FRISCO, Texas – Next up, Oxnard.
The Cowboys wrapped up the offseason program with Thursday's final minicamp practice, their final on-field work before training camp in late July.
Some highlights from Thursday:
"Staying Driven"
With the exception of minicamp, offseason workouts were technically voluntary. But the Cowboys once again had full program attendance this spring, laying the foundation for their first padded practice work in Oxnard.
"I think we've had a really good offseason," Garrett said. "So many of our players were here well before the offseason program started working out, and their participation and the effort level really throughout the offseason program has been outstanding."
The players' task now is to return in July refreshed but also mentally and physically ready for the grind of training camp.
"It's about staying driven," quarterback Dak Prescott said. "We've done a good job all the way from teaching sessions to OTAs to now finishing minicamp to staying competitive, competing day in and day out, getting better, competing within our positions, competing within our unit, competing offense against defense.
"Let's just say I know for a fact that headed into this break before we go to training camp that we definitely got better. It's just about making sure we continue to do that individually to get better throughout this break to make sure when we come back together as a team we don't miss a beat."
The Cobb Effect
Speaking of Prescott, it's been evident in six open practices that the fourth-year quarterback clicks with new wide receiver Randall Cobb. They've consistently looked in sync in team drills despite only a few weeks together.
Prescott quickly built a rapport with Pro Bowler Amari Cooper last year after Cooper arrived via trade from Oakland. He calls Cobb, a favorite target of Aaron Rodgers for years in Green Bay, "a very fortunate add" to the Cowboys' roster.
"He's been great, honestly," Prescott said. "An ex-quarterback (in high school), knows the game up and down, knows every aspect of it, knows when he's in the read what progression he is. When you have a guy like that, he's going to get open, he knows how to get open."
Scope For Brown
Garrett said third-year receiver Noah Brown had arthroscopic knee surgery last week but should be ready for the start of training camp.
Brown has been a fixture on special teams the past two years. He'll compete for a rotation spot at receiver once again.
More Injury Updates
Although several players were held out of offseason workouts due to injury, Garrett is optimistic the Cowboys will be close to full strength when training camp opens.
In fact, there's a chance that only two players – Pro Bowlers DeMarcus Lawrence (shoulder surgery rehab) and Byron Jones (hip surgery rehab) – won't be ready for the start of camp.
"I don't want to say that definitely," Garrett said. "There are a number of guys who have been out and coming back from surgeries. We feel good about the timetable of all of those guys. Each of them have just handled their rehab the right way so they're all on schedule if not ahead of schedule. So I think that's probably accurate.
"We'll have some more definitive conversations with our medical staff in the next couple days as we break to talk more about the exact timetable that they're on and we'll get more updates as we go through these next four or five weeks. Again, everybody's on schedule and we feel good about where they are coming back."
The Cowboys are pointing toward regular-season opener for Lawrence and Jones to return.
