OXNARD, Calif.– The Cowboys kicked off another training camp Sunday with their first practice. This year, Jason Garrett's new schedule gives even more time between the lighter morning walk-through and the afternoon practice.
Each night, DallasCowboys.com will feature the second practice of the day with the big news, the highs and lows and notable standouts.
Main Event:
The biggest news of Wednesday's practice was rather devastating, especially considering the Cowboys sustained so many injuries on defense last year.
Not even an hour into the first real practice, and they've already lost a significant player for the year.
Tyrone Crawford suffered a torn Achilles injury and will be out for the rest of the season.
Crawford couldn't put any weight on his left foot and was in obvious pain as he rode in the back of the cart, with his dejected face buried in a towel. Even before he was placed on the cart, Crawford was beating the ground with frustration and then tossed his helmet to the ground in disgust when he made it back to the training room area.
The Cowboys were hoping Crawford would be a key player in the defensive-line rotation as a tackle. Crawford played in all 16 games last year, registering 33 tackles and five quarterback pressures.
Last year, the Cowboys lost linebacker Caleb McSurdy to a torn Achilles and then safety Barry Church in Week 3 of the season with the same injury. Both players have made it back for summer practices and are on the field for the start of camp Sunday.
After the practice, his defensive-line teammates expressed their concern.
"He was going to be a huge part of our defense," Anthony Spencer said of Crawford. "We've got other guys out here too so they'll have to step up even more."
Jason Hatcher was considerably disappointed when asked about Crawford's injury.
"We were doing the bag drills and he just went down. I don't know what happened," Hatcher said. "I just wish the best for him, praying for him. That guy's something special. It's tough to see a guy like that going down. He was on the rise. But it's not the end of the road. We've all been there."
Hatcher didn't stop there, putting even higher praise on the potential of his fallen teammate.
"He's got a long ways to go," Hatcher said of Crawford. "He's going to be one of the great ones. He can definitely be a Hall of Famer. He's got the potential to be a Hall of Famer."
Quick Hits:
- With Crawford out, the Cowboys cannot put him on Injured Reserve until the first cut-down day. But the club did enter camp with an open roster spot and will likely address the defensive-line void through free agency.
- Defensive tackle Jay Ratliff didn't practice Sunday evening because of a hamstring injury. He underwent an MRI in the afternoon and by the end of practice, the results had come back to reveal just a minor strain. Ratliff's availability will likely be just day-to-day.
- With the top three guards not practicing because of injuries, the Cowboys opened the first practice with David Arkin and Kevin Kowalski working with the first-team offense, sandwiching around rookie center Travis Frederick. Doug Free was the starting right tackle, opposite Tyron Smith.
- In this year's opening ceremony, owner Jerry Jones refrained from any headline-grabbing comments that occurred last year when he predicting beating the Giants, who again happen to be the Cowboys' first opponent yet again. Jones did give an enthusiastic message to the excited crowd and vowed the team would be ready when they faced their rivals from New York on Sept. 8.
- Fans in attendance for the first practice numbered at 6,614.
Notable Standouts:
- Lance Dunbar – The burst is different with him from the other backs. His quickness is unique and he took handoffs aggressively Sunday, getting to the hole quickly using his speed and demonstrating his pass-catching ability out of the backfield.
- Eric Rogers – The undrafted rookie from Cal Lutheran has always had the size to play the position at 6-3, 210 pounds, but he also demonstrated he has the hands to go with the height, catching multiple passes in traffic in team drills.
- Bruce Carter – The speed of the outside linebacker was on full display in pass coverage Sunday. Carter picked off a pass with a one-handed grab in 7-on-7 drills and tipped a pass in team drills that resulted in a pick for Sean Lee.
Play of The Day:
It was a good battle between Dez Bryant and Orlando Scandrick in the team drill period towards the end of practice. Bryant had already had a few nice grabs, but on a deep ball down the left sideline Scandrick appeared to be beat on the play, but found a way to catch up. The cornerback dove in at the last second to swat the pass away from Bryant, who appeared to have a long touchdown in sight. The deflection drew some big cheers from the crowd, who were anticipating another Bryant score.
However, Bryant got his revenge a few snaps later. Once again, Romo fired a deep ball down the sideline and although Scandrick was in better coverage this time, Bryant used his jumping ability to outfight him for the ball. Bryant hauled this one in for a score, giving the crowd a chance to erupt.
Injury Report:
Left Practice:
DE Tyrone Crawford (Achilles)
Limited Practice:
DE Anthony Spencer (knee)
Missed Practice:
DT Jay Ratliff (hamstring)
G Mackenzy Bernadeau (hamstring)
G Nate Livings (foot)
WR Lavasier Tuinei (conditioning test)
G/C Ryan Cook (conditioning test)
OT Demetress Bell (conditioning test)
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Transactions:
July 21:
Signed T Demetress Bell, QB Alex Tanney and Lavasier Tuinei. Placed G Mackenzy Bernadeau and DT Jay Ratliff on the active/physically unable to perform list and placed the following players on the active/non-football injury list: T Demetress Bell, C/G Ryan Cook, LS Louis-Philippe Ladouceur, G Ronald Leary, G Nate Livings and WR Lavasier Tuinei.
Upcoming Schedule:
Monday, July 22
10:30 a.m. (PDT) Walk-Thru
12:00 p.m. (PDT) Coach Garrett press conference
4:00 p.m. (PDT) Practice
Tuesday, July 23
10:30 a.m. (PDT) Walk-Thru
12:00 p.m. (PDT) Coach Garrett press conference
4:00 p.m. (PDT) Practice
