USAToday Inside Slant: Dallas Cowboys
The first official team activity of the Wade Phillips era took place with the team's first minicamp, which opened May 12.
Phillips has observed his team during the offseason programs and one hour practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays since early March.
But he is excited to see them on the field together and going full speed for the first time, even if it's just t-shirts and shorts.
"I think it's kind of exciting for us — the staff — and even though some guys have been here before, it's still a new staff," Phillips said. "It's a new team for most of us. The anticipation of just getting together — although they've been working out, but not as a football team, but in the off-season program. The rookies, we haven't seen, but it's just an orientation for them. They'll get to know what NFL football is about."
Phillips wants to continue to teach the fundamentals of his new offense and defense. He said they have installed roughly 80 percent of both.
And while he is excited to see his players on the field, he said the minicamp is just as important mentally.
In addition to teaching the rookies about the ways of the NFL, he wants the veterans to learn how things will be like with him as head coach.
"I think it's all of them," Phillips said Thursday from his office at Valley Ranch. "You see them on tape, but that doesn't necessarily tell the story. And seeing them in shorts won't completely tell the story either. But it starts the process. I'm going to tell them, they're not going to make the team this weekend. But we'll get some ideas as far as what they do."
Phillips said it's going to be a good learning experience for the coaches as well. Not only will they continue to learn to work together, they will also learn what they need to know about the players and how they react to different situations.
"Part of it is for me and the coaches, getting to know these guys and what their strengths are and what their weaknesses are," Phillips said. "That's football-wise, personality-wise as a person. Those things are important. Bear Bryant, he never talked to his coaches about football. He talked to them about what kind of character does this guy have and what's he going to do on fourth and 1. So there's a lot involved in knowing players, not just knowing what he can do on the field."
In the past the Cowboys have held their first minicamp the weekend after the draft. But Phillips moved the camp back a couple of weeks — until after exams were over for most colleges — so when the rookies showed up they could stay for the duration.
"I thought it was an easier transition for them and us," Phillips said. "I think it makes sense to me to do it that way. Other teams do it another way. You get started on something, let's just keep going with it, rather than taking a week off, especially for rookies who haven't seen it before and don't know anything about it."
NOTES, QUOTES
—QB Tony Romo failed in his attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open in golf.
But that is the only thing that has gone wrong for Romo lately.
Romo is still feeling good about the Cowboys' decision to pass on quarterback Brady Quinn in the draft.
"Without a doubt, it was great news," Romo said. "I thought the organization would stand behind me. And that's what they did. It's something they had to think about. As an organization, you're not doing your job if you don't evaluate every scenario. But I think (by passing on Quinn) it shows they have confidence in me."
Said coach Wade Phillips: "I didn't feel like it was something I needed to talk to him about. We didn't hug or anything or have that kind of moment. But he said he appreciated it and I just took him at his word."
—Coach Wade Phillips said he has talked to linebacker Greg Ellis in an attempt to alleviate any concerns he has about his role on the team.
Ellis said last week that he thinks his days are numbered following the drafting of linebacker Anthony Spencer in the first round of the 2007 draft — especially considering he is rehabbing from a torn Achilles tendon.
Phillips told Ellis the move had nothing to do with him but was an attempt to get as many good players as possible.
"I think he is going to have a great year for us and I am looking forward to that," Phillips said. "That was the extent of our conversation. I assured him of that. We are trying to get the best players we can get. But I told Greg (drafting Spencer) didn't have anything to do with him coming off injury. We expect him to be back. We expect him to have a great year."
—G Marco Rivera is still a Cowboy but apparently in name only.
Rivera is coming off back surgery — his second in three years — and is expected to retire.
The Cowboys have already replaced him in the starting lineup with free agent Leonard Davis.
They have yet to make a move with Rivera's roster spot out of respect. They want to give him every chance to work through it but there is no question he is not in their plans for next season. "Well, his situation is different than Ellis in that he's had a major surgery and he's had one before," Phillips said of Rivera. "He's a lot further away from being well. That's the situation with him, more so than Ellis. He's out there running every day. (Rivera has) not progressed to that. But I don't know. We're kind of hoping for the best right now and we'll go from there."
—T Pat McQuistan has officially been moved to left guard. McQuistan was originally thought to be a future replacement for Flozell Adams at left tackle. But the Cowboys took two tackles in the 2007 draft and signed guard Leonard Davis in free agency. Davis could move to tackle in the future.
So the Cowboys decided to move McQuistan to guard. It adds to their line versatility and also gives McQuistan a chance to push the only weak link on the line — Kyle Kosier.
Kosier was solid in his first season as a starter last year in replacing Larry Allen. But he is not considered a long-term answer at the position.
"Yeah, we moved him to guard," Phillips said. "But I don't want to get into all of that because we may move guys around. We're going to look again and see where we think they can best help us and see how they do at whatever position. Where they start out certainly isn't where you can end at, if you show what you can do."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I had heard from different coaches even previous to last year that they thought they had a guy who was going to be a good player ... it was Tony Romo. Well first, seeing him in the Pro Bowl ... that flurry he put on at the end was pretty impressive. And then watching him on tape, I am pretty impressed. He is here studying, working on his craft, that kind of thing. He is the right kind of guy. He has good leadership qualities and all those things." — Cowboys coach Wade Phillips on his impressions of quarterback Tony Romo.
Phillips has observed his team during the offseason programs and one hour practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays since early March.
But he is excited to see them on the field together and going full speed for the first time, even if it's just t-shirts and shorts.
"I think it's kind of exciting for us — the staff — and even though some guys have been here before, it's still a new staff," Phillips said. "It's a new team for most of us. The anticipation of just getting together — although they've been working out, but not as a football team, but in the off-season program. The rookies, we haven't seen, but it's just an orientation for them. They'll get to know what NFL football is about."
Phillips wants to continue to teach the fundamentals of his new offense and defense. He said they have installed roughly 80 percent of both.
And while he is excited to see his players on the field, he said the minicamp is just as important mentally.
In addition to teaching the rookies about the ways of the NFL, he wants the veterans to learn how things will be like with him as head coach.
"I think it's all of them," Phillips said Thursday from his office at Valley Ranch. "You see them on tape, but that doesn't necessarily tell the story. And seeing them in shorts won't completely tell the story either. But it starts the process. I'm going to tell them, they're not going to make the team this weekend. But we'll get some ideas as far as what they do."
Phillips said it's going to be a good learning experience for the coaches as well. Not only will they continue to learn to work together, they will also learn what they need to know about the players and how they react to different situations.
"Part of it is for me and the coaches, getting to know these guys and what their strengths are and what their weaknesses are," Phillips said. "That's football-wise, personality-wise as a person. Those things are important. Bear Bryant, he never talked to his coaches about football. He talked to them about what kind of character does this guy have and what's he going to do on fourth and 1. So there's a lot involved in knowing players, not just knowing what he can do on the field."
In the past the Cowboys have held their first minicamp the weekend after the draft. But Phillips moved the camp back a couple of weeks — until after exams were over for most colleges — so when the rookies showed up they could stay for the duration.
"I thought it was an easier transition for them and us," Phillips said. "I think it makes sense to me to do it that way. Other teams do it another way. You get started on something, let's just keep going with it, rather than taking a week off, especially for rookies who haven't seen it before and don't know anything about it."
NOTES, QUOTES
—QB Tony Romo failed in his attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open in golf.
But that is the only thing that has gone wrong for Romo lately.
Romo is still feeling good about the Cowboys' decision to pass on quarterback Brady Quinn in the draft.
"Without a doubt, it was great news," Romo said. "I thought the organization would stand behind me. And that's what they did. It's something they had to think about. As an organization, you're not doing your job if you don't evaluate every scenario. But I think (by passing on Quinn) it shows they have confidence in me."
Said coach Wade Phillips: "I didn't feel like it was something I needed to talk to him about. We didn't hug or anything or have that kind of moment. But he said he appreciated it and I just took him at his word."
—Coach Wade Phillips said he has talked to linebacker Greg Ellis in an attempt to alleviate any concerns he has about his role on the team.
Ellis said last week that he thinks his days are numbered following the drafting of linebacker Anthony Spencer in the first round of the 2007 draft — especially considering he is rehabbing from a torn Achilles tendon.
Phillips told Ellis the move had nothing to do with him but was an attempt to get as many good players as possible.
"I think he is going to have a great year for us and I am looking forward to that," Phillips said. "That was the extent of our conversation. I assured him of that. We are trying to get the best players we can get. But I told Greg (drafting Spencer) didn't have anything to do with him coming off injury. We expect him to be back. We expect him to have a great year."
—G Marco Rivera is still a Cowboy but apparently in name only.
Rivera is coming off back surgery — his second in three years — and is expected to retire.
The Cowboys have already replaced him in the starting lineup with free agent Leonard Davis.
They have yet to make a move with Rivera's roster spot out of respect. They want to give him every chance to work through it but there is no question he is not in their plans for next season. "Well, his situation is different than Ellis in that he's had a major surgery and he's had one before," Phillips said of Rivera. "He's a lot further away from being well. That's the situation with him, more so than Ellis. He's out there running every day. (Rivera has) not progressed to that. But I don't know. We're kind of hoping for the best right now and we'll go from there."
—T Pat McQuistan has officially been moved to left guard. McQuistan was originally thought to be a future replacement for Flozell Adams at left tackle. But the Cowboys took two tackles in the 2007 draft and signed guard Leonard Davis in free agency. Davis could move to tackle in the future.
So the Cowboys decided to move McQuistan to guard. It adds to their line versatility and also gives McQuistan a chance to push the only weak link on the line — Kyle Kosier.
Kosier was solid in his first season as a starter last year in replacing Larry Allen. But he is not considered a long-term answer at the position.
"Yeah, we moved him to guard," Phillips said. "But I don't want to get into all of that because we may move guys around. We're going to look again and see where we think they can best help us and see how they do at whatever position. Where they start out certainly isn't where you can end at, if you show what you can do."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I had heard from different coaches even previous to last year that they thought they had a guy who was going to be a good player ... it was Tony Romo. Well first, seeing him in the Pro Bowl ... that flurry he put on at the end was pretty impressive. And then watching him on tape, I am pretty impressed. He is here studying, working on his craft, that kind of thing. He is the right kind of guy. He has good leadership qualities and all those things." — Cowboys coach Wade Phillips on his impressions of quarterback Tony Romo.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:36 PM
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