OXNARD, Calif. – At long last, Kavon Frazier is allowed to practice.
The Cowboys confirmed Thursday that Frazier had been removed from the Non-Football Injury list, clearing his way to take part in training camp practices. The team didn't waste any time in getting him involved, either, as he was on the field for a significant chunk of Thursday's afternoon session.
The Cowboys confirmed Thursday that Frazier had been removed from the Non-Football Injury list, clearing his way to take part in training camp practices. The team didn't waste any time in getting him involved, either, as he was on the field for a significant chunk of Thursday's afternoon session.
"It feels good to get back out here," Frazier said. "God is good, and I'm just blessed to be back out here."
Frazier was placed on NFI last week after the Cowboys arrived in camp, as the team discovered some anomalies with his bloodwork. The thought was that the move was mainly precautionary, but the Cowboys wanted to do extended testing before they cleared Frazier to play.
"Our training staff was just being cautious over some stuff that was going on in my blood, that we didn't know about previously," Frazier said. "But everything came back normal."
According to Frazier, the issue shouldn't be too bothersome. He said he'll be taking a couple extra vitamins per day, and he'll be sure to eat more vegetables. Other than that, he said he's good to go.
It's good timing for Frazier, who missed four padded practices before ultimately being cleared to play. The Cowboys are thin on experience at safety, and the expectation is that the two-year veteran will be able to increase his role this season.
"I don't feel like I'm far behind at all. I feel like I'm right back up to speed," he said. "Obviously, conditioning-wise, there's not any better than conditioning than actually being on the field and taking practice reps. But I don't feel like I'm far behind at all."
Kicking Off
Dan Bailey had been almost perfect in camp, missing only one kick in the first five practices. Thursday, he missed two attempts from what appeared to be inside 40 yards. The first went a little wide left from the right hash, though the kicking operation might have been a little off, and the second kick sailed wide right from the opposite end.
The Cowboys have strong confidence in Bailey, who's the second-most accurate field goal kicker in NFL history, according to Pro Football Reference. Bailey wasn't himself in final six games last season after missing a month with a groin injury – he missed 5 of his final 13 field goal tries and the first two extra points of his career. Overall he seems to have regained his form.
Rise To Competition
The Cowboys' offensive line draws tons of praise, and rightfully so. But in the second Compete Period of the day, their defensive counterparts rose to the occasion. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett highlighted line matchups in the period, as he paired off matchups of Travis Frederick and Datone Jones, Zack Martin and Jihad Ward as well as La'el Collins and Dorance Armstrong.
Credit where it's due: Martin handled his challenge with the skill you'd expect to see from an All-Pro. But Datone Jones gave Frederick fits, beating him in their first matchup and then pushing him in the rematch. Armstrong was particularly impressive, as he got the better of Collins for a sack.
In & Out
Thursday, it was Tyron Smith and DeMarcus Lawrence who took veteran's days off. Tyrone Crawford returned to the field after missing Wednesday, as did Taco Charlton. Chris Covington and Charles Tapper were still out with illnesses, and Noah Brown is still recovering from a hamstring injury. Marcus Martin is still working on his conditioning separately.
Allen Hurns said he was taking a veteran's day on Wednesday, but he was curiously absent again on Thursday. Hurns and Deonte Thompson both sat out on Thursday, as the Cowboys look to keep their legs fresh during the long grind of training camp.
Along with Frazier, new signings Korren Kirven and Joby Saint Fleur mixed into practice, as well.
