Oxnard Observations: Cowboys first two days from camp offer intriguing possibilities
The changes under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer have been noticeable. "We're gonna be multiple. We're gonna be under center. We're gonna be in shotgun. We're gonna run the pistol. We're gonna run some wildcat. We're gonna be very difficult to defend."
Following Monday's practice, content creator Voch Lombardi spoke about how the team utilized motion and shifts in 90% of plays, and employed play-action with quarterback Dak Prescott under center much more frequently than under former head coach Mike McCarthy.
KaVontae Turpin has already shown his versatility on offense on Tuesday. Lined up as a running back, he took his first touch for a big play that would've gone for a touchdown in an actual game. He was also thrown a wide receiver quick screen and connected on a deep ball down the sideline.
Also on Tuesday, second-year defensive end Marshawn Kneeland started in an impactful way. He had a sack and an interception off of quarterback Dak Prescott, and returned it for a touchdown.
The tight end room has had a mix of good and bad across the two days. They made plenty of plays in the opening days of camp, but were also part of the first scuffle in camp and had a drop. They made the entire room drop for pushups. Jake Ferguson and Brevyn Spann-Ford had big plays over the middle, and Spann-Ford had another big play during an off-script play.
Jevonte Williams and Miles Sanders were with the first team at running back, with Jaydon Blue on the second team and Phil Mafah and Deuce Vaughn on the third team. It's hard to judge running backs when there's no pads on with no tackling, but the pecking orders become telling of the coaches' expectations.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or on YouTube at Across the Cowboys podcast
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Standout observations from the first two days of Cowboys training camp
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Justin Fields participates in 7-on-7 drills at Jets practice, 2 days after dislocating toe
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields participated in 7-on-7 drills at training camp Saturday, two days after being carted from the field with a dislocated toe. Fields threw passes during quarterback positional drills and then again in a session with wide receivers, including tossing a perfectly placed deep ball to Tyler Johnson for a big gain that drew cheers from the fans in the stands. Fields didn't participate in team drills and will continue to be evaluated on a daily basis. The Jets have their first off day from practice Sunday. 'I thought he did a good job in 7-on-7s,' coach Aaron Glenn said. 'And the thing is, he has a ways to go until we get him out there and we're going to make sure we keep the process going, keep the protocol going to make sure he's ready.' Fields sent fans and social media into a frenzy Thursday when he dislocated a toe on his right foot early in practice. He was carted from the field to the facility, where he had multiple tests before the team announced the diagnosis — relieving fears that it could be an even more significant injury. Fields watched practice Friday from the sideline while wearing his helmet but had progressed enough Saturday to take part in some of the practice. Glenn didn't think Fields, expected to be the starter in his first season with the Jets, would fall behind because of the injury. 'He's going to be just fine,' the coach said. 'He missed one day. He's been in meetings, so he's going to be just fine.' Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor continues to lead the offense during team drills while Fields is sidelined. ___ AP NFL:
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
2025 MLB betting: Nick Kurtz now a massive favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year
Coming off of a historic game on Friday night in which he became the first Major League Baseball rookie to hit four home runs, the general public has been introduced to Athletics rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz. This is coming off a week where the 22-year-old Kurtz was named the AL Player of the Week. The betting market has taken notice as well. Kurtz opened up far down the odds board to win American League Rookie of the Year at BetMGM with 80-1 odds. New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez opened as the favorite at +600. It wasn't all smooth sailing for Kurtz, as Yahoo's Jordan Shusterman detailed in this article, as he went through and 0-for-21 skid in May before breaking out and becoming the best hitter in baseball in July. On June 14, Kurtz was down to 14-1 odds (tied for the second-best odds), but still a massive underdog to his Athletics teammate Jacob Wilson, who was -1000 to win the AL ROY. That equates to roughly a 90.9% chance to win the award. Even five days ago on July 21, Wilson was the +100 favorite at BetMGM and Kurtz was second at +160. Wilson had second-most wagers (11%, behind the Royals' Jac Caglionone) and by far the most money of any player at 33%. Wilson also represented the sportsbook's biggest liability on the award. But after Friday night's offensive explosion, Kurtz became the odds-on favorite for the first time all season and now has -2000 odds to win, an implied probability of 95% to win the award. It's an astonishing baseball — and betting — story, and one we'll be sure to follow throughout the rest of the season.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Report – Inter Milan Aiming To Offload Belgium International Imminently
Inter Milan are aiming to offload defender Zinho Vanheusden within the next week or two. This according to Italian outlet FCInterNews. They report that the Belgian has not reported for preseason training, and the Nerazzurri are working with his agents to find a solution. Inter Milan signed defender Zinho Vanheusden to their youth academy all the way back in 2015. The Belgian was very highly rated when the Nerazzurri brought him in from Standard Liege. And the hopes were high for him. Inter would loan Vanheusden back to Standard for some time. Then, they subsequently sold him on a permanent basis. And in the summer of 2021, exercised a buyback clause on the young defender. A succession of loan spells followed. Vanheusden joined Genoa and then AZ Alkmaar on loan. However, these two years were absolutely blighted by injury for the Belgian. Including a broken foot that he sustained while at AZ. Inter Aiming To Offload Zinho Vanheusden In Next Couple Weeks Belgium's Zinho Vanheusden pictured during a press moment of Belgian national soccer team Red Devils to prepare three qualification games for the 2022 World Cup, Tuesday 31 August 2021 in Tubize. BELGA PHOTO BRUNO FAHY (Photo by BRUNO FAHY/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images) In the summer of 2023, Inter loaned Vanheusden back to Standard Liege. For whatever reason, the Belgian's boyhood club seemed to be the one place that he could avoid unfortunate injuries and string together some playing time. However, Standard did not sign Vanheusden outright at the end of that loan spell. Therefore, the Belgian joined Mechelen on loan last summer. However, Vanheusden barely featured for the Belgian club. Once again, injuries played a major role in this. Having once looked like he could feature regularly for Belgium, even earning a senior cap, Vanheusden looks very much out in the cold. There would hardly be any chance of the 25-year-old playing for Inter. However, as the Gazzetta note, Vanheusden is still under contract with the Nerazzurri. The Belgian is still on the same five-year deal that he signed when he rejoined Inter in the summer of 2025. According to FCInterNews, though, Inter are looking to facilitate an exit for Vanheusden soon. The Belgian has not reported for preseason training. That in spite of the fact that he is still under contract with the Nerazzurri. According to FCIN, Inter have been in contact with Vanheusden's representatives. They are hoping that they can find a new club for him within the next week or two. Furthermore, FCIN report, Vanheusden is not likely to join another club in Belgium again.
