OXNARD, Calif.– The Cowboys continued their 2013 training camp Wednesday evening with an intense practice. This year, Jason Garrett's new schedule gives even more time between the lighter morning walk-through and the afternoon practice.
Each night, DallasCowboys.com will feature the second practice of the day with the big news, the highs and lows and notable standouts.
Main Event:
The few thousand fans that made it out to practice Wednesday might have noticed No. 98 out there in pads for the defensive line. Players such as DeMarcus Ware, Kyle Wilber and Ben Bass definitely noticed.
The defensive ends welcomed some needed help in the form of George Selvie, who was signed earlier in the day. It's been a long day for Selvie, who flew from Pensacola, Fla. out to Los Angeles in the morning, passed a physical, signed his contract and barely had enough time to eat before he was dressed and ready for practice.
"It's been a crazy day," Selvie said. "But I'm just excited to be here and be a part of this team. I'm happy for this opportunity."
And if the first day is any indication, Selvie looks like he plans on taking advantage of this opportunity. The pass-rushing end, who was drafted in the seventh round by the Rams in 2010 but has been with the Panthers, Bucs and Jaguars the past two years, had an active day on the field.
"I felt pretty good out there," Selvie said. "I've stayed in shape. And I think this defense is a good fit for me. So it didn't take much for me to learn it. But I know I have a long way to go."
Selvie wasn't the only new face out there on defense. The Cowboys also signed defensive tackle Landon Cohen, who also practiced as well.
Both positions have been hit by the injury bug. Tyrone Crawford (torn Achilles) will be out for the year and Anthony Spencer is expected to have surgery later this week on his knee. Jay Ratliff has been out nursing a hamstring string.
Quick Hits:
- * *All eyes have been on the defensive line due to the rash of injuries along that front. It seemed like there was cause for concern when defensive tackle Jason Hatcher fell down clutching his leg, but Hatcher said post-practice it was only a cramp. "This weather is kind of tricky, man. You've got to really hydrate more than you think, because it's cool but it's like a sneaky sweat – next thing you know your calf is cramped up … It didn't last very long – it hurt like crap, though."
- Hatcher said he hopes to spend Thursday's off day playing golf at the course adjacent to the Cowboys' camp facility.
- Cowboys legend Michael Irvin showed up at Wednesday's practice to do live remote interviews for the NFL Network. Irvin held court on the sidelines throughout the practice, and he conducted on-camera interviews with Tony Romo and Dez Bryant after practice concluded.
- Cowboys coach Jason Garrett raised some eyebrows Wednesday afternoon when he discussed the importance of the Pythagorean Theorem in regard to the wide receiver position. Wide receivers coach Derek Dooley expanded on that Wednesday evening with some mathematics of his own. "It's all about angles in football," he said. "Sometimes you say 'I want you to go 10 yards,' but if you're heading at a sharp 45-degree angle, and they go two stripes, that's really more than 10 yards. So if you don't know if A-squared plus B-squared equals C-squared is, you can't play receiver."
- Asked if 2013 could be a Pro Bowl year for Dez Bryant, Dooley said "It's not my job to predict anything – we're just working on today."
- Bryant said he related better to Dooley because Dooley is a younger coach and can better speak the receiver's language. Asked to break that down, Dooley laughed. "I can't break it down on TV," he said.
- Rookie cornerback B.W. Webb had arguably the best moment of his camp when he ended Wednesday night's practice with an interception in full-team drills.
- The National Football Foundation named Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones as one of the charter members of its Leadership Hall of Fame. The NFF created the Leadership Hall of Fame in May to honor individuals who have achieved the highest levels of success and exhibited exceptional leadership qualities. Jones joins George Pyne, the president of IMG Worldwide Sports and Entertainment, as a charter inductee into the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame.
Notable Standouts
Cole Beasley– Hands have never been the question with Beasley, and they certainly weren't on Wednesday. The SMU product can catch the ball, and his quickness out of his breaks was on full display. He frustrated Xavier Brewer, who had great coverage on him and was physical off the ball before Beasley secured a diving grab down the sideline.
Ben Bass –The Cowboys needed a defensive tackle to shift to the outside to end with the injuries, and Bass has answered the call. The good thing about Rod Marinelli's defensive line is that all four players need to be rush men, so the change hasn't been too difficult for Bass, who played with the first team. He made it two straight days with a would-be sack during team drills.
Tyron Smith –DeMarcus Ware gave Smith fits during 1-on-1 drills Tuesday, but Smith held his own early and often against the Cowboys' top rusher a day later. It wasn't always perfect, but Smith stymied a couple moves from Ware and was able to stall his movement much better than the previous day. The Cowboys will need more performances like that from their left tackle moving forward.
Play of The Day:
There were multiple interceptions to choose from, but the most memorable one came from the starters against a certain receiver who's been virtually unstoppable. The Cowboys worked on two-minute situations when they went to team drills Wednesday. That's usually time for the Dez Bryant show.
This time, though, as Bryant cruised down the sideline on a fade that took him near the end zone, it was Brandon Carr who came down with the pick. Carr was in perfect position the whole way, and while it was tough to see his feet near the sideline on the far side of the field, it appeared he came down in bounds while stopping Bryant from stretching out over him.
Injury Report:
Missed Practice:OT Jermey Parnell (hamstring)
DE Anthony Spencer (knee)
WR Danny Coale (knee swelling)
DT Ikponmwosa Igbinosun (ankle)
TE James Hanna (hamstring)
DE Tyrone Crawford (Achilles)
DT Jay Ratliff (hamstring)
G Mackenzy Bernadeau (hamstring)
LS L.P. Ladouceur (calf)
G Nate Livings (foot)
WR Lavasier Tuinei (conditioning test)
OT Demetress Bell (conditioning test)
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Transactions:
July 21:
Signed T Demetress Bell, QB Alex Tanney and Lavasier Tuinei. Placed G Mackenzy Bernadeau and DT Jay Ratliff on the active/physically unable to perform list and placed the following players on the active/non-football injury list: T Demetress Bell, C/G Ryan Cook, LS Louis-Philippe Ladouceur, G Ronald Leary, G Nate Livings and WR Lavasier Tuinei.
July 23:
C/G Ryan Cook passed his physical and returned to practice.
July 24:
Released WR Lavasier Tuinei. Signed DT Landon Cohen and DE George Selvie.
Upcoming Schedule:
Thursday, July 25
No Practice
Friday, July 26
10:30 a.m. (PDT) Walk-Thru
12:00 p.m. (PDT) Coach Garrett press conference
4:00 p.m. (PDT) Practice
