FRISCO, Texas – What a week it has been for Trysten Hill.
For starters, the injury to Gerald McCoy on Monday that led to his release, opened the door even wider for Hill, who is looking to make a much bigger impact as he enters his second season.
But getting the reps is one thing, taking advantage of them is another.
And from the sound of things, Hill is doing the latter.
During a conference call with the Dallas media on Saturday, defensive line coach Jim Tomsula shared his excitement in what he's seen from the second-year pro from UCF.
"Trysten Hill has been doing some really good things," Tomsula said. "I'm tickled to death in how hard he's working both mentally and physically, and how hard he's working in the meeting rooms. The questions, the phone calls, the texts – him swinging back by the office at night, asking questions. He's wanting to look at a clip of tape. When you see him walking around the hallways, his eyes are buried in his (tablet) and he's watching reps of film. I'm really exciting for that guy and the way he's approaching it and getting better every day."
On Friday, owner/GM Jerry Jones made sure to praise Hill, a second-round pick in 2019 that didn't have a major role as a rookie, playing in just seven games and had only six tackles, ranking him 22ndon the defense last year.
"I think Hill … I heard Tom Landry say that don't ever, ever make a crisp decision, especially on a defensive lineman, until three years," Jones said on Friday on 105.3 "The Fan" in Dallas. "You might get surprised. You might go when you should've not gone in a decision. So Hill last year, we'd like for him to have had more snaps. But I'd say he's … I'm going to note him out there."
Hill has gotten plenty of reps with both McCoy injured and Dontari Poe also starting out camp on PUP. Even with Poe now back on the field again, don't expect the reps to decrease for Hill, who has showed the ability play both tackle spots in this scheme.
While the door has been opened for Hill, he said he views McCoy's injury as a setback as well.
"First of all, it was a tough loss losing Gerald McCoy," Hill said. "I was excited to learn from him. Really experienced guy. At this point right now, I'm just focused on taking my team reps and taking advantage of this opportunity."
It certainly seems like the decision-makers have noticed.
