OXNARD, Calif. – The St. Louis Rams are arriving in Oxnard just in time. By the end of Sunday's practice, the Cowboys looked ready to compete against someone besides themselves.
In the final team period Sunday, fullback Tyler Clutts and safety Jeff Heath got into a brief skirmish that appeared to carry over from a hit Heath put on Clutts earlier in practice.
A large group of teammates got involved to separate the two. Tempers calmed afterward.
"He was just playing fast and it was a competitive situation, so it was just both of us letting our emotions take control," Clutts said. "We're just as good a buddies when we walk into the locker room. It happens out on the football field."
Said Heath: "We do what we have to do and then after it we're teammates again. I already talked to him. We're good."
The Cowboys will move on together Monday when they welcome the Rams for a pair of joint practices over the next two days.
Head coach Jason Garrett said both teams have discussed the parameters and tempo of practice. They will work offenses against defenses on both practice fields, as well as simulate one-on-one, red zone and two-minute situations.
"It's a great opportunity for us to get work," Garrett said. "It'll be competitive."
Quick Hits:
- A few hours of impressing the coaches, scouts and front-office personnel, including owner/GM Jerry Jones, in a workout with two other receivers, rookie David Porter had an even better practice Sunday afternoon. Porter was signed earlier in the day, as the Cowboys waived George Farmer. He was consistent with his catches in the limited reps, but definitely stood out considering the circumstances.
- Tony Romo practiced Sunday and is expected to get some work in against the Rams over the next two days.
- Linebacker Sean Lee didn't practice, but as he jogged off the field, he told reporters it was a day to rest, so he could "get ready for tomorrow," meaning the Cowboys' practice with the Rams.
- The Rams have arrived in Oxnard and showed up to Sunday's practice to get a workout in at the team's weight room while the Cowboys were on the field. A few of the coaches, including former Cowboys receivers coach Ray Sherman, were on the field, along with head coach Jeff Fisher.
Notable StandoutsGavin Escobar –The third-year tight end showed his value as a red zone target in a big way on Sunday. The Cowboys did red zone work in both one-on-one and full-team drills, and Escobar featured prominently in both. He bullied all kinds of coverage, from both cornerbacks and safeties. He skied over Byron Jones and Jeff Heath for touchdowns on two separate reps, and was just a pain for anyone to cover.
David Porter –Porter winds up here by virtue of the fact that he signed with the team a handful of hours before taking to the practice field. One day into his Cowboys career, he came down with a pair of impressive catches – one for a long gain on a go route. The production from the Cowboys' rookie wide receivers has largely been disappointing at this camp, but they got some flash plays from the TCU product on just his first day.
Devin Street –The second-year wide out caught some criticism for a slow start to training camp, but he is clearly heating up. After a nice night against the Chargers on Thursday, Street has put together back-to-back strong practices this weekend. He once again burned the defense on the exact same play action pass that was so effective on Saturday. Later on in practice, he came down with an acrobatic touchdown grab over Morris Claiborne on a ball that was slightly overthrown.
Play of the Day
Brandon Weeden showed off some serious arm strength at the tail end of practice, during the second-team offense's two-minute drill. Rather than worry about short yardage, Weeden uncorked a long bomb to Nick Harwell, who beat man coverage from Brandon Smith down the sideline. The ball hit Harwell in stride, carrying him out of bounds deep in the red zone. It was a pretty throw and catch all the way around, and to say it upset the defensive coaches would be an understatement.
Transactions:
Aug. 16 – Signed WR David Porter
Aug. 16 – Released WR George Farmer
Aug. 15 – Signed RBs Ben Malena, Michael Hill
Aug. 15 – Placed S Ray Vinopal on Waived/Injured
Injury Report:
Returned to Practice:
RB Lance Dunbar (ankle)
Limited Practice:
RB Darren McFadden (hamstring)
OT Tyron Smith (biceps)
OT Darrion Weems (shoulder)
OT Doug Free (foot)
Left Practice:
CB Bryon Jones (shoulder)
Missed Practice:
LB Sean Lee (rest)
DE Tyrone Crawford
WR Deontay Greenberry
TE James Hanna (knee)
RB Gus Johnson (shoulder)
DT Nick Hayden (ribs)
WR Dez Bryant (ankle)
WR Antwan Goodley (hamstring)
CB Orlando Scandrick (knee)
CB Brandon Carr (hand)
DE Kenneth Boatright (neck)
DT Terrell McClain (bone bruise/hamstring)
OL Chaz Green (hip)
LB Mark Nzeocha (knee)
LB Rolando McClain (knee)
Upcoming Schedule
Monday, August 17
12:00 p.m. (PDT) Coach Garrett Press Conference
3:45 p.m. (PDT) Practice (with Rams)
Tuesday, August 18
12:00 p.m. (PDT) Coach Garrett Press Conference
3:45 p.m. (PDT) Practice (with Rams)
