OXNARD, Calif. (105.3 The Fan) - The Cowboys have held four practices through the first week of training camp in Oxnard, California, but Monday could be described as the first “real” practice of camp.
On Monday, the Cowboys will get in their first padded practice of camp, meaning several players that have impressed in jerseys and shorts will get the chance to show that their performances translate when the hits start coming.
Here are some of the Cowboys players who have stood out as we enter padded practices:
OT Josh Ball
I had a lot of questions about Josh Ball heading into this training camp, after he looked completely overwhelmed during spring practices. After struggling in practices last year, and missing his entire rookie season due to injury, it was
disappointing to see a lack of progress on the field during OTAs and minicamp.
Ball has responded in a big way here in Oxnard, showing good quickness and hand usage. With pads coming on today, I’ll have my eyes on him to see who he’s dealing with power, which was a concern coming into camp.
CB Anthony Brown
Anthony Brown might be having the best camp of anyone on the team. He’s made several pass breakups in the red zone and has won the vast majority of his reps against guys like Jalen Tolbert and CeeDee Lamb.
Head coach Mike McCarthy praised Brown in his press conference on Friday,
poking fun at the media that they weren’t giving Brown enough love.
WR Noah Brown
You’re going to see a lot of wide receivers on this list. The nature of these training camp practices often allows receivers to flash in ways that other positions can’t.
Noah Brown has made several tough catches at practice and has looked
smoother with his route running than in years past. With so much turnover and uncertainty at the receiver position, it would be a huge boost if Brown could provide some improved play.
DT Osa Odighizuwa
Osa Odighizuwa played so well in the first half of last season but seemed to hit the proverbial “rookie wall” in the back half of the year.
Odighizuwa came to camp looking in peak physical shape and has given a lot of problems to Connor McGovern and Tyler Smith at left guard, particularly with a smooth spin move that he’s used with consistent success.
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LB Micah Parsons
This feels like cheating a little bit because I think everyone expected Micah
Parsons to look good after his dynamic rookie campaign.
But Parsons seems to be raising the bar, coming to camp looking trimmed down, and even more explosive. Parsons has won his fair share of reps across the formation, even besting Tyron Smith a few times.
WR Jalen Tolbert
I mentioned earlier that Anthony Brown might be the top performer at camp so far, but the only time I can recall him looking silly was on the first day of practice. Rookie Jalen Tolbert sold the fade route in red zone drills, slammed on the breaks for a comeback route, and caused Brown to lose his footing and almost fall down.
Tolbert has looked as adept as any of the receivers during drills and has made a couple of really nice sideline grabs.
WR TJ Vasher
TJ Vasher is going to be an important name to remember. New receivers coach Robert Prince is a big fan of big-bodied receivers with a wide catch radius, and no other receiver on the roster competes with Vasher in that department.
Vasher measures in at 6’6 with an 84-inch wingspan, 10-inch hands, and a 37-inch vertical. Those traits have been on display in the first week, with the 2021 UDFA out of Texas Tech making several high-point catches, and giving Cowboys fans their most viral moment of training camp on Friday when he made an OBJ-style one-handed catch in the corner of the end zone while falling backward.
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