Some thoughts from the practice field in Oxnard:
- Expect Tony Romo to play a series in this game Friday night which means that we will see the offensive line of Tyron Smith, Ronald Leary, Travis Frederick, Mackenzy Bernadeau and Doug Free. This line should carry over as well when Kyle Orton comes in to replace Romo, so as a group, the idea situation would be to see between 15 to 20 plays. Frederick has looked comfortable these last two practices with both Leary and Bernadeau and he will have another opportunity to work with them today in a full pads practice.
- DeMarco Murray should also get some game action this Friday night against the Raiders. Throughout this camp, Murray has been productive in how he has fit in this zone blocking attack. I have been impressed with Murray in this regard, he has not mattered who has lined up in front of him along this offensive line, he has managed to find creases and run the ball with power. He has also been solid catching the ball out of the backfield and his blitz pickup, has been stout. There is some concern in my book about the playing surface in Oakland with the dirt infield being in play as much as it is but hopefully, Murray will get in, get his work and move to the sidelines from there.
- If you read my work here on DallasCowboys.com you have seen me write about the "Rookie Wall" and how players tend to hit that wall for several practices as time passes by. A player that is suffering some of that struggles is wide receiver, Eric Rogers. In the media for the first two weeks, we couldn't ask enough questions about Rogers and how he was going to make this 53 man roster. For two practices and a game, Rogers hasn't been the most productive receiver in the camp. The focus and play making ability that we all observed earlier has turned into a rash of missed opportunities. What made Rogers different from the other receivers was his ability to catch the ball no matter where it was thrown. He was never going to beat a defender with his speed, so using his size and hands was going to be his ticket onto this roster. As a scout, you are taught that if you see a player do something one time, you could expect him to do it again. Rogers there are no questions about his ability but at a position where spots are tight, he doesn't have the luxury to do anything but fight through this and get back to making plays because if not, his once promising shot at the 53 will be no more. [embedded_ad]
- Danny Coale was back in the practice in mix on Tuesday and has a ton of work ahead of him, if he is going to find a roster spot on this team. He managed to make it through practice and will line up on Wednesday for the first time in consecutive days in a good long time. Coale is the time of kid that you pull for much like Matt Johnson in my book because in college, I have seen them line up and make plays for their schools. Coale is a good route runner, he is smart and rarely makes a mistake when he has been able to practice. His hands are dependable and he can snatch it on the move but like Johnson, if you are standing on the sideline, it's difficult to make plays. On Tuesday, in several three receiver packages, the coaches put Coale into the group to see how he would respond and despite that he didn't get a ball thrown his way, he was ready to go. Like when talking about Eric Rogers earlier, the clock is ticking on what they can show this front office and coaches. For Coale, it's about staying on the field consistently and then working from there.
