The Dallas Cowboys had Wednesday free from padded practice, but they still took the field in jerseys for a walk-through mock game, which gave them a chance to make some last-minute preparations before the Los Angeles Rams visit for a combined practice on Thursday.
At the official midway point of training camp in Oxnard, the assistant coaches were made accessible to the media following practice, with players, position groupings, and narratives taking center stage around the team’s buzz.
Trey Lance’s Development
Although Trey Lance’s competition to be Dak Prescott’s backup started when the club arrived in California two weeks ago, his big break will come on Sunday when the preseason kicks off. When asked about Lance’s best area for improvement, quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien mentioned the process as a whole.
Tolzien believed that when one domino falls, the whole picture can slow down. Tolzien remarked, “I wouldn’t say it’s one thing specifically.” “With him, it basically comes down to following the process and attempting to stack the good days. He will continue to add to those aspects because he is still a baby in the system and loves where he is right now.”
The previous offseason, the quarterbacks’ footwork was emphasized in the position room as part of Mike McCarthy’s scheme. This is Lance’s first full offseason in Dallas, so his growth has been heavily focused on it.
“Thankfully, he’s super coachable and I’ve always appreciated that,” he stated. “He accepts it and tries to do it correctly. A major component of our goal is improving our footwork.”
Zgonina on Mazi Smith
During training camp, first-year defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina gained notoriety on social media for his harsh, direct coaching style, which has occasionally resulted in second-year defensive tackle Mazi Smith and other players facing the wrath of the Oxnard football team.
Zgonina has observed that Smith has improved already and has responded effectively to the teaching style from the beginning. “He has no option,” Zgonina remarked.
“I say it in jest; he’s doing great. Yes, I take a different approach than most others, but I believe that’s why he is drawn to it. He is complying with my requests and has acknowledged it. I have no issues with him, and he has no issues with me.”
“He’s doing well. He’s picking up a new look. We’ve changed somewhat from the previous year. We’re working to find the best fit for him while he learns and tries new things. He’s in good shape, but we need to get his conditioning going since he didn’t get it going coming off the injury last spring. He simply needs to improve daily, which is the reason we are in training camp.”
Kneeland’s Work Ethic
Marshawn Kneeland, a defensive lineman selected in the second round by the Cowboys, has received early appreciation from coaches and teammates for his effort, work ethic, and intention during training camp as he prepares for his rookie campaign. It has been encouraging to watch Kneeland strive to take the NFL step, even on their off days, according to assistant defensive line coach Greg Ellis, who has spent the most of his time working with the defensive ends in Oxnard, particularly with Kneeland.
“On our off day, Marshawn calls me and asks to meet to look at some film,” Ellis explained. “I told my wife I had to leave to go see some film with one of the guys while we were still speaking. I was happy to see that a guy with his level of potential recognizes that success requires more than just what they accomplished in college.”
Micah the Chess Piece
Former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and his coaching staff gave Micah Parsons more opportunities in his third season. Parsons was used as a decoy who occasionally dropped back into coverage and as an over-the-center pass rusher. Paul Guenther, the defensive run game coordinator, claims that Mike Zimmer’s scheme has adopted the same ideas and concepts, but this time with even greater desire to maximize Parsons’ potential for his defense.
“We’re going to utilize his abilities to what puts him in the best position, our team in the best position,” Guenther stated. “He just needs to understand the role; sometimes it will be good for him, and other times it will be good for the guy next to him.”
Our true goal is to help him comprehend the defense as a whole, not just one particular area.” Guenther views Parsons’ adaptability as kind of a movable component that has the potential to upset Zimmer’s system in a number of ways. Parsons will eventually get to that place on his own since he will gradually have a deeper understanding of the system.
“I always tell him knowledge is power, and you know everything that we’re doing and this is why we’re doing this, we may be sending you here or over here,” he continued. “You have to move a guy like that around a lot.”
LBs Under Zimme
The offensive players and coaches have talked a lot about the disguise work that Mike Zimmer’s defense has thrown at them pre-snap, which has opened up more post-snap deception that could pay off in the regular season.
This has happened early in training camp. In addition, with more players in the room and in the strategy, the linebacker position has grown significantly in importance. In reference to that, linebackers coach Scott McCurley stated on Wednesday that his team is now spending more time in the backfield than they did in the past.
“For one, we’re pressuring right now,” he stated. “With the linebacker position, we’re coming forward much more than we did in the past. You have to enjoy any opportunity you get to get a few reps where you have to come forward and pressure the quarterback. We must not stop contributing. Producive linebackers are produced by this technology.”
