FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys open their mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, which means nothing really changes from the past three weeks of organized team activities.
The one difference? There will be post-practice meetings.
Jason Garrett actually takes a regular-season approach to the minicamp, minus the pads and the actual preparation for an opponent.
“A little bit like the in-season schedule so we try to simulate a work week within that minicamp, what it would look like on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during the regular season,” Garrett said. “But the tempo of practice, the meetings, all that stuff will be consistent with what it’s been the last few weeks.”
The players who missed the OTAs because of injuries likely will miss the minicamp as well. Wide receivers Cole Beasley and Lucky Whitehead have been slowed by hamstring injuries. There’s no need to rush them back. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is recovering from offseason back surgery. There’s no need to see him on the field just yet. Defensive linemen Benson Mayowa and Stephen Paea are working through knee soreness. There is no need to see them either.
The goal is to make sure everybody is ready for the first training camp practice on July 24 in Oxnard, California.
Just as in the OTAs, there will be plenty to watch during the minicamp.
Garrett tries to create competitive situations in each practice because that raises the level of play and effort. Last week, the first-team defense was able to slow down the first-team offense in end-of-practice situation work. How will the offense respond? Quarterback Dak Prescott is usually at his best when he is in game-like situations. He completed a third-and-long pass to Ryan Switzer after Garrett altered the circumstances that helped lead to a potential game-tying field goal.
Linebacker Jaylon Smith was seen for the first time by the media last Wednesday as he works his way back from a serious knee injury. He received all of five snaps in 9-on-9 drills. The Cowboys want to be deliberate in his recovery. With the Cowboys not wanting Smith to work three straight days, the media will see him practice twice. Will he see more action in team drills? Will he look appreciably different in the individual drills? Teammates and coaches say they see Smith improving each week. Now there’s a way to independently verify that.
Chaz Green took first-team snaps at left guard last week with La’el Collins apparently moving closer to locking down the right tackle spot. Green, who was drafted in the third round of the 2015 draft to be the right tackle of the future, has been slowed by injuries in his first two years. Now the Cowboys appear to be willing to go with Collins as tackle. Jonathan Cooper might be the odds-on favorite to be the starting left guard, but with the coaches looking to get him comfortable at playing center, Green is getting a chance to show some position flexibility.
Quarterback Zac Dysert was claimed last week off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals. While he does not have regular-season game experience to draw upon, he has been with enough teams to have a good working knowledge of systems. He didn’t take a snap last week in the one OTA open to the media, but with a week under his belt, he could split time with undrafted rookie Cooper Rush.
Tight end Rico Gathers has been lauded for his offseason work, but he was sick last week and missed two OTAs. While he has fans in high places within the organization, he still has to earn a roster spot. He can help himself by getting back to work this week. With Gathers out last week, Connor Hamlett and Blake Jarwin were able to make some plays with the No. 2 offense.