105.3 The Fan's Cowboys radio analyst and former Cowboys quarterback Babe Laufenberg is answering questions every week this preseason to help get you ready for the upcoming season.
Here are the questions Babe answered this week:
Question 1. Training camp has changed over the years with less padded and shorter lengths of practices. With the various changes, how different is it from when you played and what do you watch for at camp?
There is no question that things are different today, and certainly easier for the players. When I entered the league in 1983, training camp lasted 7 weeks and it was full pads, two practices a day from day one. The big relief came on Wednesday, when we only had one practice and it was in shoulder pads and helmets. Of course, we had it better than the guys who played when there were 6 preseason games. As the great Pat Summerall once told me, "there is a simple fact of life. We were all born too early."
What I watch for when I attend training camp practice is the pass rush drill. It is a pass rusher against an offensive lineman and you can really see a lot. You can make educated judgments on QBs and WRs in shorts. You don't know about linemen until the pads come on, and there is no better or more revealing drill in training camp.
Question 2. Dak has thrown some interceptions in camp, which has furthered the interception talk from last year. In what ways can the Cowboys cut down on their interceptions?
Dak was tied for the league lead in interceptions last year with 15, while missing 5 games. It was the most games missed by a QB who led the league in interceptions in NFL history. That said, Dak has a track record of taking care of the football, so I see last year as an aberration.
Question 3. What players or positions are you focused on at camp?
My eyes are on two veteran players that could make a huge difference, cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Cooks will turn 30 in September, Gilmore 33. That is rocking chair time for an NFL player, but Cooks looks like he has not lost any of his 4.3 speed, and Gilmore makes up for those 33 year old legs with his 33 year old brain. Gilmore is not the ball hawk he was during his NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019- he had two interceptions in 16 starts last year- but one of those came against Dak Prescott. Cooks will give the Cowboys a deep threat they did not have last year, but he is not just a speed guy, he is an outstanding route runner. I look for big things from him opposite CeeDee Lamb.
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