FRISCO, Texas – During Tuesday practice, several players had a big day on the offensive and defensive side of the football for the Dallas Cowboys.
Slot receiver Cole Beasley has missed several practices due to a groin injury, but has been back on the field participating in drills this week. He looked smooth on routes and had nice footwork to be able to adjust during plays. He had some one-on-one time with Dak Prescott with basic throwing and catching. He did not have his best season last year, but Prescott has stated that he is his “go to” guy. No.11 will be one to watch when the regular season begins, as he will play both roles this season lining up inside and out at the line of scrimmage.
The first team offense worked a lot with the running backs. Their star rusher, Ezekiel Elliott, looked as good as he ever has. He had perfect ease in finding holes after the snap of the ball, and had a rush up the middle all the way to the end zone for a touchdown. He will play a big part in the utilization of the running game, as well as Rod Smith, who will bring added depth and take some of the pressure off Elliott. Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott will not play the last two-preseason games as a precaution to injury.
Newcomer, S Tyree Robinson, whom the Cowboys picked up from free agency this year, had a stellar performance with an interception along the sideline. He was able to use his footwork after the catch to stay in bounds with the ball. His energetic coach, Kris Richard, ran to him after the play to congratulate him. The secondary has struggled with holding penalties on man-to-man the last two-preseason games, and the effort that Robinson showed during practice, and Awuzie showed during the Bengals game with his one-handed interception, are strengthening the momentum in the defensive backfield.
DeMarcus Lawrence is up to his same old tricks. He had pressure on the quarterback and would have had a sack if the tackle were allowed. He has an innate ability on the edge of the defensive line and will no doubt be a threat this season to offenses around the league. His instincts are always on target and he has done well on pass protection drills throughout camp against the o-line, and has helped some of the young guys in the competition for DE become better players. If players stay around “the tank” for long, they improve learning from one of the best ends in football.
