OXNARD, Calif. – Urgent tales from a scrimmage, Cowboys-Rams, out here at the River Ridge Sports Complex. Possibly the last time we'll see many of the Cowboys' veteran players mixing it up against an NFL opponent until the Sept. 8 opener against the Cleveland Browns.
For sure, that includes Dak, probably Zack, Zeke, Micah, D-Law, Trevon, Tyler and Brandin, just to name a few. That is why this scrimmage was significant. So, let's go.
Ezekiel Elliott is running with renewed urgency, the ninth-year veteran still has the juice, popping through holes against these Rams with vision and speed of old.
Perceived starting center Brock Hoffman continues to impress, including owner Jerry Jones, who said, and this one might not have made the X-verse, "Brock was holding them off in a very impressive way. … He's a starting center," playing with a take-no-prisoner's attitude, discovered by Rams nose tackle Kobie Turner for the best skirmish of the day.
Fifth-round draft choice Caelen Carson continues to make daily plays, this time an interception. And just know when Dak Prescott was asked about Caelen, he wasn't sure who they were talking about until saying, "Oh, you mean Seatbelt Carson. I only know him by Seatbelt Carson," a nod to the corner's ability to lockdown receivers.
And then there was this: Dak to Brandin Cooks, time after time after time again. In lieu of remember-under-contract receiver CeeDee Lamb's continued holdout, Cooks showed his former team some No. 1 receiver skills, which by no means is suggesting any underlining meaning on my part.
It's just that Cooks, with his consistent hookup with Dak, continues to shine. One of the silent stars of training camp, reminding the Rams of his 2018 season in Los Angeles when he caught 80 passes for 1,204 yards (15.1 avg.) and five touchdowns that Super bowl season. His confidence in his ability allows him to remain comfortable in his own skin, to the point of being more than ready to help these young receivers in camp, such as Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks, Jalen Cropper, Ryan Flournoy, Tyron Billy-Johnson and of late Racey McMath.
How good was Cooks Thursday afternoon?
Well, after spending a good 10 minutes talking with Rams receiver Cooper Kupp, a former teammate, one of the Rams assistant coaches made a beeline over to Cooks, saying, "Everything about you is still precise, just the same. And oh, my goodness, that is why you're here. No doubt, that is why you're here."
Rams head coach Sean McVay exchanged warm greetings with the soon-to-be 31-year-old two-time Pro Bowl receiver he coached during those 2018-19 seasons.
And Rams general manager Les Snead, the guy who sent a first-round pick to New England for Cooks in 2018 and subsequently signed him to a five-year $81 million extension, including $50.5 million guaranteed, and then traded him away to Houston in 2020 for a second-round pick, went out of his way to intercept Cooks for a brief but warm chat.
He's that kind of guy. On top of that, he's that kind of receiver, too. And on a daily basis out here during this training camp, Cooks is reminding the Cowboys of just what kind of receiver he's been for the previous 10 seasons in the NFL.
Without CeeDee here, still trying to likely leverage an extension out of the Cowboys to become the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL, Cooks is receiving upgraded reps, and amazing how the residual effect of those snaps has increased the connection between Dak and Cooks. Especially in pressure-down situations in practice. When, say, it's a third-and-8 call, Dak repeatedly is finding Cooks on big downs and big gains.
And that didn't happen at the first part of the 2023 season after the Cowboys traded mere fifth- and sixth-round picks to Houston for the highly productive wide receiver. In the first eight games, Cooks, missing the second one, caught just 17 passes of his 54 for the season. But in the final nine games, Cooks pulled in 37 balls, scoring five of his eight touchdowns.
"CeeDee is the guy, and then when teams started trying to take CeeDee away, shoot, these guys needed to make plays," says Dak, who did miss Friday's light practice in shells with a sore ankle needing some rest, though head coach Mike McCarthy saying he'd be there Saturday for the walk-though practice before Sunday's first preseason game against the Rams, even if he's not going to play.
"Literally one of the best teammates you can have, and truly the best man I've met. He is that good."
Their work together this offseason and now in training camp already is paying dividends, and how fortunate the Cowboys didn't follow some absurd offseason suggestions that they could clear some cap space by trading Cooks. How devastating would that have been now that Lamb is holding out, though missing the first preseason game he wouldn't have played in anyway, the impetus for Jones playfully responding, and probably throwing down some negotiating chum that there is "no urgency" to get Lamb signed at this time.
"Oh, miles ahead," Cooks reacts when asked to compare where he was last training camp to this current one, "and that is just a testament to more reps. The more reps you get, clearly the better you get. Spending that time in the offseason, then in training camp, I think it's been vital."
Vital. Critical. A necessity. Choose your adjective. Who knows how soon the Cowboys, knowing full-well Lamb is under contract for a guaranteed fifth-year option of $17.99 million, can work out an extension with last year's NFL reception leader (135)? But from a football side of it, head coach Mike McCarthy, knowing the business side of this game, can't sit round waiting on Lamb's arrival.
Got to prepare for that Sept. 8 season opener, and why seemingly we're seeing Dak's connections with Cooks increasing, especially on those pressure downs.
"It's probably, you know, I do my job," Cooks very humbly says of Dak seemingly looking his way. "I get open and (Dak) takes care of the rest. Like I said, it's just a testament to the work we put in. … Just got to keep pushing."
Not too many times in this NFL has "humbly" been used to describe a wide receiver. And Dak can't say enough about his top receiver while waiting for CeeDee's return.
"I mean, he's a professional, probably THE most professional teammate I've ever been around, and the best man I've been around," QB1 says. "That carries over into how he prepares, how he communicates and how he practices, and that helps with our connection."
As for his prime performance on Thursday?
"I knew he wanted to come out here and have a great day against the team he once played for, and he did that. He showed he is still a big- time receiver, a No. 1 receiver or whatever you want to call it," Dak says. "He's very valuable to me, he's very valuable to this offense, and I think today is just another glimpse of it. This connection will only get better."
For sure, the most significant tangible tale of this scrimmage.
