Cowboys news: DeMarcus Lawrence is getting himself ready for the season opener

DeMarcus Lawrence Ready For Ramp-Up To Week 1 - Rob Phillips, Dallascowboys.com

Tank will be ready to go for Week 1.

Just as the Cowboys have been smart with quarterback Dak Prescott’s shoulder strain this preseason, the club is being cautious with Lawrence’s workload as he enters his eighth season with previous back surgeries earlier in his career. No preseason action does present challenges in terms of rhythm, even for a player with Lawrence’s experience.

“Trusting your instincts, going 100 miles per hour because once you get off the field, you lose it. It’s just one day you take off, you lose it all,” he said. “So being able to just get back out here, run through my fundamentals, my keys and stuff, I feel like I’ll be in a good spot.”

Lawrence said he’s been studying film of Tampa Bay since OTAs in the spring, getting an early start on the Cowboys’ first opponent. He’s anxious to get back to full-go practice with his teammates but understands the big picture.

ICYMI: Cowboys news: Donovan Wilson taken off practice field, Damontae Kazee absent early as COVID precaution - RJ Ochoa, Blogging The Boys

The Cowboys are very thin at the safety position right now.

Mike McCarthy said during his Tuesday press conference that the team would not be adding any more players to that list, but that doesn’t mean that the Cowboys aren’t being cautious. Apparently safety Damontae Kazee was held out as a precaution while Donovan Wilson was escorted off of the practice field.

Jones: “We Can Do Everything” With Cooper Rush - Staff, Dallascowboys.com

Some high praise for the potential backup quarterback.

On Tuesday, Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones was asked to address the position on 105.3 The Fan and he only mentioned Rush when discussing the backup role.

Jerry Jones on 105.3 The Fan | 8/24/21. "It's great though to have a quarterback, for instance in Cooper Rush, that understands the game," said Jones, who pointed out that Rush might be different in his style than Prescott, but to the point where the offense has to change drastically if he were to play significant snaps.

"We can do everything. We can do our complete portfolio as far as our offense is concerned with Cooper Rush," Jones said of Rush. "He's a little different, but still we can do everything. That's good. I've seen the time when the backup quarterback didn't allow you to do everything you wanted to do. That's really good there. We'll see how this game checks out with the competition here and then we'll make a decision this weekend."

Has Keanu Neal Cemented Himself as a Starting Linebacker? - Alec Cash, Inside The Star

Has Neal done enough to supplant Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch?

Even though Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith have been the starters over the past three seasons, Quinn wants more speed and Neal and Parsons fit exactly what he wants in his Cover 3 scheme. Neal can take the weakside linebacker spot as the starter over Smith, who has declined from an athletic standpoint over the last two seasons.

With the position switch, Neal has the flexibility to play on both run and passing downs. Since 2019, Smith has been a liability on passing downs as opposing offenses gameplan to attack him when he is on the field.

Neal has had his share of knee injuries but Smith has more clearly regressed, struggling with the change of direction and sideline to sideline plays. Jaylon will be playing a lesser role as he may only come on the field on early downs and rush as a defensive end.

Cowboys TE Blake Jarwin had preseason moment that Dak Prescott won’t - Michael Gehlken, Dallas Morning News

The tight end got his first live-action since tearing his ACL last season.

Blake Jarwin had a simple wish: He wanted to be hit this preseason. His moment didn’t come in the Hall of Fame Game because he didn’t play. It didn’t happen in the Cowboys’ second exhibition because he didn’t catch a pass. Finally, last Saturday, the Cowboys tight end sprinted up the right seam at AT&T Stadium, and quarterback Cooper Rush found him for a 25-yard gain.

Then came the fun part. Houston Texans safety Eric Murray lowered his left shoulder into Jarwin’s sternum and tugged at the football before toppling Jarwin by the legs. Jarwin rose from the turf. No pain. No worries.

“I was like, ‘Hey, OK. Feels good,’” said Jarwin, who tore his ACL last September. “That’s really the first shot I’ve taken.”

Stephen Jones says rookie cornerbacks Kelvin Joseph, Nahshon Wright are ‘neck and neck’ - Staff, Dallas Morning News

The rookie corners seem to be impressing members of the organization.

How would you evaluate your two young cornerbacks Nahshon Wright and Kelvin Joseph?

Jones: “I think they’re neck and neck. Certainly hats off to Anthony Brown. He’s fending them off. Just having a great camp, one of his better camps he’s ever had. Of course, Trevon [Diggs] is over there entrenched as our No. 1 corner. But it’s great to look out there and see our young guys competing. I wouldn’t necessarily give either one of them the advantage. Obviously, the reason we drafted Nahshon [Wright] early was his great length, and then of course ‘Fat’ [Kelvin Joseph], as we like to call him, is having a great camp and great speed, great suddenness, can make plays on the ball, and just think that’s going to be a great competition throughout the season.

As we all know, you can’t have enough of those. And then there at nickel it’s been a great battle between Jourdan Lewis and [Maurice] Canady. So, it’s from top to bottom, whether it’s our front or it’s our defensive line front, whether it’s our linebackers or secondary, it’s been very competitive to be on this 53-man roster on defense.”

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