5 Things I Hope Happen In Cowboys Training Camp
By Cory Mageors | @inthemageors
As Cowboys Training Camp is in full action now in Oxnard, I think all fans of the team are pulling for a Super Bowl.
The thing is, so many other things have to happen before they can even sniff that opportunity. So I'm keeping my eyes on a few things for this training camp period.
1. I hope the competition gets nasty.
It's already started. Dez and Patmon. Right now, it's training camp and it shouldn't matter where you are on the planet, you should want to beat your opponent.
Jason Garrett has talked about this a thousand times, whether it's a school yard, a parking lot, or AT&T stadium -- he wants his team to be ready to compete, to be ready to fight. That's a makeup, a mentality. Being one of those kinds of guys that always has cleats in the trunk just in case you gotta show somebody. Dez and Patmon were competing, and on a daily basis the competition will be brutal. But if you can scrap and battle hard in practice, and the opponent doesn't have that same mental and physical mindset, then you've won the preparation battle. You only have to execute.
Execution is easier when you have an edge and that edge comes from competition. Garrett even did it with Tyron Smith pairing with Greg Hardy, and adding La'el Collins to the mix for the O-line to stay on their toes. Little things throughout this roster provide great motivation, whether it's fear of losing a starting spot, grudges, or incentives, they all add competitive balance and make the team better.
2. I hope they find a run game.
I think Joseph Randle has the skills to do it. It's an argument of different running styles from Murray to Randle, and lack of depth at the position right now. I totally get that. I'm of the belief that maybe Randle needs less carries than Murray did to get similar yards. The important factors will be picking up the blitz, and gaining yards on negative plays.
Every once in a while, Murray would get caught behind the line and he still found a way to get at least a yard out of it. It was pounded into his head that negative yards impact each series. If you get the ball on first down, do not make it a 2nd-and-12 situation.
With so many variables at the running back position, I hate to try to simplify it, but quite simply I hope they find a runner that can compliment the rest of the arsenal at Tony Romo's disposal.
3. I hope the hunger is there.
Last year this team got their guts ripped out and stepped on. It was a catch. Despite your interpretation of the rule, or your biased towards or against the player/team, watch the play again and honestly tell me it wasn't.
That being said, the team was crushed and stewed during the off-season. I feel like that team thought they had a lot more left in their season and spent the entire off-season thinking about how to make themselves better this year. Garrett's already talked about starting over, and not trying to carry over success from last year. This sends you back to hope No. 1, the competition.
As I've said there are three great motivating factors in sports: 1) Grudge Match 2) Contract Season, & 3) Fun babies.
No women aren't on the list, they are a distraction. The Cowboys have a grudge with nearly the entire league after what happened last year, a lot to prove. And if you bring up Dez getting his money in a contract season, that's fine, he's probably got the most motivation and grudge of the entire team. That's gonna make him hungry; I hope they can all harness that hunger.
4. Lastly, I hope the defense finds a way to unify again and not be begging for Rolando McClain and Greg Hardy to join the team.
That has nothing to do with me not wanting McClain and Hardy to join the team. It has everything to do with me wanting this defense to be rock solid enough that it doesn't need them for the first four games, and then when the Cowboys D gets them it's like adding a free agent Ace pitcher in the middle of the season while you are on your way to a pennant.
I want them to step into an already cruising Ferrari. Hop on a train that is full steam. Any more clichés you can think of?
It's simple, if this defense is running along and they look good without Hardy and McClain to start, then the team can only benefit from hungry incentivized pass rush and playmaking defensive players.
5) I hope the regular season starts soon.
Man, injuries suck and nobody wants the team to deal with that, so let's move this thing along quickly and get to real football.
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