Cavanaugh Breaks Down Cowboys Training Camp Practice
By Jeff Cavanaugh | @JC1053
Quick thoughts from Thursday's practice as well as tape study of Wednesday practice:
There a couple of different hype trains out in here in Oxnard, one of which I think needs to wait about 12 months and one everyone can go ahead and jump aboard.
The "Tyrone Crawford is going to be a star" feel free to jump on. The skillset that he's developed is so complete, I think he's a Pro Bowl caliber player right this second. The thing that jumps out at you is just how powerful he is. In one of the 1 on 1s he walked Travis Frederick back to the QB with basically no resistance. He's beating guys that way, he's showing burst and quickness off the snap, he's going to be a force.
The hype train that needs to pump the brakes for 12 months is the "La'el Collins for starting LG" train. It's not going to happen. He flashes as a guy that has talent but the comparison between he and Ron Leary is not close at all. Leary can't be moved, he's flawless in his passing off stunts with Tyron Smith in the 2 on 2s, and he's done a great job handling all comers in their 1 on 1 situations, including Greg Hardy. Collins has times where he plays with hesitations, he's not perfect on stunts, and he's getting beaten on occasion by guys that you can't have that happen with. Leary will be the LG unless something drastically changes. He's a FA at the end of the year though, and you can't pay everybody. We can resume our La'el Collins love next year at this time.
Hardy has beaten Tyron Smith by my count one time, total. You could make the case for Dez Bryant, but I'll say Tyron Smith is the best player on this team.
Zack Martin is basically a perfect OG too. So light on his feet yet so strong. The line is going to be so good.
My guy Lucky Whitehead is doing the same thing every single day out here. Gets open against whoever is in front of him. Devin Street isn't having a great camp. Neither is Terrance Williams. He's not having a bad camp, but he's been too inconsistent with his hands and it goes back to the fact that he's a body catcher. The three guys having the best camp at WR continue to be Dez/Beasley/Whitehead. Now let's see Whitehead do it in a game or two.
Jack Crawford, Ben Gardner and Ryan Russell are some of the less heralded DL guys that are showing a little something and have a pretty good shot at making the team.
Mackenzy Bernadeau/La'el Collins/Darrion Weems are the early names I'd guess that will be carried as the backup OL guys.
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