-six. Just dropped it. Good anticipation, though. Cowboys liked his ball skills coming out of Oregon State.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) May 25, 2021
This is just one moment from a May practice and the rep came against backup quarterback Ben DiNucci, but even through the lens of the necessary context this is exciting. Turnovers are something that the Cowboys really struggled to generate early on last season. Ideally that changes in 2021.
Of course, the most hype surrounding any draft pick is going to revolve around first-rounder Micah Parsons. The state of this team’s linebacker group is going to look very different starting this season and Parson’s athleticism is a huge reason why.
As noted, it is obviously difficult to get too excited about reps on the field at this point on the calendar, but a nice moment from Parsons did apparently happen. According to the mothership’s Dani Sureck, Parsons had a moment similar to Dak Prescott his rookie year when he missed the trash can with his plastic cup.
for whatever it's worth, when an equipment guy accidentally tipped over the ice bucket onto the field during practice, Micah Parsons was the first one who ran over there to help clean it up
— Dani Sureck (@DaniSureck) May 25, 2021
As noted in the tweet here, no one is suggesting to make a mountain out of this moment, but it is still nice to see. There are obviously people who were worried about the character concerns that Parsons had coming out of Penn State and while this hardly quells any of the things that he was accused of during his time there, it does seem like it is part of him getting off on the right foot as a professional.
OTAs are here which means that football season will be soon enough. We recapped all of the Tuesday action in the latest video on the Blogging The Boys YouTube Channel. We put out several videos a week there, and have livestreams often, and are very excited about what we are going to have coming out in the next few months and through the season. Please consider subscribing to our channel which you can do so right here.