Nick Eatman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
Aug. 7, 2004, 5:43 p.m. (PDT)
OXNARD, Calif. -- It wasn't a game, and it was barely even a scrimmage.
But Saturday afternoon's stand-up scrimmage was certainly not just a normal practice as the Cowboys ran more than 100 plays of 11-on-11 team drills here on the eighth day of training camp their River Ridge complex.
Since there was no tackling and each offensive possession started from the 35-yard line, it was definitely a controlled-scrimmage, so getting a solid evaluation of each player can be tricky without watching tape.
But rookie quarterback Drew Henson was the easiest player to assess, and he wasted little time getting the estimated 5,300 people in attendance screaming for the first score of the scrimmage.
On his first play under center, Henson threw a perfect deep ball to a streaking Zuriel Smith, who had beaten cornerback Andrew Davison on the play for a 65-yard score.
Henson, who worked mostly with the third-team offense , completed 13-of-22 passes for more than 150 yards and two touchdowns, the other scoring strike going to rookie tight end Landon Trusty.
"It felt good to get out there and get my feet wet," said Henson, who has not played an organized football game since the 2000 season at Michigan. "So today, was a productive day for me. I know I still have a lot to work on. But I feel good about what went on today."
As for the other quarterbacks, starter Vinny Testaverde worked with the first-team, completing just 6-of-14 passes with one interception (LB Keith O'Neil) and one sack. Second-year quarterback Tony Romo ran with the second-team offense, completing just 10-of-20 passes, including a short touchdown pass to Cedric James.
The scrimmage also gave some insight at other positions, including running back, where Eddie George lined up with the first-team offense. Without tackling, gauging just how far each run would go was difficult, but the eight-year veteran still showed quickness and vision at the line of scrimmage.
Rookie running back Julius Jones got work with the third-team offense, while ReShard Lee, who is quietly putting together another solid camp, started out with the second-team.
On the offensive line, Torrin Tucker ran with the first team, but both Jacob Rogers and Javiar Collins got first-team reps as the scrimmage went on.
"I'm glad I just have an opportunity to go out there and compete," said Tucker, who made the Cowboys' roster last year as a rookie free agent. "They started me out there (with the first team), but it's still early. I know I have to get better if I want to stay there."
On defense, the Cowboys actually worked four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle La'Roi Glover with the second-team, giving Leo Carson and Daleroy Stewart an opportunity to work with the starters. Don't expect Glover to stay there, however.
The Cowboys used several different combinations on defense, rotating a slew of players, especially at linebacker. Bradie James worked mostly with the second team, but the Cowboys also ran a lot of nickel defense towards the end of the scrimmage.
And for the first time during this camp, Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells had the team running wind sprints, breaking the team into three groups and timing them, making sure they finished running the width of the field four times under a certain time limit. Encouraging was the fact offensive guard Larry Allen was able to finish the three sets of run within the mandatory limit. At this time last year Allen was getting lapped before finishing his four sprints.
That was one last reminder of the hard work ahead before Parcells gave the players their first night off, and then day off on Sunday. The club will resume workouts here Monday morning.
Troy Sounds Off
While the Cowboys were basically interviewing their three quarterbacks during Saturday's first major scrimmage of training camp, the best one of the bunch might have just been on the sideline watching.
Former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, who owns a home just up the road in Montecito, Calif., took in Saturday's practice, somewhat out of curiosity because of his Cowboys' ties but also for background work while getting ready for another NFL season working for Fox.
And it was inevitable he would be asked about the Cowboys releasing Quincy Carter, the guy who basically took over the starting quarterback job after he was forced into retirement. Aikman pulled no punches.
"It probably came as somewhat of a shock for a lot of people, but it's disappointing," Aikman said. "It's disappointing for the guys who have been working so hard in the off-season to go out and have a good year, and now a little bit of that is jeopardized.
"Ultimately, how it affects this team is yet to be seen, but a lot people's efforts have been jeopardized by his actions."
Aikman understands better than most that the quarterback position is held in higher regards, and especially in the Cowboys organization. He knew the standard which he would be judged following a long line of successful quarterbacks preceding him.
"I think it would be disappointing regardless of what team he'd be playing for," Aikman said. "There is no question, though, with this organization a lot is expected from that position, and there is a lot of scrutiny at that position. You know, it's a difficult time and difficult for whoever plays that position. As for what happened to Quincy, I don't know it's any more of a disappointment or less because it's here in Dallas."
-- Mickey Spagnola
Backup Plan
The Cowboys are hesitant to bring in a veteran backup quarterback because they want to first know exactly what they have in Henson and Romo.
"Until I see quite a bit more of these guys - and I'm really talking about today, next week's preparation, next game, the next week's preparation and the next game - until I get that information, I don't think I could answer that question exactly the right way right now," Parcells said. "I hope by that time, I'll have an answer."
While they won't develop the young quarterbacks at the risk of leaving Vinny Testaverde unprepared to start, they are hopeful they'll have the situation at backup figured out by the third preseason game.
"Obviously, if they're not, then I'll have to try to seek solutions," Parcells said. "But this time of year, it's hard to dial up these types of guys."
-- Chad Peters
Kicking OK So Far
When asked in his daily press conference about whether he was nervous working with only two rookie punters, Parcells said he saw something in rookie Mat McBriar that convinced him to take this chance. Also, kicking coach Steve Hoffman is known around the league for taking young, inexperienced kickers and developing them into consistent, successful players.
Parcells also talked about how he's been impressed so far with McBriar's performance, pointing out the end-over-end flight pattern of several of his punts, making them hard to field. While Parcells was bragging on McBriar's technique, a reporter reminded him of how he mentioned that McBriar's been inconsistent for the past few days.
"A little inconsistent, which is a step above what we were last year," Parcells responded with a smile, referring to the problems Toby Gowin had last year.
If all else fails, and McBriar and his competition Ryan Flinn don't make the cut, Parcells is certain he will be able to pick up a veteran punter before the beginning of the season.
-- Sarah Piland
Interest In Carter, But Maybe Not . . .
It's been reported that several teams have expressed interest in quarterback Quincy Carter, released by the Cowboys on Wednesday. So far, no one has brought him in for a workout. San Diego, one team that was reportedly interested, has confirmed they are not. Arizona was also reportedly interested, but when general manager Rod Graves was asked today about the possibility, Graves basically said absolutely not.
Teams supposedly interested include Jacksonville, Detroit and Minnesota. The Vikings considered putting in a claim for Carter but did not, which is strange since claiming Carter would only have required a minimum base salary, which they would have to at least ay him anyway.
-- Sarah Piland
Make Room For Emmitt
Emmitt Smith moved one step closer to starting again in Arizona, as running back Marcel Shipp dislocated his left ankle in an intra-squad scrimmage Friday. The injury is expected to sideline the fourth-year runner 8-12 weeks.
Smith was signed by the Cardinals last off-season after being released by the Cowboys, starting the first five games of the season before breaking his left shoulder blade against the Cowboys Oct. 5. He missed six games and was unable to regain his starting role from Shipp.
-- Chad Peters
Short Shots
Defensive tackle Leonardo Carson practiced Saturday, despite having developed soreness in his knee . . . The Cowboys used the 40-second play clock during their standup scrimmage Saturday for the first time to acclimate the offense to pressure situations . . . . Tony Romo hit wideout Cedric James for a short touchdown, as a the third-year receiver maneuvered his way into the end zone . . . Linebacker Keith O'Neil intercepted a Testaverde pass when he tried to get the ball over O'Neil down the middle . . . Kicker Billy Cundiff connected on two-of-four attempts and Jonathan Ruffin made two-of-three attempts during the scrimmage . . . Fullback Jamar Martin had a drop on a pass from Testaverde . . . Rookie receiver Patrick Crayton beat his defender on a route that would have gone for a touchdown had Romo not overthrown him on the play . . . Corner Pete Hunter broke up a pass from Romo intended for James.
they are offering more money than the #2 pick but not as much as manning (#1) rivers was taking #4
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