Cowboys news: Key position battle gets a new wrinkle
Dallas Cowboys add new layers to their biggest position battle, with a longshot contender entering the ring – Mauricio Rodriguez, AtoZ Sports
The situation at tackle is getting interesting.
Cowboys show new rotation at tackle
According to Dallas Morning News’ Joseph Hoyt, Thomas is taking second-team snaps at right tackle—where Terence Steele currently starts. That’s in addition to him competing for the starting job to protect Dak Prescott’s blindside.
Now, that by itself isn’t a big deal on the surface. If Thomas is going to be the backup tackle, he will likely be asked to play on both sides of the line. Not to mention, this is only minicamp after all. Offensive line battles get real until training camp comes around.
But there are a few things to take away from the development.
For starters, it can be looked at as confirmation that Guyton is the favorite to start Week 1. Thomas is getting a swing tackle workload, not the other way around. It looks like it’s Guyton’s job to lose.
Another contender steps in the ring?
The report also brings a new name into the mix: fourth-round rookie Drew Shelton.
The product out of Penn State took second-team snaps behind Guyton while Thomas took right side snaps. Now, we’re talking about a longshot candidate to start here. Shelton dropped to Day 3 of the NFL Draft largely because of strength concerns, which he must work on before the regular season. But he has the agility and tools to be an NFL starter.
Hoyt’s report is the first public sign of Shelton getting second-team snaps. And while he wasn’t announced as part of the battle to start at left tackle, it’s not like the bar has been set very high by Guyton and Thomas in the past (there’s a reason why there’s no clear-cut starter).
Consider Shelton a sleeper to watch when training camp kicks off.
News and notes from day 2 of Cowboys’ mandatory minicamp – Staff Writers, DallasCowboys.com
More intriguing developments from Cowboys minicamp.
Quinnen Williams active in the backfield
In 11-on-11 periods, it’s difficult for both the offensive and defensive lines to truly be able to go up against one another as there aren’t any pads on, or as Brian Schottenheimer likes to say, isn’t “real football.”
While that notion has to be taken into account during this portion of the offseason, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams made his presence felt on Wednesday. He blew up a screen play to Jaydon Blue in the back field, and two plays later got pressure on Dak Prescott on an outside throw to KaVontae Turpin that turned out incomplete. – Tommy Yarrish
Locke and Key
Things are moving quickly for the Cowboys’ defense, especially the secondary, as Christian Parker moves forward with installs. It’s evident safety P.J. Locke has a ton of familiarity with Parker and the scheme though, their time together in Denver showing up in the second minicamp practice where Locke was breaking up passes on multiple occasions. – Patrik Walker
Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah get first team reps
Pro Bowl running back Javonte Williams did not take part in the team drills portion of practice on Wednesday. In his absence, Dallas’ pair of second-year backs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah took reps with the first team.
Mafah had a strong carry on the first play of 11-on-11, and Jaydon Blue got involved in the passing game on a reception from Dak Prescott that led him up the sideline. – Tommy Yarrish
As NFL offenses trend in one direction, Cowboys, OC Klayton Adams are cutting against the grain – Joseph Hoyt, Dallas Morning News
Dallas is doing things slightly different from the norm.
The Los Angeles Rams led the way with 331 plays in 13 personnel last season, according to Sumer Sports. The Cowboys ran only 18 plays in 13 personnel.
Could the Cowboys follow the latest trend and use more sets with three tight ends? In this case, the Cowboys are likely cutting against the grain.
“I think everything’s got a time and a place,” Cowboys offensive coordinator Klayton Adams said.
So why is the league going to more three tight end sets? The idea, in theory, is more of a throwback concept. Having more tight ends means more size on offense. Tight ends in today’s world, however, have become more athletic and more versatile. Cowboys tight end Luke Schoonmaker said that tight ends coach Lunda Wells not only stresses the importance of learning all the tight end positions but also learning receiver responsibilities in case they need to play one of those spots.
Schottenheimer also said that it can simplify defensive looks. Teams will often only have two or three corresponding defensive play calls in response to multiple tight end sets.
“You can do so many things out of it,” Schottenheimer said about multiple tight end sets. “You can spread them out in 13 against base defense and maybe find a pass-receiving tight end or a back that can expose a matchup. But you can also get in close quarters and pound the football. We did a lot of that in the red zone last year.”
Outside of the red zone was a different story. For an obvious reason. The Cowboys, in their opinion, have two No. 1 receivers in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Both were Pro Bowlers a year ago. They also have a lot of confidence in the progression of third-year receiver Ryan Flournoy. Last year, the Cowboys had the highest EPA (Expected Points Added) per play in the league while in 11 personnel, according to ESPN. They averaged 6.6 yards per play with three receivers on the field.
They also had success in the running game. More receivers on the field means a more spread out defense.
Cowboys’ Shavon Revel Jr. sees himself becoming ‘best cornerback in the league’ – Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The second-year pro is oozing confidence after a challenging rookie season.
As Revel has gotten both legs back under him this offseason, he has kept his mindset calm heading into a pivotal second season in the league. With competition around him in the cornerback room through additions like Cobie Durant and Devin Moore along with a strong offseason from Caelen Carson, Revel knows he will have to fight for his spot.
“I don’t want to do too much overthinking, but my main goal is to obviously be the best player I can be and the best teammate I can be,” he said. “Cleaning up a few things that I had a few errors on last year. I’m taking it slow and just taking it day-by-day.”
“A lot of these things are new to me. I didn’t get a true training camp last year. All of the stuff this year has helped me see my flaws and things I did good and things I need to work on.”
The confidence is clearly high with Revel, but just how good does he think he can be?
Jalen Thompson on joining Cowboys: ‘It’s a competition at all times’ – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
Jalen Thompson is embracing having to earn his spot in Dallas.
FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys signed only one external free agent to a three-year deal this offseason: Jalen Thompson, the former Cardinals safety who Dallas hopes can be a piece that boosts the secondary under Christian Parker.
Thompson, who is nursing a minor pec injury and has been working with the rehab group during OTAs and minicamp, has still been able to spend quality time getting to know his new teammates and build meaningful relationships with them.
“I think the biggest thing that I notice being at the Cowboys is how much a family everybody is here,” Thompson said. “You notice guys are playing around, playing the games, everybody’s talking with each other, everybody has a relationship, that’s what I’ve noticed. It kind of took me back to that college feel of Washington State, everybody was always family and brothers.”
Playing for the Cowboys comes with a lot of external factors as every move, major or minor, is looked at under a microscope. For Thompson, that’s no different than anywhere he’s been in the past.
“I think that’s with any team though,” Thompson said. “Being in the NFL, we’re always at the center of attention. This is nothing too different, just keep doing the right things, keep your head down and staying on track, everything will go well.”
Along with quickly enveloping the team’s culture, Thompson has also picked up quickly on Brian Schottenheimer’s “compete every day” mantra.
“Definitely knew that this was a business, the Cowboys is a business over here,” Thompson said. “You’ve got to come to work every day, our main thing here is competing… it’s a competition at all times, that’s one of the biggest things I took away.”
Daily discussion question: What position has the strongest depth on the team?
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