PA Season Ticket Holder
05-06-2003, 01:13 AM
May 5, 2003) – It's the start of a new era for the Dallas Cowboys, and the first difference you will notice is that the sheriff is not dressed in white.
Bill Parcells showed up for his first minicamp as Dallas head coach last weekend wearing khakis and a blue Cowboys T-shirt with white lettering. Since the Cowboys came into existence in 1960 with Tom Landry as coach, I don't think any coach has worn anything but a white T-shirt to practice. It may be a subtle difference, but it is symbolic nonetheless. The Parcells regime will be unique.
The biggest difference at this camp for rookies and selected younger veterans was that the 19 rookies on hand wore helmets without the familiar Dallas stars on them. The stars, Parcells said, would have to be earned.
Cornerback Terence Newman , who has already earned the respect that comes with being the fifth overall pick in the draft, was "rewarded" by being appointed Parcells' personal waterboy. During every break in practice, the former Kansas State star had to bring the coach his water.
Parcells has a relatively young coaching staff, with the likes of Sean Payton, Maurice Carthon and holdover Mike Zimmer. And even though they've been together only a short time, the thoroughness of the staff was unbelievable. The emphasis in minicamp was on individual drills by position, with attention to detail in developing these players. This is a young team that is starting from the ground up.
They also spent a good deal of time working on special teams, which is a big factor for rookies who might find themselves on the bubble in training camp. A rookie who is good in kick coverage has a better shot at making the squad than one who isn't. By working on that aspect of the game early and often, the coaching staff will be better prepared to make that decision.
It's my observation that this team will win two games this year that they wouldn't have won a year ago simply because of better preparation.
One thing that really caught my eye was that they spent a lot of time working on screen plays. The Cowboys haven't used the screen much since Tom Landry was coaching the team. Screens can be very effective when run properly, but they require a lot of work on timing.
http://nfl.com/news/story/6354569
Bill Parcells showed up for his first minicamp as Dallas head coach last weekend wearing khakis and a blue Cowboys T-shirt with white lettering. Since the Cowboys came into existence in 1960 with Tom Landry as coach, I don't think any coach has worn anything but a white T-shirt to practice. It may be a subtle difference, but it is symbolic nonetheless. The Parcells regime will be unique.
The biggest difference at this camp for rookies and selected younger veterans was that the 19 rookies on hand wore helmets without the familiar Dallas stars on them. The stars, Parcells said, would have to be earned.
Cornerback Terence Newman , who has already earned the respect that comes with being the fifth overall pick in the draft, was "rewarded" by being appointed Parcells' personal waterboy. During every break in practice, the former Kansas State star had to bring the coach his water.
Parcells has a relatively young coaching staff, with the likes of Sean Payton, Maurice Carthon and holdover Mike Zimmer. And even though they've been together only a short time, the thoroughness of the staff was unbelievable. The emphasis in minicamp was on individual drills by position, with attention to detail in developing these players. This is a young team that is starting from the ground up.
They also spent a good deal of time working on special teams, which is a big factor for rookies who might find themselves on the bubble in training camp. A rookie who is good in kick coverage has a better shot at making the squad than one who isn't. By working on that aspect of the game early and often, the coaching staff will be better prepared to make that decision.
It's my observation that this team will win two games this year that they wouldn't have won a year ago simply because of better preparation.
One thing that really caught my eye was that they spent a lot of time working on screen plays. The Cowboys haven't used the screen much since Tom Landry was coaching the team. Screens can be very effective when run properly, but they require a lot of work on timing.
http://nfl.com/news/story/6354569