Camp Sights: Daily Hot Takes Include Winning WRs, McAdoo Shining & More

* (Editor’s Note: At the end of each day here at training camp in Oxnard, the staff writers will each provide their own personal observation, ranging anywhere from a particular player who is standing out, a position that needs an upgrade, or even their own personal experiences regarding the daily rigors of camp.)* Nick Eatman: There’s always a receiver who comes out of nowhere to shine at camp and so far, the guy has been Andy Jones, seemingly every day. You always know who is getting the coaches’ attention when Jason Garrett calls out his name during the “Compete” period, which pits players in 1-on-1 matchups with the entire team looking on. On this day, Jones got called out to face cornerback Josh Thomas, made a nice breakup on the pass down the field. But Jones had earlier made a nice 1-on-1 catch in the end zone and is starting to distance himself on the depth chart from the other receivers. Bryan Broaddus: I thought it was a much better day for the receivers when it came to the 1-on-1 drills coming out of the red zone. There were quality catches from Dez Bryant and Andy Jones that resulted in touchdowns. Cole Beasley, Lucky Whitehead and Ed Eagan were able to shake loose from the slot on their match ups to win inside. Brice Butler who I was critical was able to execute two really nice slants after struggling to win on those routes on Thursday. As a group, the receivers did a much better job of taking the fight to the corners where in the previous practices that wasn’t the case at all. Rob Phillips: Continue to notice Mike McAdoo among these young pass rushers. Repeatedly he won one-on-one rush matchups against offensive tackle Cameron Bradfield with inside and outside moves, and he had a would-be sack on Dak Prescott in team drills. Prior to signing to the Cowboys’ practice squad last December, McAdoo had been out of football since 2013 after suffering season-ending knee and Achilles injuries in 2011 and 2012. He has a tall and slender frame for a defensive end but can win with quickness. Rod Marinelli has said he’s looking for eight guys who can comprise an effective defensive line rotation. McAdoo will obviously need a strong preseason to be in the conversation, but he’s one to keep an eye on. David Helman: Before Friday’s practice started, another reporter leaned over to me and said he thought the offense was going to crush the defense. It was a justifiable opinion, considering that Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten were all back to practice, while Sean Lee and Barry Church were sitting out. But when Jason Garrett gathered his team for the much-anticipated Compete Period of practice, the opposite happened. The defense reeled off five-straight wins in 1-on-1 competition. Josh Thomas broke up a long pass to Andy Jones. Mark Nzeocha crushed Darius Jackson in blitz pickup. James Morris blew up Rico Gathers in blitz protection David Irving raced past Chaz Green, and Ryan Russell hit Cameron Bradfield with a fantastic spin move. Jason Garrett himself called the Compete Period a “bludgeoning,” and it was hard to argue with him. The defense dominated.