OXNARD, Calif. – It felt a little bit early for a training camp scuffle – but don't tell that to the guys in the trenches.
On just the second day of padded practices, tensions boiled over a little bit during pass rush drills. That makes sense, considering Cowboys coach Jason Garrett addressed the added intensity of those drills earlier on Sunday morning.
In this case, it was La'el Collins and Taco Charlton. Going one-on-one against each other, Collins threw Charlton to the ground after fending off a spin move. The second-year defensive end didn't appreciate the rough treatment, and he shoved Collins – who shoved right back.
Things didn't get quite out of hand, but it did cause a brief stir that the rest of the linemen had to break up.
"I liked Taco, I thought Taco really, he and 71, that was good and competitive," said Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones. "It's a different game going on down there then it is down here – throwing and catching."
Collins agreed with his boss in that regard. Pitting two enormous men against each other is bound to bring out some competitive fire, and Collins said it comes with the territory.
"Just two guys competing. Just two guys trying to bring the best out of one another," he said.
The vast majority of training camp scuffles take on a similar story line, and the conclusion always involves the two players putting it behind them quickly. This one was no different. But Collins did raise an interesting point that, as taxing as a football practice already is, adding a fight into the mix is just another way to drain one's energy.
"You forget about it, you get back to the line and you take another rep," he said. "I got back to the line, I was damn sure tired – but you just get back to the line and do it again."
Cedrick Wilson Update
Rookie receiver Cedrick Wilson will "miss some time" with an injury to the same shoulder that bothered him in his final season at Boise State, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said.
"He had that last year. Played with it, but did miss some time," Jones said. "It's a concern. It's definitely something we'll have to take a look at it. Potentially, has an impact here at training camp."
Wilson is the second receiver to deal with an injury at camp. Second-year wide out Noah Brown (hamstring) sat out another practice on Sunday.
Elsewhere on the roster, offensive lineman Chaz Green limped off the field with the athletic training staff in the middle of practice. Green missed part of Friday's practice with leg cramping and has dealt with the issue in the past.
Gallup Seeking Consistency
After a productive first day in pads, rookie receiver Michael Gallup had multiple drops in Sunday's practice. The first came in one-on-one drills when he made a nice cut inside against cornerback Donovan Olumba but couldn't bring the ball down.
"It was a learning day for me. They're all learning days, but this one in particular," Gallup said. "Yesterday it was pretty good and then today we went back down. So you've got to keep a straight line."
Vet Days
Garrett said the Cowboys intended to be smart with their veteran players, and that's evident from the early going of practice. Sean Lee was absent from practice for a second-straight day, as the staff is being deliberate to bring him along slowly. Lee did not practice with the team during the spring, and the Cowboys want to be sure he's ready before putting him on the field. But the expectation is that Lee will be working in pads in short order.
DeMarcus Lawrence practiced on Saturday, but he took a veteran day on Sunday. The Pro Bowl pass rusher has had back issues in his career, and it's a good bet the Cowboys want to mitigate the strain he puts on himself by giving him multiple days off in a row.
Tyron Smith practiced Sunday, and he looked good doing it – but the Cowboys are still following a plan with him. During full-team reps, Smith was rotating every few snaps with Cam Fleming, who signed on in the spring. It's a logical decision – not only to keep Smith fresh, but to give Fleming some reps with the first team in case of emergency.
