IRVING, Texas - Tight end Colin Cochart won't have long to learn the playbook if he wants to get on the field for the season opener.
Cochart said he doesn't know if he'll play Wednesday, when the Cowboys could use depth at tight end with Jason Witten recovering from a lacerated spleen.
The former Bengals tight end arrived in Dallas at 8 p.m. Saturday night and practiced Sunday. The last 24 hours have been a whirlwind since leaving Cincinnati, where Cochart played in 10 games last year.
"It's been a rollercoaster of emotion, for sure," Cochart said. "Getting cut by the Bengals, they had a draft pick there that they wanted to see through, and little did I know, I was in one of my lowest points. Then my agent calls me saying that Dallas is picking me up, and I was ecstatic, man. I just went from low to in the clouds. I'm very excited. I can't wait to get this playbook down, for sure."
Cochart is shifting from West Coast terminology in Cincinnati to a numbers scheme in Dallas. He admitted it'll be difficult to learn the plays in two days in time for the opener, but he's already received advice about learning the playbook from guard Nate Livings, who played the last six seasons with the Bengals.
"He said it's fairly easy to pick up," Cochart said. "I'll just take that advice from him, and hopefully I can get this down pat the next couple days."
Cochart received his playbook last night and got five hours of sleep before practicing Sunday. He said he has a great opportunity as a young tight end in Dallas, where he can learn from Jason Witten and John Phillips.
In addition to tight end, Cochart also played all four phases of special teams in Cincinnati. He said he hasn't sat down with special teams coach Joe DeCamillis yet, but he anticipates he could be involved on kickoff, kick returns, punts and punt returns in Dallas.
"Whatever they ask me to do, I'm going to do it to the best of my ability and do it as hard as I can," Cochart said. "It's awesome to be here. I've just got to get that playbook down. That's the biggest thing right now."
