OXNARD, Calif. -- After recent hip replacement surgery, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is not sure if he will be able to fly to Canton, Ohio, to see Charles Haley inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Jones said he hopes to go, but the long flight is the issue because of the stress it puts on the joint and the air pressure. Jones said he has to wear compression hose to help when he flies.
Even if Jones can't fly the Cowboys will have representatives from the organization on hand.
Now on to the practice observations:
Tony Romo was fresh after his day off on Wednesday. Before Dez Bryant left with a hamstring strain, Romo and the receiver hooked for three touchdowns in tight red zone one-on-one work with all of them coming on Orlando Scandrick. After the third touchdown, Romo said, “Thanks for playing, 32.” In the compete period, Bryant beat cornerback Brandon Carr on a bullet throw from Romo to the back shoulder. In team and seven-on-seven drills Romo completed 14 of 18 passes and it marked the first practice he was not intercepted in camp.
Jason Witten also had a solid practice after his day off. In the second play of the compete period Witten caught a Romo touchdown pass along the back of the end zone. Safety J.J. Wilcox did not bite on Witten's fake outside and was in the tight end's face, but Romo put the pass only where Witten could get it. As he got up from the ground, a clearly stoked Witten flipped the ball in the air and walked back to the huddle.
Rookie linebacker Damien Wilson continues to get first-team snaps as Sean Lee works his way back. On the first two plays of the play-action period, he drew what would have been a holding penalty on Zack Martin and was able to meet Joseph Randle in the hole for a stop.
With Darren McFadden (hamstring) and Lance Dunbar (ankle) not practicing and Lache Seastrunk and Gus Johnson unfamiliar with the Cowboys' hurry-up offense, fullback Tyler Clutts got some tailback snaps, including four straight carries with the second-team offense.
Gavin Escobar is a decent red zone threat. He made a great leaping grab of a Romo throw while sitting down in between the zone defense in seven-on-seven drills. As he went back to the huddle he received some dap from tight ends coach Mike Pope.
After a day off on Wednesday, kicker Dan Bailey was his sharp self, making all six field goal attempts from 42, 45, 48, 51, 52 and 53 yards. In team drills, he closed situational work with a 38-yard field goal for the game winner.
Defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford suffered a left calf cramp during one-on-one pass rush drills. He didn't miss any team snaps.
Linebacker Mark Nzeocha, who is coming back from a torn ACL suffered at Wyoming, did his rehab work in a helmet. Perhaps that's a sign he is getting closer.