(Editor's Note: At the end of each day here at training camp in Oxnard, the staff writers will each provide their own personal observation, ranging anywhere from a particular player who is standing out, a position that needs an upgrade, or even their own personal experiences regarding the daily rigors of camp.)
Rob Phillips: Since being activated from the Inactive/PUP list on Monday, Benson Mayowa seems to be increasing his workload. He got some reps at right defensive end on Wednesday, and with DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory facing suspensions to start the season, the Cowboys need someone to step into that role. It could be Mayowa if he can continue to progress coming off his June knee scope. The Cowboys think he has the rush skills to potentially play that right side, and you can see in practice he's an athletic player on the edge. David Irving, who's currently dealing with a groin injury, could be a candidate on the left side.
David Helman:For the final practice in California, Tyron Smith and Doug Free got a veteran's day off. Good for them -- the veterans deserve some rest, given that they're one of the top tackle duos in the NFL. The problem is that with those two sitting out, the Cowboys were faced with the reality of the tackle situation behind them. Chaz Green started at left tackle all day on Wednesday, while Ryan Mack and Bryan Witzmann split reps on the right side. The Cowboys obviously made it through practice, but it definitely wasn't as pretty as what we've gotten accustomed to. Green continues to struggle with rushers, while the two working at right tackle were troubled by rushers and flags. They still have three weeks to work on improvement, but the tackle spot behind Smith and Free looks awfully troublesome.
Nick Eatman:Every time I watch practice, I never seen anyone really stopping Cole Beasley. He's a tough matchup, of course, but you would think that the likes of Orlando Scandrick, and even the veteran Josh Thomas, could handle him a little better. But Beasley has really come into his own and I think the return of Tony Romo has helped with that. If you look at players like him, Wes Welker, Danny Amendola and now Julian Edelman in New England, they don't just burst onto the scene and shine. It takes them a while to get into form and Beasley, now in his fifth year, looks ready for a breakout season. In Wednesday's practice, he was shaking defenders in the team period to the point where it didn't seem like he was even being guarded. Give him credit for his route-running, but he seems quicker and faster and like always, catches everything his way. Our staff voted him as the 2015 Camp MVP and he might very well get that honor again this year.
Bryan Broaddus: I was hanging around the defensive line during practice observing Rod Marinelli and Leon Lett putting their guys through the drills. The line was working on coming off the ball and quickly getting up the field, which is a staple of Marinelli's scheme. As the group was rolling through, Jason Garrett joined the drill and begin to encourage the players to stay lower. Garrett even stopped the drill and asked Marinelli if you can see the numbers -- is that a bad thing? Marinelli replied it was. Garrett didn't stop there. He then got on rookie Rodney Coe by telling him that he was tired of seeing his numbers and to work harder to keep them down. Garrett is completely right about Coe. His biggest issue is that he plays too high and that hurts his ability to rush the passer and defend the run.
