Cowboys’ joint practices supply grim glimpse at WR Depth
By David Helman
FOX Sports activities Dallas Cowboys Author
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Name this a have a look at what the longer term might appear to be for Dak Prescott if the breaks do not go his method.
With CeeDee Lamb lacking one other day of follow with a minimize on his foot and Noah Brown added to the damage report with a toe drawback, Prescott’s receiver corps in Thursday’s joint follow in opposition to the L.A. Chargers regarded primarily like a follow squad.
That is not meant as a knock on the personnel, it is only a assertion of the actual fact. Simi Fehoko, who performed seven offensive snaps as a rookie final season, is presently essentially the most skilled wholesome receiver on the Cowboys’ roster. Behind him comes KaVaontae Turpin, who spent the spring taking part in within the USFL however is getting his first NFL snaps this month.
Everybody else on the depth chart is both a rookie or has by no means performed an everyday season sport, and it regarded prefer it.
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Throughout the afternoon, the Cowboys appeared to lack consistency of their passing sport. Dalton Schultz continued his reference to Prescott, catching one of many few landing passes of the day. However for essentially the most half it was exhausting to not discover drops from the likes of Turpin, Jalen Tolbert and Tony Pollard.
The most important exception to that was undrafted rookie Dennis Houston, who continued what has been a robust coaching camp.
The Western Illinois standout caught two contested passes from Prescott, together with a powerful submit route over the center of the sector. And that was earlier than the follow finale, when Prescott tried a Hail Mary from midfield on the finish of the offense’s two-minute drill and located Houston in a scrum of our bodies for a “game-winning” landing.
“I talked about it Monday, simply these guys with the ability to step into a possibility and make some performs, do one thing perhaps that they have not carried out,” Prescott mentioned.
It is past honest to say guys have grabbed the chance. It is only a matter of whether or not that is adequate. Going again to the unique level, even Houston handled a drop within the essential crimson zone interval of follow.
Requested about it, although, Prescott balked by the concept he could be annoyed by his supporting forged.
“That is what that is about,” he mentioned. “That is precisely about that point to work and make different guys step up and make the most of their alternative. Who is aware of? Hopefully not, however there could also be occasions that these guys aren’t out there, and we’ve to know what we’re working with.
“These guys have gotten to know what I count on from them and the way they count on me to throw the ball.”
To be abundantly honest, it is also true that the common season remains to be three lengthy weeks away. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy informed reporters Thursday morning that Lamb would doubtless return to follow, when the group resumes follow in Frisco, Texas.
Michael Gallup additionally raised some eyebrows after follow when he ran a handful of routes and caught some passes from Prescott — an apparent signal that he is making good progress in his restoration from a torn ACL final January.
Lamb ought to be positive, and reinforcements are finally on the best way. It is simply that Thursday supplied a sobering reminder of how skinny the depth chart appears to be like at receiver. Hopefully for the Cowboys, Houston and others can proceed to run with this chance into the common season.
In the meanwhile, Prescott will hold attempting to convey the offense alongside, no matter who’s out there.
“I do what I am requested to do,” he mentioned. “Being the quarterback of this group, and any time you are taking part in this place, you recognize your duty is to get different guys to come back with you, to get different guys to be locked in and be disciplined. It is no totally different whether or not the receiver corps is previous or younger. They give the impression of being to me for solutions, I search for them to speak and be on the identical web page. We’ll proceed to do this and proceed to develop.”
Thursday marked the Cowboys’ remaining follow on the West Coast. Listed below are some extra notes from the follow fields on the Jack R. Hammett Sports activities Complicated.
High choose
It is time so that you can know the identify DaRon Bland, in the event you do not already. The fifth-round select of Fresno State raised some eyebrows in Denver with a stable outing within the preseason opener. He constructed on that Thursday together with his finest follow to this point.
With Jourdan Lewis sitting out with an injured hamstring, Bland received an opportunity to start out at nickel again and made essentially the most of it. He dropped a choose on the primary snap of the group interval, however he managed two different move breakups and did come away with an finish zone interception on the ultimate snap of follow.
McCarthy mentioned Thursday that the Cowboys’ aim is to have Lewis wholesome in time for Week 1, which suggests we would not see a lot of him for the remainder of coaching camp. If that is the case, what a possibility for a Day 3 draft choose. Anthony Brown has loads of expertise within the slot and will transfer inside if want be. But when Bland continues to excel, the coaches might decide to depart the veteran in his standard position on the left facet and the let the rookie deal with the nickel position.
Second-year corners Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright get essentially the most publicity, given their draft inventory. However Bland is making a robust case as one of the best younger nook at this camp.
Eyes on LBs
Wednesday was the Micah Parsons Present, however the different members of the Cowboys’ linebacker corps received concerned on Thursday. On the primary play of two-minute drill, Leighton Vander Esch dropped out of the flat into Justin Herbert’s throwing lane, making a diving interception to kill a possible scoring drive. Luke Gifford additionally had a near-interception, which he dropped.
It is also attention-grabbing to notice that Anthony Barr received concerned in some group reps on Thursday. The Cowboys are working the veteran linebacker in step by step, however they did present some base appears to be like with the trio of Barr, Parsons and Vander Esch all on the sector on the identical time.
Rush job
Each of those groups have some juice amongst their move rushers, if that wasn’t apparent. The Cowboys loved one other productive day hassling Chargers’ quarterbacks, as Dante Fowler Jr. and Quinton Bohanna each completed with sacks.
The Chargers occur to make use of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, nevertheless, and it reveals. For starters, the Chargers’ protection fully shut down the Dallas operating sport on Thursday, after giving up a number of performs Wednesday. On prime of that, there have been at the very least three or 4 events the place L.A. rushers received to Prescott within the backfield.
David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports activities, offering perception and evaluation on the NFL’s most seen franchise. Previous to becoming a member of FOX, David spent 9 seasons overlaying the Cowboys for the group’s official web site, DallasCowboys.com. In 2018, he received a regional Emmy for his position in producing “Dak Prescott: A Household Reunion” concerning the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State.
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