OXNARD, Calif. – The Cowboys are getting ready for their Blue-White Scrimmage, scheduled for Sunday afternoon here in Oxnard.
There was no walk-through practice in the morning, as the players were held out for the controlled scrimmage.
Coach Jason Garrett said there will be four different team periods, with tackling portions included. The quarterbacks will obviously be off limits for contact, but expect an intense battle up front at the line of scrimmage. Nate Livings, who has been out for a while with a foot injury, will participate in the scrimmage, Jason Garrett said.
- Garrett said wide receiver Dez Bryant is listed as "day-to-day" with multiple minor injuries that forced him out of practice Friday. Bryant's status for the scrimmage was still unclear.
- He also said the players who have been injured will stay on the sidelines for the scrimmage. "None of the guys who have been hurt will come back for this."
- A question from the media on Jay Ratliff, prompted the coach to suggest his defensive tackle will be out for another couple of weeks with a hamstring injury.
- With the NFL officials in town this week, Garrett said the refs visited with the players to discuss some of the rule changes and point of emphasis for the upcoming season. "We probably had 5-6 questions from our players. I think it's important to get that dialogue started. We asked the officials to be active in practice, throw flags and blow whistles. They do a great job of outlining the rules in the offseason and then communicating them to the players and coaches." [embedded_ad]
- With Bill Callahan handling more of the play-calling duties as the offensive coordinator, Garrett said he has roamed the field more during camp and has spent more time with the defense. In fact, Garrett even throws passes for the defensive back drills, which gets him a front-row seat to evaluate some of the defensive players.
- Getting Dwayne Harris under 200 pounds is something the Cowboys have worked on here this offseason and into training camp. Harris is listed as 207 on the official roster, but Garrett said the receiver/punt return is now at 198. "You can tell he's a different player when we can get him right there under that Mendoza Line (200 pounds)."
