OXNARD, Calif. — It was the final padded practice for the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard this summer, and they went out with a bang. The level of intensity was the highest it had been to this point, spilling over into scrums and confrontations that had to be iced by coaches; though Tyler Guyton was not involved in those situations.
That's because Guyton exited practice early to be evaluated by the team's medical staff, but the update is positive, as is how much good was shown by so many players who left it all on the field in Southern California before heading back to Dallas later this week.
Check out the most notable practice points as camp concludes in California:
- Tyler Guyton exited the final padded practice in Oxnard, though not due to any apparent injury on any of his reps. He'd be led to the locker room, walking under his own power and without a limp, and that indicated it was not anything major. That turned out to be a correct speculation, the Cowboys making it known the rookie first-round pick was dealing with knee soreness and that "it is not a big deal". It sounds as if Guyton could be held out of the preseason finale, but ready for Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.
- It's beginning to truly feel as if Trevon Diggs is nearing top form, already, and that would be a massive testament to both his work ethic and the skill set within the Cowboys' training and medical staff. Less than one year after suffering a torn ACL, Diggs was on the practice field to end camp looking every bit like himself — talking trash to every receiver he was lined up against while winning nearly every rep as well, and he finished camp with two interceptions.
- Jalen Brooks was one of the receivers who often got an earful from Diggs in the final camp practice, and it was oftentimes during a live rep in team drills, and not simply after the rep was completed. A visibly frustrated Brooks would dig deep to ensure he got the last laugh, however, on a red zone drill wherein Brooks used an inside-out route to create space for a frozen rope from Dak Prescott for a touchdown with Diggs still recovering from the route break. Brooks then spun the ball at the First-Team All-Pro to let him know it's a war, not a battle.
- It is to-be-determined how many safeties/cornerbacks the Cowboys will carry on the initial 53-man roster this season, but Israel Mukuamu makes one hell of a case for himself; and yet again in the final practice. Having gotten beat by Tyron Billy-Johnson on an inside slant for a TD, the receiver then taunting Mukuamu about it, the veteran safety promised payback to anyone lined up against him. He went on to win the next three defensive reps with three consecutive PBUs before posing and looking directly at assistant head coach and defensive backs coach Al Harris — who walked up and gave him a hi-five.
- Speaking of safeties, hello there, Julius Wood. The undrafted rookie has made his presence felt over the course of training camp and definitely over the past couple weeks, including in preseason games. He'd finish camp in Oxnard by grabbing a pick-six against Trey Lance to put his ballhawking skills on full display, on a unit full of them. What this means for Wood is that a great showing against the Chargers in the preseason finale could truly push the issue there for Mike Zimmer.
- Don't look now, but the chemistry between John Stephens Jr. and Dak Prescott is growing by the day. The second-year tight end was essentially redshirted as a rookie with a torn ACL but he's back and feeling great about both his ability and his knee, and Prescott was seen targeting him frequently on Wednesday. It seems a foregone conclusion that Stephens will make the 53-man roster, and the more reps he can get with Prescott the better his chances will be of making a solid impact in what will, for all intents and purposes, be his de facto rookie season in the NFL.
