DMN Blog: Live from Oxnard XVII: Felix Jones flies by Ken Hamlin
by Tim MacMahon
Weather: 73 and sunny.
It's a beautiful Southern California day, with the sunlight gleaming off the rims on Rowdy's tricked-out four-wheeler, which is roaring around the practice fields.
I know the Metroplex is buzzing about the Rangers-Yankees series, but hopefully folks still want to read a little bit about football. Cowboys are in helmets and shoulder pads for today's only practices.
Follow the jump and refresh as you see fit ...
4:14 -- SS Dowayne Davis and CB Mike Jenkins were discussing classic rap artists as they made their way to the field. Davis, a New York native, is a big Busta Rhymes guy. Personally, I prefer the West Coast scene.
4:17 -- Rowdy is taking turns catching punts during warmups. Wouldn't it be sweet if one of the Cowboys put their helmet right on Rowdy's handkerchief and knocked him on his big, foam butt? ... How huge are Flozell Adams and Leonard "Bigg" Davis? They make Erik "Big E" Williams look like an average-sized dude when they're all walking together.
4:21 -- Media celebrity sighting: DMN-ex Albert "Einstein" Breer of the Sporting News. If you don't think he's a media celebrity, just ask him. I'm sure Wade Phillips will be overjoyed to see Einstein. ... Looks like Greg Ellis made it through a night at the Residence Inn without his back locking up. He's dressed out and strolling onto the field with DeMarcus Ware and Bradie James.
4:27 -- T.O. isn't taking the afternoon off. He's out there sporting some stylish blue spandex. ... Quincy Butler (hamstring) is still missing from the CB crew, as is Terence Newman (groin).
4:36 -- Stretching just started.
4:39 -- To answer Akh's question, we'll be blogging before, during and after every game this season, from preseason to playoffs. ... Horn just sounded to end stretching. Defense doing position drills. Offense running plays vs. air.
4:45 -- Real celebrity sighting: Comedian Dennis Miller was here. Turns out that he wasn't banned from all NFL functions after his awful run as a color analyst on Monday Night Football. ... Please take it easy on Breer, folks. He's very sensitive to criticism and still reads this here blog on a daily basis.
4:50 -- DE Marcus Dixon is sidelined because of lower back spasms. Dixon, whose background has been well chronicled, is a candidate for the practice squad.
4:53 -- What do you know? Not every ESPN football dude is on Brett Favre watch. Chris Mortensen is here. ... Cowboys doing position drills. No competition yet.
4:55 -- Can't find LB Tearrius George. He's participated in the last few practices after coming back from a bone bruise/hyperextended knee.
5:06 -- Had to step away for a few minutes to chat with Pacman's PR rep (North Texas alum Linda Luna). Horn just sounded. Headed to the field. Be back in a bit.
5:19 -- Highlights from passing game 1-on-1s: Add one more play to Danny Amendola's one-hand catch highlight reel. He snared a pass behind him with his right hand and tucked it in after running a deep slant. Oh, and Amendola left Orlando Scandrick in his dust on a stutter-go. The kid is quick, runs good routes and has great hands. ... Adam "Pacman" Jones had a good session. He gave up a 10-yard completion to T.O., but Pacman got a good jam on the play and was right on T.O.'s back. Pacman broke up a short hook to Todd Lowber and had great coverage on an Isaiah Stanback go. ... Mike Jefferson made a great catch with Anthony Henry all over him on a go route. Jefferson leaned into Henry at the last instant to create some space. ... Henry gave Patrick Crayton a huge cushion and never got within 5 yards of him on a crossing route. ... Patrick Crayton caught a 25-yard pass to end the drill. Evan Oglesby had good coverage on the stutter-go, but he didn't make a play for the ball intentionally thrown behind Crayton. ... Didn't see much inside run, but FB Deon "Cricket" Anderson threw a couple of thumpin' lead blocks on the plays I did see. ... Special teams work now.
5:27 -- Per request, an update on South Oak Cliff product Daniel Polk: He made a nice catch on a low ball during passing 1-on-1s, but he isn't getting many reps. The best-case scenario for him is that he'll get a practice-squad spot. He has some talent, but it will take time for him to make the transition from Midwestern State QB.
5:29 -- Horn sounded. Be back in a bit.
5:45 -- Some pass rush 1-on-1 highlights first: DeMarcus Ware might be the league's best defensive player, but LT Flozell Adams got the best of Ware in this drill. I saw three reps where they went head-to-head, and Adams won all three. He put Ware in the grass on one attempted speed rush. ... RT Marc Colombo also had a good session. He stood up Anthony Spencer when he tried to spin inside and held his ground when Greg Ellis tried to make an inside move. ... Ellis made an inside swim move that left OT Cory Lekkerkerker flat-footed. ... Jay Ratliff, working as a four-man front DT, beat Leonard "Bigg" Davis off the ball badly to the inside. Ratliff got a step to the outside vs. Davis on another rep, but the Pro Bowler recovered to put Ratliff past the pocket. ... Marcus Spears couldn't go anywhere against Pro Bowl C Andre Gurode. ... Chris Canty blew by LG Kyle Kosier to the outside and Pat McQuistian to the inside on consecutive plays. ... Sixth-round pick Erik Walden went too wide vs. McQuistan but beat Doug Free with an inside move.
5:51 -- Some 7-on-7 highlights: TE Tony Curtis went uncovered on a seam route for a long TD from Tony Romo. Roy Williams wasn't in the area, but he was the guy Dave Campo chatted with after the play. ... TE Martellus Bennett caught a skinny post between the third-team safeties. Pat Watkins continues to work behind Courtney Brown. ... Brown had great coverage on a deep corner route by Sam Hurd. ... T.O. made two impressive catches on out routes, chopping his feet to get them inbounds on both. One was in front of Evan Oglesby. The other was with Anthony Henry hacking down on T.O.'s arms. ... TE Jason Witten got open between Greg Ellis and Williams for a 15-yard out. ... Brad Johnson threw a bunch of checkdowns, believe it or not.
5:57 -- Horn sounded. Special teams session over. Back in a bit. ... LB Tearrius George did practice today. Just couldn't find him earlier, but he's fine.
6:41 -- Let's wrap this post up with some 11-on-11 highlights: LB/blogger Kevin Burnett was all over the place against the first-team offense. He blew up an end-around by Sam Hurd, made a TFL on a screen to Marion Barber, stopped Felix Jones at the line of scrimmage and got props from coaches for "setting the edge" on a Barber sweep. ... T.O. made a leaping catch on a go route downfield. Alan Ball had good coverage, but he never turned around to find the ball. ... Patrick Crayton caught a 5-yard TD from Romo on a hook route in front of Evan Oglesby. ... Felix Jones showed his big-play potential as receiver, lining up in the slot and running past FS Ken Hamlin after releasing to the outside. Brad Johnson lofted the ball to Jones in stride for what would have been a long TD. ... OLB DeMarcus Ware blew up a sweep and got FB Ronnie Cruz yelled at by OL coach Hudson Houck. ... More on Zach Thomas' big hit in a separate Play of the Day post.
Weather: 73 and sunny.
It's a beautiful Southern California day, with the sunlight gleaming off the rims on Rowdy's tricked-out four-wheeler, which is roaring around the practice fields.
I know the Metroplex is buzzing about the Rangers-Yankees series, but hopefully folks still want to read a little bit about football. Cowboys are in helmets and shoulder pads for today's only practices.
Follow the jump and refresh as you see fit ...
4:14 -- SS Dowayne Davis and CB Mike Jenkins were discussing classic rap artists as they made their way to the field. Davis, a New York native, is a big Busta Rhymes guy. Personally, I prefer the West Coast scene.
4:17 -- Rowdy is taking turns catching punts during warmups. Wouldn't it be sweet if one of the Cowboys put their helmet right on Rowdy's handkerchief and knocked him on his big, foam butt? ... How huge are Flozell Adams and Leonard "Bigg" Davis? They make Erik "Big E" Williams look like an average-sized dude when they're all walking together.
4:21 -- Media celebrity sighting: DMN-ex Albert "Einstein" Breer of the Sporting News. If you don't think he's a media celebrity, just ask him. I'm sure Wade Phillips will be overjoyed to see Einstein. ... Looks like Greg Ellis made it through a night at the Residence Inn without his back locking up. He's dressed out and strolling onto the field with DeMarcus Ware and Bradie James.
4:27 -- T.O. isn't taking the afternoon off. He's out there sporting some stylish blue spandex. ... Quincy Butler (hamstring) is still missing from the CB crew, as is Terence Newman (groin).
4:36 -- Stretching just started.
4:39 -- To answer Akh's question, we'll be blogging before, during and after every game this season, from preseason to playoffs. ... Horn just sounded to end stretching. Defense doing position drills. Offense running plays vs. air.
4:45 -- Real celebrity sighting: Comedian Dennis Miller was here. Turns out that he wasn't banned from all NFL functions after his awful run as a color analyst on Monday Night Football. ... Please take it easy on Breer, folks. He's very sensitive to criticism and still reads this here blog on a daily basis.
4:50 -- DE Marcus Dixon is sidelined because of lower back spasms. Dixon, whose background has been well chronicled, is a candidate for the practice squad.
4:53 -- What do you know? Not every ESPN football dude is on Brett Favre watch. Chris Mortensen is here. ... Cowboys doing position drills. No competition yet.
4:55 -- Can't find LB Tearrius George. He's participated in the last few practices after coming back from a bone bruise/hyperextended knee.
5:06 -- Had to step away for a few minutes to chat with Pacman's PR rep (North Texas alum Linda Luna). Horn just sounded. Headed to the field. Be back in a bit.
5:19 -- Highlights from passing game 1-on-1s: Add one more play to Danny Amendola's one-hand catch highlight reel. He snared a pass behind him with his right hand and tucked it in after running a deep slant. Oh, and Amendola left Orlando Scandrick in his dust on a stutter-go. The kid is quick, runs good routes and has great hands. ... Adam "Pacman" Jones had a good session. He gave up a 10-yard completion to T.O., but Pacman got a good jam on the play and was right on T.O.'s back. Pacman broke up a short hook to Todd Lowber and had great coverage on an Isaiah Stanback go. ... Mike Jefferson made a great catch with Anthony Henry all over him on a go route. Jefferson leaned into Henry at the last instant to create some space. ... Henry gave Patrick Crayton a huge cushion and never got within 5 yards of him on a crossing route. ... Patrick Crayton caught a 25-yard pass to end the drill. Evan Oglesby had good coverage on the stutter-go, but he didn't make a play for the ball intentionally thrown behind Crayton. ... Didn't see much inside run, but FB Deon "Cricket" Anderson threw a couple of thumpin' lead blocks on the plays I did see. ... Special teams work now.
5:27 -- Per request, an update on South Oak Cliff product Daniel Polk: He made a nice catch on a low ball during passing 1-on-1s, but he isn't getting many reps. The best-case scenario for him is that he'll get a practice-squad spot. He has some talent, but it will take time for him to make the transition from Midwestern State QB.
5:29 -- Horn sounded. Be back in a bit.
5:45 -- Some pass rush 1-on-1 highlights first: DeMarcus Ware might be the league's best defensive player, but LT Flozell Adams got the best of Ware in this drill. I saw three reps where they went head-to-head, and Adams won all three. He put Ware in the grass on one attempted speed rush. ... RT Marc Colombo also had a good session. He stood up Anthony Spencer when he tried to spin inside and held his ground when Greg Ellis tried to make an inside move. ... Ellis made an inside swim move that left OT Cory Lekkerkerker flat-footed. ... Jay Ratliff, working as a four-man front DT, beat Leonard "Bigg" Davis off the ball badly to the inside. Ratliff got a step to the outside vs. Davis on another rep, but the Pro Bowler recovered to put Ratliff past the pocket. ... Marcus Spears couldn't go anywhere against Pro Bowl C Andre Gurode. ... Chris Canty blew by LG Kyle Kosier to the outside and Pat McQuistian to the inside on consecutive plays. ... Sixth-round pick Erik Walden went too wide vs. McQuistan but beat Doug Free with an inside move.
5:51 -- Some 7-on-7 highlights: TE Tony Curtis went uncovered on a seam route for a long TD from Tony Romo. Roy Williams wasn't in the area, but he was the guy Dave Campo chatted with after the play. ... TE Martellus Bennett caught a skinny post between the third-team safeties. Pat Watkins continues to work behind Courtney Brown. ... Brown had great coverage on a deep corner route by Sam Hurd. ... T.O. made two impressive catches on out routes, chopping his feet to get them inbounds on both. One was in front of Evan Oglesby. The other was with Anthony Henry hacking down on T.O.'s arms. ... TE Jason Witten got open between Greg Ellis and Williams for a 15-yard out. ... Brad Johnson threw a bunch of checkdowns, believe it or not.
5:57 -- Horn sounded. Special teams session over. Back in a bit. ... LB Tearrius George did practice today. Just couldn't find him earlier, but he's fine.
6:41 -- Let's wrap this post up with some 11-on-11 highlights: LB/blogger Kevin Burnett was all over the place against the first-team offense. He blew up an end-around by Sam Hurd, made a TFL on a screen to Marion Barber, stopped Felix Jones at the line of scrimmage and got props from coaches for "setting the edge" on a Barber sweep. ... T.O. made a leaping catch on a go route downfield. Alan Ball had good coverage, but he never turned around to find the ball. ... Patrick Crayton caught a 5-yard TD from Romo on a hook route in front of Evan Oglesby. ... Felix Jones showed his big-play potential as receiver, lining up in the slot and running past FS Ken Hamlin after releasing to the outside. Brad Johnson lofted the ball to Jones in stride for what would have been a long TD. ... OLB DeMarcus Ware blew up a sweep and got FB Ronnie Cruz yelled at by OL coach Hudson Houck. ... More on Zach Thomas' big hit in a separate Play of the Day post.
posted by The Gryphon at 10:27 PM
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