- The staff is hopeful that this will be the first week that DeVonte Holloman will get to practice since missing previous practices with a sore hamstring. While he has been out Justin Durant, Anthony Hitchens, Dontavis Sapp and Orie Lemon have been filling in. I believe that this is Holloman's job to lose once he gets back into the mix. He is just too talented and has the instincts to be the best option to replace Sean Lee. They staff has been very cautious with his injury for the reason that they do not want it to carry over to training camp.
- When Scott Linehan has worked with a true fullback during practice, his first option has been Tyler Clutts instead of J.C. Copeland. I have said this all along, when the pads come on, this will be Copeland's time to shine. Clutts is ahead of Copeland when it comes to having a working knowledge of the scheme and a better feel for what he has to do assignment-wise. As we head toward training camp practices in Oxnard, California, this will be a battle to keep an eye on because this might not be a roster spot that is guaranteed.
- Rookie Terrance Mitchell has yet to make an appearance in these practices due to the fact that Oregon is on the Quarter System and he will not be able to take part in these activities until minicamp practices start. Mitchell did get some work during the rookie minicamp but in talking with several members of the front office staff, they are not concerned with him missing this practice time from what they had seen from his ability to pick up on the scheme and retain information. In his absence, Tyler Patmon and Deshaun Phillips have been the rookie corners that have been getting work.
- Last week in the OTA practices, it was Mackenzy Bernadeau's opportunity to take the majority of the snaps with the first group, as Ronald Leary filled in with the twos. I expect that we will continue to see this back and forth between the two until that final week of camp. What Bill Callahan and Frank Pollack have been able to do is work a lot of different combinations here early in preparation for how they might need to cover for an injury or to get through these four preseason games.
- I have been disappointed that Ben Gardner has missed the last two weeks of OTAs with a quad bruise. In his place behind Tyrone Crawford, Davon Coleman has been getting the work. Another guy that has yet to make an appearance on the practice field but seen plenty in the weight room has been Caesar Rayford. Rayford is still recovering from off season shoulder surgery and will most likely not be available till camp in Oxnard. Of all the players that this Cowboys pro personnel department brought in during the 2013, Rayford was the biggest mystery from what I observed on tape from the preseason. It appeared that he was between positions in whether he was an inside guy or out on the edge. The staff has appeared to settle on him playing at left defensive end.
- We have yet to see Amobi Okoye on the practice field since he has been signed and to be honest, I am not really sure when we will. All I have been told that he is working through a medical condition that requires time to heal. There is nothing structurally wrong with him so that is not the issue and once this condition clears, he will be ready for action.
