Scout’s Eye: In Praise Of The Fullback; More

Tough break for Dak Prescott to finish off the two-minute drill. Prescott had smartly moved the offense down the field and was on the doorstep for a chance to win the game, but his pass to a well-covered Jason Witten was intercepted by Joe Thomas. What was really unfortunate about the play is that Prescott had Randall Cobb breaking open across the goal line, but he was committed to Witten all the way. Give Thomas a ton of credit for holding off Witten and not allowing him to separate inside. Prescott put the ball in a spot where he thought Witten could grab it, but it was Thomas who was in better position and came up with the turnover.

Drops are hurting these young receivers' opportunities to make the roster. Reggie Davis had a bad one during the two-minute drill where he would have likely scored on a pass from Cooper Rush. Davis has Tyvis Powell beat cleanly to the inside from the slot and there was nothing but green turf between himself and the goal line. The ball was in a perfect spot and Davis had it in his hands – but he just flat misplayed it trying to secure it.

I don't know if Donovan Olumba would have been called for defensive holding on the fourth down play during two-minute, but if I were an opposing coach I might have challenged it. Jon'Vea Johnson got inside him on a slant in large part because Olumba jumped to the outside in order to defend. Olumba then extended his right arm and appeared to grab Johnson's jersey. In one swift motion he pulled himself around the back of Johnson and knocked the ball down with his right hand. There was no flag from the official to that side, so maybe Olumba got away with one.

If C.J. Goodwin makes this squad it will be due to his special teams ability and not his defense. There are those on the staff that tell me his ability to cover punts as a gunner is rare, but it's strange how that doesn't translate into coverage. There have been several snaps in these practices where the receivers have taken advantage of his lack of close on the ball. He's the one cornerback that allows the most space when it comes to dealing with routes. Receivers are able to gain separation on him quickly and quite honestly without much of a fight. The more opportunities he receives the more noticeable it is.

Donovan Wilson got a taste of first-team snaps on Tuesday but was back with the twos on Wednesday. Wilson didn't disappoint with his play with the first unit and actually accounted for himself well. Where Wilson is going to need the most work is dealing with playing coverage in space. Wilson was put in a difficult situation having to deal with a receiver out of the slot. In this case it was Jalen Guyton who was playing in a wide slot. Another problem for Wilson was that he was playing from depth. He allowed Guyton a good eight yards of space, which made the cover even more difficult. As soon as Guyton ran by him he had no choice but to grab him, thus drawing a holding call. The pass from Cooper Rush was incomplete but the damage was already done. It was a tough cover for Wilson to begin with, but he'll learn from it.

Tony Pollard might be a rookie, but he's not taking any extra shots from his defensive teammates. Pollard came around the corner and took a nice shoulder to the face from Jeff Heath. The blow shook Pollard up a bit as he made his way back to the huddle. On the very next carry, Pollard took a toss sweep to his left and went downhill with such force that when Donovan Wilson came up to meet him, Pollard knocked him back four yards. It was clear that Pollard was sending a message for any defenders that want to hit him in the future.

I haven't written many positive things about Mitch Hyatt during training camp, but Wednesday was a good day for him in the Compete Period. Hyatt clearly lacks power and strength in his body and defenders take advantage of him. Hyatt had back-to-back snaps where he was able to control Jalen Jelks with a balanced set and some patience. Hyatt didn't become too extended or anxious in his block. He allowed Jelks to exhaust all his pass rush moves, picked the perfect technique and then put him on the ground.

Just my opinion, but Jamize Olawale is a much better receiver than blocker. I am still waiting for him to go and dig a defender out of the hole. But when it comes to catching the ball he has unbelievable skills. Olawale ran a wheel route from the slot on Jeff Heath that was a thing of beauty. The clearing route by Jon'Vea Johnson took Chidobe Awuzie out of the play, which gave Olawale the sideline to work. He had a good three yards on Heath when the ball softly floated into his hands from Prescott. Olawale tracked it all the way as he put it away.