OXNARD, Calif. - Former Cowboys great Deion Sanders said to watch out for him, and it looks like "Prime Time" may be on to something when he talks about Cowboys cornerback Evan Oglesby.
In what may be the deepest group of cornerbacks in franchise history, Oglesby has a tough road ahead of him if he wants to make the team, but the third-year veteran is doing everything he can in training camp here at the River Ridge Sports Complex to make a case for himself.
"Evan Oglesby continues to make plays," head coach Wade Phillips said. "He's had the most interceptions of any of our corners, any of our secondary people so far in practice."
In addition to Oglesby's six training camp interceptions, the cornerback has had several pass breakups and has shown good coverage ability. Though he did not see the field much, he did spend the entire season with the Cowboys last year, the team claiming him off waivers after the Baltimore Ravens released him at final cuts. But now, with an entire off-season with the club, Oglesby said he feels much more comfortable in the Cowboys system.
"I know the defense now. I've got a pretty good idea about the scheme," Oglesby said. "I feel comfortable with this defense, so I'm able to have my ability take effect."
That ability of which he speaks is not newfound. Sanders noticed it when the two were together in Baltimore at the end of the 2005 season, where he and Oglesby formed a strong bond, much like Sanders is forming with a certain other Cowboys cornerback.
"He took me in like one of his sons," Oglesby said. "He still today texts me everyday before the games, gives me inspirational speeches, texts me to work on this or that. He came to a couple of OTA practices and showed me how to work on a few things to better my game."
Secondary coach Dave Campo, who coached Sanders when he was with the Cowboys, can see some of Deion in Oglesby. That's not to say Oglesby's a unique talent like Sanders was, but Campo sees the same drive in both of them.
"He doesn't have that style to him, I guess is a way to put it," Campo said of the Sanders-Oglesby comparison. "But I love the fact that he competes, and that's a Deion Sanders trait."
Despite all the noise he's making in camp, Oglesby's spot on the final roster is far from secure. Five players are virtually safe - starters Terence Newman and Anthony Henry, partially reinstated Adam Jones, and draft picks Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick. Head coach Wade Phillips has said he's never kept more than six corners, which would leave one spot open, seemingly up for grabs between Oglesby and last year's seventh round draft pick Alan Ball.
Ball was out for a few days with an ankle sprain, giving Oglesby more reps, but has since returned. The coaching staff has been high on the former Illinois corner's upside since they drafted him last year.
But Oglesby has no delusions about his situation.
"He knows the paper," Campo said. "He knows how many guys are going to be here, and he knows that we're not going to keep eight corners, so he's come out and he's competed."
The fast-approaching preseason opener in San Diego on Saturday will give Oglesby a chance to strut his stuff, but Ball will most likely receive similar playing time. In the end, that last spot will probably come down to who makes more plays in the exhibition games at corner and on special teams.
But Oglesby said he won't let the competition at his position get in the way of his friendships with his teammates.
"We're all playmakers, we're all good professionals at the same time," Oglesby said. "Although we're fighting for a job, we all have a friendship, too. If we can't make it here, we want to have the same advice and take it to another team."
Getting picked up by another team seems every bit as likely as making the squad for Oglesby. The team and Oglesby himself know he has the skill to play in the pros, but the Cowboys may not have the luxury of a roster spot.
"I think we have a lot of guys that can play in the NFL, and will play in the NFL," Phillips said. "Maybe more than we can keep."
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