Tag: 2022 training camp

California Convert: Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy ‘wouldn’t leave Oxnard until we have to next year’

Mike McCarthy wasn’t sure about the annual Oxnard trip in 2020; now he’d vote to make the Cowboys’ training camp stay there even longer. | From @ToddBrock24f7

For someone who was at first quite skeptical of picking up training camp and moving it to a beach town 1,500 miles away from home, Mike McCarthy has become a California convert in a very short time.

The Cowboys head coach spoke to the media on Tuesday just before his team’s first camp session in Frisco and on the heels of a nearly month-long stay on the West Coast. And while the home of the Cowboys is undeniably deep in the heart of Texas, McCarthy says the annual tradition of holding the first portion of camp in Oxnard is one he wouldn’t mind extending.

“In hindsight,” McCarthy told reporters, “I wouldn’t leave Oxnard until we have to next year. I’d consider staying there this week [leading into the third and final preseason game].”

As it is, the team will hold just two practices this year in front of home fans. Compare that to 13 public practice sessions for the California crowd.

The yearly trip to Oxnard is typically described as a circus, and that’s not far off. It costs seven figures and takes over six months of planning to relocate the entire organization to the 15-acre, 32-building California campus each July.

McCarthy admits he had misgivings when he first joined the team in 2020 about why a cross-country vacation was part of the club’s routine at a time of year when hardcore football instruction should be the only objective.

“Everybody just kept talking about how much fun you had out there,” McCarthy explained Tuesday. “I never heard anybody talk about, ‘Hey, the football was good, the practices were great.’ It was everything but football. If someone said anything about Oxnard, it had nothing to do with the football team getting better. What coach wouldn’t be nervous if you’d never went out there before?”

It took McCarthy a while to get it. The team’s 2020 trip- and even McCarthy’s own pre-camp scouting trip that year- was axed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And by the time he visited Oxnard for the first time in 2021, an HBO camera crew was already embedded for the filming of that season’s Hard Knocks reality series.

But somewhere in between the press conferences and the packed grandstands and celebrity appearances and autograph sessions near the merch tent, McCarthy saw the value in working his players in 75-degree temperatures and coastal breezes as opposed to the stifling triple-digit heat indices of the Metroplex.

McCarthy’s Packers teams held camp right at home, in the cool summers of Wisconsin. But given the brutal north Texas heat and humidity, the Cowboys are one of just a few teams anymore who travel for camp. And they have for over 40 years.

Of course, some of that is simply because they’re the Dallas Cowboys and they draw a crowd wherever they go. But McCarthy has warmed up to what the players and coaches alike get out of their California camp trip.

“I’ve been around some great training camp environments,” the coach shared, “but to have the practice fields a two-minute walk from your dorm room, then your office is another minute-walk from there, and the cafeteria is 10 more steps from that. It’s beautiful and it’s extremely functional, so we were able to get a lot of work done there.”

The Cowboys are squeezing as much as they can out of the final week of camp at the Ford Center. Two practices are open to the public, complete with all the fanfare of a second opening ceremony (held Tuesday). ESPN will tape its First Take show at Tostitos Championship Plaza on Thursday morning, and a glitzy blue-carpet Season Kickoff Event takes place that evening, all before the preseason finale versus Seattle at AT&T Stadium on Friday.

While it’s difficult to imagine team owner Jerry Jones scrapping those fan-friendly cash-cow events at home just to drag out the Oxnard stay a little longer, it sounds as if McCarthy has done a complete 180 on the subject. He may have once doubted the team would get much real work done on the coast; now he’s actually longing for those California days.

“Our practice environment in Oxnard: I am so pleased with it,” he continued. “We get to go heavy two days in a row. The recovery is in place. The weather is a huge part of it. I think the 11-hour work day helps the players. They definitely have the regeneration period and recovery in the evenings. That is something over the last two years. I think Oxnard has been a tremendous asset for us to train.”

It will continue to be so. The Cowboys have inked a deal with the city to return through 2025.

And if it’s up to McCarthy, they may start staying even longer.

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Cowboys put veteran TE on IR, cut four others, to make 80-man deadline

Lirim Hajrullahu, Christian Sam, Quandre Mosely, and Jaquarii Roberson were waived/released on Tuesday; Jeremy Sprinkle goes to IR.

Five more Cowboys are cleaning out their locker at The Star in Frisco.

With a 3 p.m. deadline to trim the roster to 80 players, the Cowboys have announced that linebacker Christian Sam, wide receiver Jaquarii Roberson, and cornerback Quandre Mosely have been waived. News of kicker Lirim Hajrullahu’s cut had been announced earlier in the day. Veteran tight end Jeremy Sprinkle was placed on injured reserve with an Achilles issue, ending his 2022 season.

Of that group, Sprinkle had the most experience. The 28-year-old, a former fifth-round draft pick, spent four seasons with rival Washington before joining the Cowboys in 2021. Used primarily as a blocker and on special teams, he caught just three passes last season. The team currently has four other tight ends in Dalton Schultz, Sean McKeon, fourth-round draft pick Jake Ferguson, and undrafted free agent Peyton Hendershot.

Sam was a sixth-round draft pick by the Patriots in 2018. He spent time in camp with three other NFL teams before landing with the Tampa Bay Bandits and then the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL this past spring. The native Texan signed with Dallas in July following the conclusion of the USFL season. Sam has an injury designation.

Mosely and Roberson were undrafted free agent rookies this season from Kentucky and Wake Forest, respectively.

With one more preseason game to play on Friday, the Cowboys must now cut 27 more players to get their roster to 53 by Aug. 30.

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Report: Cowboys make decision at kicker, waive Lirim Hajrullahu

Ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, the Cowboys have informed the CFL star he’ll be waived, leaving Brett Maher the only kicker in Dallas. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys have reportedly decided on their kicker.

According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, the club has notified Lirim Hajrullahu that he has been waived. Gehlken cited a person familiar with the situation early Tuesday afternoon, in advance of the deadline to trim the roster to 80 players.

That move leaves Brett Maher as the only kicker left in training camp. Maher and Hajrullahu had been locked in a back-and-forth battle for weeks, with Maher seemingly holding a slight edge.

The 32-year-old Maher was previously the Cowboys’ kicker in 2018 and 2019. He hit multiple field goals of over 60 yards during that stint, but struggled with attempts from shorter distances. He was released toward the end of the 2019 season.

Hajrullahu, a former CFL star, was in his second straight camp with Dallas. He filled in briefly in 2021 for Greg Zuerlein and saw action in Week 10 versus Atlanta. He was brought back in July to provide competition for undrafted free agent Jonathan Garibay.

After neither kicker set himself apart in the early days of camp in Oxnard, the Cowboys invited a handful of kickers for even more competition. Maher was signed; Garibay was let go.

Now, with one preseason game left to play, Maher is the last man standing. Barring a surprise, he will be the team’s kicker Week 1 versus Tampa Bay.

During Saturday’s game against the Chargers, Maher missed his only field goal try, a 61-yard attempt.

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Cowboys DE Sam Williams opening eyes around league, opening up possibilities for Dallas defense

The second-round draft pick is turning heads with his speed and strength, but he’s also developing the smarts to know how to best use them. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Sam Williams led the Cowboys defensive line in snaps for the second preseason game in a row.

And the rookie is making the most of those chances. The Ole Miss product is showing not only why the Cowboys made him a second-round draft pick back in April, but also why he belongs in Dan Quinn’s heavy rotation at defensive end come September.

Williams didn’t make a huge dent in Saturday’s box score, assisting on just two tackles on the night. But he certainly made his presence known, consistently blowing up opposing linemen and breathing down the quarterback’s neck on seemingly every other play.

One of those pressures forced a rushed throw that was picked off by safety Israel Mukuamu.

Sooner or later, Williams knows, the highlight will be his. Just 77 game snaps into his pro career, it’s already getting easier.

“It is, it is,” he told reporters after Saturday’s 32-18 win over the Chargers. “When I watch the film, I’ll be like, ‘Dang, I should have had this. Dang, I should have had that.’ But you can’t reverse time; I’m just trying to get better and better every day.”

So far, it seems to be working.

The calling card on the 6-foot-4-inch Williams early in camp was his insane speed. But studying and fine-tuning his technique every day- with guys like DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons as his mentors- has helped him add to his rapidly growing toolbox.

In his 33 snaps against Denver, Williams made it a point to try out a variety of moves. That impressed NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger.

By preseason Week 2, he was putting his speed, power, and technique together. Baldinger sees room for improvement in the 23-year-old, but also sees tantalizing possibilities once he’s paired up with other game-wreckers in the Cowboys defensive unit.

“Imagine if Micah is coming from the other side, and Sam Williams has this takeoff on this left tackle,” the former Cowboys lineman said via Twitter. “If you can do this and flush the quarterback, Micah, Odighizuwa, Fowler… somebody’s going to clean up.”

“That right there will open some eyes in that film room,” Baldinger continued.

The youngster has Sunday speed and strength for days. But he’s already figured out that’s not enough at this level.

It’s the mental part of the game- the strategic chess match of how to prepare for an opponent all week long- that so often determines how effective that speed and strength will be.

And that’s what Williams is soaking up as camp comes to a close and the regular season looms.

“In college, it was easier to a know a tendency, but now, in the NFL, they change so much based on who they’re going against,” he explained. “They might pass-set different for me than they would for a bigger guy or a slower guy. I try to find tendencies, I try to find the weakness, but it’s hard because you’re going against somebody that watches film, too.”

Increasingly, it looks like Cowboys opponents will find themselves having to watch plenty of film on Sam Williams.

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WATCH: Bears press conferences from final training camp practice

The Bears held their final practice of training camp on Sunday, where Alan Williams, David Montgomery and more met with the media.

The Chicago Bears returned to Halas Hall on Sunday for their final practice of training camp.

It was a closed practice, which featured plenty of updates. That includes along the offensive line as Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom once again lined up with the starters at right guard and right tackle. Quarterback Justin Fields had another strong outing, but the defense ended practice on a strong note.

Here’s a look at the press conferences following Sunday’s practice, which featured defensive coordinator Alan Williams, running back David Montgomery, defensive tackle Justin Jones and defensive end Trevis Gipson.

DC Alan Williams

RB David Montgomery

DT Justin Jones

DE Trevis Gipson

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Teven Jenkins, Larry Borom remain with first-team offense during Bears’ final training camp practice

For the second straight practice, Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom lined up at right guard and right tackle with the Bears’ first-team offense.

The Chicago Bears offensive line has been a hot topic of conversation throughout the offseason. And on the final day of training camp, things have gotten interesting.

For the second straight practice, Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom lined up at right guard and right tackle with the first-team offense. They also started last Thursday’s preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks.

At this point, it sounds like the right guard and right tackle jobs are Jenkins and Borom’s to lose. Not that Eberflus would hint that Jenkins or Borom are the presumptive starters.

“It’s about guys who can sustain the performance, can sustain execution, and then take that to the first week,” Eberflus said. “So we’ll let that play out and we’ll see where it is.”

The Bears have remained true to their promise to explore all possible combinations this summer, which has included a position move for Jenkins and Borom getting another shot at right tackle.

Chicago has promised to put the best five guys out there on the offensive line. And while there are still a few weeks before the start of the regular season, the final starting offensive line combination of training camp feels significant.

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Bears injury updates on final day of training camp

Bears RB Khalil Herbert and FB Khari Blasingame return to practice on the final day of training camp.

The Chicago Bears have battled injuries throughout training camp. But on the final day of training camp, Chicago got some good news.

According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, Bears running back Khalil Herbert and fullback Khari Blasingame returned to practice on Sunday.

Blasingame was spotted with a brace on his left arm during last Thursday’s preseason game against the Seahawks. But the brace was off and Blasingame was back practicing.

Meanwhile, Herbert was carted off at Saturday’s practice, but he was back one day later, which is great news for Chicago.

There wasn’t any mention of rookie running back Trestan Ebner, who didn’t practice Saturday after suffering an apparent injury in Thursday’s preseason game.

Rookie safety Jaquan Brisker, who impressed in his preseason debut on Aug. 13, has since missed practice and the team’s second preseason game with a right hand injury. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport revealed Brisker had surgery on his thumb and the hope is he’s ready in time for Week 1.

The Bears lost rookie center Doug Kramer to what appears to be a Lisfranc injury, and he landed on injured reserve last week.

Chicago placed wide receiver David Moore on IR on Sunday, which ends his season. They signed fullback Jake Bargas in a corresponding roster move.

Center Lucas Patrick remains sidelined after suffering a broken thumb early on in training camp, and he’s expected back for the regular season opener.

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10 takeaways from conclusion of Bears training camp

There are still plenty of questions surrounding the Bears heading into 2022. But here’s what we learned about the team from training camp.

The Chicago Bears are wrapping training camp with just one preseason game left on the docket. The team’s culture has changed, the Bears have adopted a new identity on defense, the offense has been bit by the injury bug, and star linebacker Roquan Smith demanded a trade.

It’s shaping up to be a good year for Justin Fields in a new offensive scheme, but the lack of offensive line and wide receiver depth will challenge the scheme’s effectiveness.

Trade rumors continue to swirl around Teven Jenkins and Roquan Smith, and speculation of the Bears acquiring more players to replace lost depth on the roster continues.

While there are still plenty of questions surrounding this team ahead of the season, here are 10 takeaways following the conclusion of Bears training camp.

Bears LB Roquan Smith practices for first time at training camp

It was good news for the Bears defense as star linebacker Roquan Smith practiced for the first time this training camp on Saturday.

Following their dominant preseason win, the Bears received good news as All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith returned to practice Saturday. Smith joined teammates for a non-contact workout in the Walter Payton Center.

“We were super excited about that with him,” said head coach Matt Eberflus. “He’s ramping up to get ready to go.”

Per Eberflus, Smith participated is in a ramp up period, where he participated only in individual drills.

The star linebacker is in the final year of his rookie contract and looking for a long-term extension. It’s been rumored that he wants to be the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL. However, despite participating in the entire offseason program, he opened training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Despite coming off the PUP list on Aug. 10, Smith hadn’t practiced until today. Throughout the ongoing contract negotiations, Roquan has felt the Bears didn’t value him and weren’t negotiating in good faith. As a result, he requested a trade on Aug. 9.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Smith plans to play out his rookie contract, which runs through 2022.

Last year, Smith recorded a career-high 163 tackles with 12 tackles for loss, three sacks, and one interception that he returned for a touchdown. He has compiled at least 100 tackles in his four seasons, the first Bears player to accomplish that in four years since Lance Briggs during the 2004-2009 seasons.

Hopefully, this is a sign of a future deal between Roquan and the Bears front office. Ryan Poles has made it clear that he values Smith and wants to keep the homegrown talent on the Bears.

‘Nothing but opportunity’: Cowboys’ season start may be giant Hail Mary for Prescott, young WRs

Cowboys fans may be worried about the team’s lack of WR experience, but Dak Prescott is using camp to develop a valuable rapport with them. | From @ToddBrock24f7

There’s a growing sense from a large contingent of Cowboys Nation that the team desperately needs to bring in outside help at wide receiver, that last season’s top-ranked offense cannot possibly go into the 2022 season banking on its current stable of inexperienced pass-catchers to carry the load.

But the man dishing them the ball doesn’t seem worried at all.

“I do what I’m asked to do,” Dak Prescott told reporters after Thursday’s joint practice with the Chargers. “Being the quarterback of this team and any time you’re playing this position, you know your responsibilities: to get other guys to come with you, to get others guys to be locked in, be disciplined. There’s no difference whether the receiving corps is old or young: they look to me for answers; I look for them just to communicate and be on the same page. We’ll continue to do that and continue to grow.”

There’s plenty of growth happening in the Dallas WR room these days. CeeDee Lamb, the passing game’s primary weapon, has been sidelined the past two days with a cut on his foot. Michael Gallup and newly-signed James Washington, presumably the next two targets in the pecking order, are both rehabbing injuries; neither will be on the field for the start of the season.

That leaves seven other actual wide receivers on the roster. Six of them are in either their first or second year as a pro. Not a one has a single NFL reception on his resumé.

Only Noah Brown has actual receiving stats: 39 career catches in six years.

And he missed Thursday, too.

In other words, the door is wide open.

“Nothing but opportunity, honestly. And it was big for them,” Prescott said of his younger receivers. “I talked about it Monday, just them being able to step into an opportunity, make some plays, do something maybe that they haven’t done.”

Like snag a walk-off Hail Mary touchdown catch. Both Simi Fehoko and Dennis Houston were in the area when Prescott uncorked a bomb on the final snap of Thursday’s scrimmage.

It was the sort of play that Prescott would like to have gotten off as time expired in January’s wild-card loss to San Francisco. Converting it now, seven months later in a practice session, doesn’t make last season’s disappointment easier to swallow, but it definitely offers a glimmer of hope moving forward.

“It was definitely good to end on that note: just being in that situation: end of game, having to go Hail Mary, with the clock running,” Prescott told media members in Costa Mesa. “The guys did a good job of protecting, giving me a lane, letting me buy some time. I jumped up in there, and I saw Simi and Dennis; I felt like they had a good shot at it. I put it up, and I feel like it was just them two fighting for it. I’m glad we came down with it.”

And just maybe, that one play makes it easier for the Cowboys to believe that they can get by without signing a free agent wide receiver in the three weeks leading up to the season opener.

Gallup ran routes and caught a few passes from Prescott after Thursday’s scrimmage, but he has said he won’t be ready for Week 1. Washington could miss the first month of action, if not more. The “clown stuff” that apparently led to Lamb getting stitches in his toe this week only highlighted how tenuous the situation is for Dallas at wide receiver.

But it also closely mimics a typical football season, where one moment can change everything and force an untested youngster into a starring role on the biggest of stages.

That’s a frustrating prospect for the average Cowboys fan who is sure he has a better grasp on how to spend the Joneses’ money than they do.

But, right or wrong, Prescott continues to simply work with what he’s got.

“I don’t necessarily get frustrated. That’s what this is about,” he concluded. “This is exactly about that time to work and make other guys step up, take advantage of their opportunity. Who knows- hopefully not, but there may be times that those [veteran] guys aren’t available, and we have to know what we’re working with. Those guys have to know what I expect from them, how they expect me to throw the ball. That’s all good things to be worked on.”

Prescott and his green receiving corps ended Thursday’s practice with a Hail Mary.

They may have to start the season with one, too.

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