OXNARD, Calif. - It's almost eerie, but something's amiss out here - a pleasant feeling not typically reserved for August wafts through this California agricultural center, the Cowboys preseason just a day from bloom.
Chances are there's about 30 cities in the country where training camp and the preseason feel normal, but not this year with these Cowboys. No big question marks. No real worries. No concerns. And that one position that just-has-to-be addressed by September?
Where the heck is it? Hard to find one on this team.
It's doubtful many teams in the NFL have entered the preseason with this much confidence, and these few issues to deal with before the season starts. So many teams don't have a quarterback, or a secondary, or the offensive line is too young. Maybe they've got a rookie coach. Maybe they don't have a receiver - these Cowboys are thinking about who their third receiver is going to be, but what about all the teams who don't even have a first receiver?
You won't find many, if any teams returning so many of its usual starters from last year. And the one position the Cowboys really did make a personnel change, it looks like an upgrade - hall-of-famer-to-be Zach Thomas signing here, the decent-to-good Akin Ayodele heading to South Florida. They'll take that swap every day of the week.
Basically all 22 starting jobs on this team are secure. And, as in any preseason opener, the first unit will probably only play about a quarter. So why is Saturday's 9 p.m. (CDT) tilt in San Diego worth watching from start to finish, since it'll be midnight back home before the game ends? Here are five reasons to watch the whole thing.
Adam "Pacman" Jones will make his Cowboys debut Saturday. It will be interesting to see how much rust the cornerback will need to shake off since he missed all of last season while under suspension. The former Tennessee Titan oozes talent and has shown the competitiveness to return to form throughout training camp, so we'll see how he does when the lights come on.
While Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said Jones wouldn't be returning punts, he should get plenty of work at right cornerback in the first half against some of the Chargers' better receivers. He's racked up a few interceptions in practice out here. If he can pick off Phillip Rivers Saturday, many of the cornerback depth concerns from last season will melt away, a potential realization of the team's off-season progress at the position.
But he's not worried about any year-off hangovers. And his mind is totally on football.
"I'm just worried about football and doing what I've been doing since I've been in camp," he said. "I'll get in there for probably a quarter, quarter-and-a-half. Hopefully I'll get in the end zone. I've been waiting on this time for a whole year. I had a long vacation, I'm not saying I wanted it, but it's football season now and I'm happy to be back to work."
Zach Thomas will get to wear the helmet of his favorite childhood team for the first time Saturday. Like Jones, he could have some rust to shake off as well, missing most of the 2007 season because of a concussion. He's not shying away from contact in practice so his health shouldn't be a factor.
If his skills haven't diminished too much, Thomas gives the Cowboys a great player in the middle of the defense. He's the smallest linebacker the Cowboys have deployed since switching to the 3-4 defense in 2005, but he's played in the set before and size has never been much of an obstacle for him. He's been rangy in practice on outside runs, so while he won't be having to chase down LaDanian Tomlinson, who isn't playing, there's a chance he could show play-making ability that the Cowboys previously lacked there.
Developing Young Offensive Linemen has been a priority for this team for a few years. The entire starting five from last year returns, one of the team's real strengths, but because of the rough nature of life in the trenches, depth must be built.
Last season the Cowboys usually activated just seven linemen - the starters and swingmen Cory Procter and Pat McQuistan. This year, though, there's a battle between McQuistan and second-year tackle Doug Free for who could emerge as a primary backup. Though McQuistan has an extra year of NFL experience, Free has been solid throughout camp. It's tough to look good against DeMarcus Ware, but Free's been stoning just about everyone else.
"I should probably get a lot of reps in this game," Free said. "I've learned a lot of things, mainly dealing with pass protection. (New line coach Hudson Houck) has really come in and put a lot of effort into teaching me hand work, a lot of hand positioning."
Seeing the rookies is always a perk of the first preseason game. This year the Cowboys have a couple of first-round picks who should get extended playing time against the Chargers. Felix Jones won't be returning kickoffs, Phillips said, but he should get plenty of chances to display his speed at running back, maybe even sharing the backfield some with Marion Barber.
Mike Jenkins will start at left cornerback, filling in for the injured Terence Newman and fifth-rounder Orlando Scandrick will go third at that position behind Alan Ball. Both have flashed their talent through camp. Tight End Martellus Bennett and running back Tashard Choice will play as well, though both probably will be out by the fourth quarter. That's the time roster spots are won, so guys like sixth-round outside linebacker Erik Walden and safety Dowayne Davis will be worth watching late. Those guys will get their chance to show their stuff on special teams too.
Winning the game is sometimes an afterthought in preseason, but after seven months without pigskin, 60 minutes isn't enough. On Thursday the Cowboys players rehearsed for San Diego, so they have done some preparation. Part of building a team is teaching them how to win. Coaches like the chance to evaluate their players in live action situations, but if the game is close late in the fourth quarter, the main focus is winning.
When the team leaves Oxnard, the players, especially the young guys, will be looking to impress their coaches. Making the play that helps the team win is the most sure-fire way to earn a roster spot. Those spots aren't earned in the first preseason game, but it's a good place to start.
"We're ready to get started," Phillips said. "The train's pulling out and we want everybody that wants to play to get on it."
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