The Dallas Cowboys held their brief two-practice mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and Wednesday before heading to vacation for the summer ahead of the beginning of training camp on July 22.
With storylines surrounding new faces, the presence of defensive end Micah Parsons and where certain players stack on the depth chart moving through The Star in Frisco, the Star-Telegram was on-hand to see what direction the Cowboys are heading in the first season under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
With one walkthrough practice on Thursday still to go before the team officially departs on vacation, here is what to know from the team’s mandatory minicamp this week.
Micah Parsons present and active
Parsons kept his promise.
Throughout the offseason, he has consistently said that he will continue to show up for team activities even if he does not have his new contract extension from the team in hand just yet. He was in the building on Monday to take part in his team physical evaluation, and he was on the field on Tuesday with his teammates.
Tuesday’s practice didn’t see Parsons necessarily participate. Instead, he stood off to the side and chipped into conversation for the beginning of the session before team owner and general manager Jerry Jones pulled him aside for a conversation that lasted roughly 25 minutes. While Parsons insisted that the conversation did not address the status of his contract extension, he said he is waiting on Jones to make the phone call to his agent to get the deal done.
“That’s what it comes down to,” Parsons said. “He gives the green light, he’s the owner. I’m going to keep still playing football. I’m going to keep showing up and preparing like any other year.”
Parsons said he already has set plans to be in Oxnard for training camp, although his practice participation could be determined based on his contract extension status.
More shine for George Pickens
On Tuesday, newly acquired wide receiver George Pickens hauled in five receptions during the team period on a variety of routes. One comeback route win against cornerback Israel Mukuamu was the highlight. On Wednesday, he scored on a two-point conversion on a corner route throw from Dak Prescott, who he continues to show early chemistry with in the offseason program.
“It’s getting better and better every time,” Pickens said. “Learning the plays the more I’m here, and I’m getting the minutia of how [Prescott] wants to run his plays. We’re getting connected, for sure.”
Pickens rocked a dark visor for the indoor practice on Wednesday, as the team went inside the Ford Center to avoid bad weather.
Dak Prescott finding tight end duo
There was little consistency to be found in the tight end room in 2024, as Jake Ferguson battled two separate injuries and Luke Schoonmaker was worked in and out of the lineup.
In minicamp, Prescott has been building that consistency back with a pair of tight ends. Ferguson is the usual suspect. Brevyn Spann-Ford is not.
On Tuesday, Spann-Ford got a healthy amount of action with the first-team unit after shining in the team’s OTA sessions last month. On Wednesday, he was targeted twice with the first-team, including a reception on a two-point conversion attempt. The 2024 undrafted product out of Minnesota quickly found his way onto the roster in his rookie season for his blocking ability at 6-foot-7, 270 pounds, but now he is starting to put it together from a receiving standpoint.
“He’s always had it,” Ferguson said. “It’s just fine tuning the details. He’s always been a great athlete. It’s about learning the game and getting it as much. I’m excited, for sure.”
Ferguson hauled in a 22-yard touchdown pass on his specialized seam route from Prescott on Wednesday, as the two find their stride once again.
“I love the seam ball, he loves throwing it,” Ferguson said. “We just happened to have it called today. We’ve been repping it daily with routes on air. That’s been a connection that’s been building continuously. You guys just saw a piece of it today.”
Rookies standing out early on
Not enough good things can be said from team sources about the top of the rookie class, led by first-round pick Tyler Booker on the offensive line and second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku on the defensive line.
While the rest of the rookie class has worked primarily with the second and third-team units, Booker has been a mainstay at right guard with the first-team offensive line group.
“We’re building great chemistry,” Booker said. “Having guys with experience right next to me, if I ever have a question before the snap, they’re able to help me out and lead me in the right direction. But I’m trying to make sure that doesn’t become a habit. I’m very prideful in knowing the offense, and I want to make sure that I’m not holding this room back by any means.”
Ezeiruaku has flashed his elite bend and agility in getting to the quarterback on multiple occasions, even if the offseason program doesn’t allow players in the trenches to be as physical as they may want to be. In talking to one team source, the expectation is that Ezeiruaku will get very important snaps in his rookie season to help keep the edge rusher group as a whole as fresh as possible throughout the course of a game, and to get him his own opportunities to attack the passer as well.
Other brief observations
In two seasons under the offensive system of Mike McCarthy, wide receiver KaVontae Turpin carried the ball 27 times for 202 yards out of the backfield. Expect for that to continue under Brian Schottenheimer, who called an outside zone carry for Turpin on Wednesday.
Defensive end Sam Williams returned to the practice field for the first time without a brace since tearing his ACL last July. While he only participated in individual drills, he is expected to be fully cleared in time for training camp.
Across the two practices, backup quarterback Joe Milton was 13-for-15 passing including touchdown throws to Jonathan Mingo and Ryan Flournoy. He continues to show improvement with each offseason availability in controlling his overthrows and finding more precise accuracy in the intermediate passing range.
Offensive lineman Robert Jones, who started all 17 games for the Miami Dolphins last season, left practice early on Tuesday and was not present on Wednesday. Cornerback Trevon Diggs, rookie cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., cornerback Josh Butler, rookie linebacker Shemar James, cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., tight end John Stephens Jr. and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown all did not practice this week.
With Micah Parsons not participating in team drills, Payton Turner and Marshawn Kneeland rotated reps with the first-team unit at defensive end. Dante Fowler Jr. was a mainstay on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
Running back Deuce Vaughn got some action with the second-team unit on Wednesday. The rookie duo of Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah continue to see their bulk action with the third-team unit. Veterans Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams have rotated with the first-team.
Cornerback Kaiir Elam registered a pass breakup in both practices, as he adds to his strong first offseason with the team. While not a lot of stock can be put into practice sessions without pads on, Elam is making sure he stands out while the team looks for answers at cornerback.