Cowboys Camp: McCarthy Q-&-A And 'Indoors & In Pads' Observations
FRISCO - As CowboysSI.com reported on Sunday evening - and as a credit to new Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who is already showing a penchant for multiplicity on offense, defense and decision-making - we all moved inside for today's Monday camp session.
INJURY NEWS: There was enough room, there was plenty of pace ... and there was an injury, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy going down about halfway through the morning workout.
READ MORE: Cowboys Camp: Gerald McCoy Leaves Monday Practice With Leg Injury
Meanwhile, as we chase that news ... McCarthy made a grand admission just before the start of Sunday's sweltering second training camp practice outdoors here at The Star in Frisco. He conceded that he's new to football in Texas and that he conducts nightly "ethics meetings'' to consider changes in the structure of workouts.
So today came two major changes.
IN PADS, INDOORS: The team's first practice in pads is was already the schedule for Monday. And now, in an "ethics meeting'' change, the team's Monday morning session is being moved indoors, to Ford Center.
"My personal goal is to be on the grass,'' McCarthy said a few days ago. "That's just a personal preference. The weather and those types of things will factor into it. … I'm sure there will be days or a day or two where we may come inside with Ford Center."
But on Monday morning, he also mentioned the need to be on the "AstroTurf'' ... and so inside we went.
READ MORE: Cowboys Camp: Tank Lawrence Q-&-A, From Proud Papa To Popsicles
READ MORE: Day 2 Review: Camp Standouts and 'Meet The Ball Hawks'
READ MORE: Roster Move Made As Everson Griffen Readies
READ MORE: Uniform Alert: Cowboys Put Names On Practice Jerseys
GRIFFEN PRESENT: Everson Griffin is here at The Star, apparently having passed COVID-19 testing. He watched from sideline with No. 96 jersey.
TWO BACKS AT ONCE: McCarthy in the morning hinted a a "secret'' of sorts: (See "Cowboys Might Use RBs Ezekiel Elliott & Pollard Together.'')
O-LINE MISSING: La'el Collins (conditioning) is still not practicing. Nor is Cam Erving. But Brandon Knight is back and got the work at right tackle.
FEED CEEDEE: "Feed Zeke''? Of course, running circle routes out of the backfield (in my opinion, a good idea) and more. But "Feed CeeDee''? Yup. He was featured in Monday's practice in about as many ways as is possible. In my opinion.
COVID CHANGES: McCarthy and his staff are knee-deep in evaluating the 80-man camp roster, and maybe the COVID-19-related tightening of the summer schedule will mean less competitive practice situations. That is to say, picking this year's 53-man roster might already be largely done in the minds of the coaching staff.
The move inside Ford Center is a matter of "tightening,'' too; there's not as much space in there for 80 players to work as there is outside in the backyard. But for McCarthy, who previously coached the Green Bay Packers for 13 seasons in summers not quite as grueling as Texas', there are obviously benefits to air conditioning.
The 12,000-seat Ford Center has been used for team meetings, with a stage on the field and players spread out in the seats in the stands. On Monday, another of the many required adjustments will take place.
"I'm very impressed with our players and our staff just the way everybody has recreated the flow that you always look for at this time of year," McCarthy said.
On Monday, for the first time, the "flow'' came indoors. ... and so did, for the first time, a Cowboys camp injury.
THE FINAL WORD: "Guys are juiced. We're flying around. I think we all love Coach McCarthy.” - Ezekiel Elliott.
