FRISCO, Texas – Two days into the Dallas Cowboys' three-day mandatory minicamp, the last official act of this 2026 offseason, seems to be just like old times.
Saw CeeDee Lamb sprinting down the right sideline, double-lane wide open with what appeared to be a Dak Prescott St. Louis Gateway Arch-high pass heading his way. No. 88 made a twisting, over-the-head catch for a would-be touchdown and made sure to display the ball high in the air, celebrating the rest of the way into the end zone.
Then, too, with the curious tale of George Pickens' absence from those voluntary OTA workouts concluding with his attendance these past two days, there was GP, catching passes during the uncovered individual portions of these mandatory workouts, dancing on the sideline, comically celebrating – maybe more so probably just happy to be here.
Controversy averted.
Yep, no more Curious George.
No more missed "voluntary" workouts.
No evidence of contract disgruntlement.
No pouting over failing to receive a long-term, signing-bonus advanced contract.
No outward sign of being disrespected, having been franchised for the guaranteed $27.3 million, one-year deal.
Nope, same old 2025 GP. Smiling. Cordial. Having little-kid fun playing football after his nearly six-month extended absence from The Star, save for showing up a few days after the NFL Draft to sign his franchise tag tender.
Said he was just doing what his agent told him to do, to withhold voluntary services, ostensibly the only way to mildly protest not receiving every player's desired long-term deal. And then when his agent said OK, go, Pickens went, saying, "I wanted to be with the guys."
And the guys wanted him to be here, too. Even though Pickens did not participate in the 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 portions of the workouts out of an abundance of team physical caution, there seemed to be a better pep in everyone's step. That included the head coach Brian Schottenheimer and his legion of assistants, a special treat for all those new defensive ones to actually be on the field for the first time with Pickens, the first-time Pro Bowl receiver who led the Cowboys with a career-high year worth of 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns.
Asked if he could do that again?
"Super, super fathomable," GP said.
So is he OK playing on the tag?
"The tag and all that, it's football first, see what I mean," he said. "You definitely play football first, kind of like I did last year, and then you let, well, let my agent worry about it, really."
And your teammates, their reaction to having you back?
"I'm super happy to be back, and I know they were happy I'm back," he said.
And no lie, said third-year receiver Ryan Flournoy, inheriting most of those Pickens absence-induced forfeited first-team snaps, "He brings a definite kind of energy to the room … just his energy, I'm glad he's here."
So is everyone else.
And you know what, just being around George following practice, during and after he held court for media members, so is George.
Just like last year.
- Always One Up: So first-time defensive coordinator Christian Parker always is on his toes answering questions. Sort of like when he first got here, and someone asked him what it's like to hold this position at such a tender coaching age of 34, and he responded with, "I don't know, I've always been young." Well, this time the question was, what will it be like the first time as the defensive coordinator calling plays in a real game? His response: "Every play caller had to call their first game at some time." Touche.
- Caught Speeding: Mentioned this recently since Brian Schotteheimer has made a point of last year's fifth-round pick Jaydon Blue's increased preparation earning him more opportunities to become the changeup running back. Said the head coach, "He's come back with a different look on his face." How great it would be to have Blue, after watching him run that 4.28 time during his Pro Day 40 at Texas, line up at running back with the speedy KaVontae Turpin in the slot? Well, asked Blue what it would be like to have that much speed on the field at the same time, and he said, "We talk about that a lot." Need a budding match race at training camp.
- Supplemental Work: Back to the video work for the scouting department with locally ruled ineligible quarterback (Lake Dallas High School) Brendan Sorsby pulling up shallow stakes at Texas Tech to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft in the coming weeks. Hey, who knows what might take place in the blind bids teams can make, but knowing if awarded the player they must give up that corresponding round in next year's draft. First became acquainted with the Supplemental Draft in 1989 when the Cowboys ended up using a first-round bid for Jimmy Johnson's former Miami Hurricanes quarterback Steve Walsh, even after a few months earlier using the first pick in the NFL Draft on QB Troy Aikman. As it turned out, with the Cowboys going 1-15 that season, they ended up forfeiting the first pick in the 1990 draft. Maybe a good thing, since chances are with the first pick in that draft they most likely would not have traded up from the 21st pick to 17 to select Emmitt Smith, not when sorely needing defensive help. Because that year, with quarterback Jeff George and running back Blair Thomas going 1-2, the next three picks were Jimmy's Miami defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy, Alabama linebacker Keith McCants and USC linebacker Junior Seau.
- BTW: Interesting note on the Supplemental Draft: As coincidence would have it, the last player selected in the NFL Supplemental Draft came in 2019 when Arizona won with a fifth-round bid on Washington State safety Jalen Thompson. Yes, the same Jalen Thompson signed by the Cowboys this offseason to a three-year free agent deal.
- Self-Deprecating: Must admit, until Tuesday night, and not being any sort of soccer fan, though covering the Clemson soccer team in the mid-1970s and then the Dallas Sidekicks and Tatu playing indoor soccer in the MISL and winning the 1986-87 title over Tacoma, I had never seen Lionel Messi actually play in a game. And then, just to show me what I've been missing, he scores the three-goal hat trick in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria. My untrained soccer scouting eyes telling me he's, um, pretty darn good.
- Another Sad Ending: After a star-studded college career at the University of Missouri, earning the San Francisco 49ers' seventh pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the turbulent life of Aldon Smith came to an end on Saturday when he passed away sitting in a vehicle after delivering pizzas to a homeless shelter in San Jose, Calif. Smith played his final year of football with the Cowboys in 2020, after having been indefinitely suspended for multiple infractions to NFL conduct policies and not having played a full season since his 2015 suspension after just nine games. Seemingly, the Pro Bowl defensive end had turned around a life littered with substance abuse infractions, DUI and assault arrests, to play a full 16-game season for the Cowboys, finishing with 48 tackles, five sacks, five TFLs, 14 QB hits and two forced fumbles. Aldon's family is going to send his brain to the Boston University CTE Center to see whether chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from numerous concussions contributed to his death. The coroner's office has yet to issue a cause of death.
- Mini-Shots: To clarify those 3-4 inside linebacker roles, the Cowboys label them as the Mike and the Jack, with DeMarvion Overshown mostly playing the Mike and Dee Winters the Jack that turns into the Dime if on the nickel, meaning then move guy … And for sure, third-round draft choice Jaishawn Barham is the Mike with last year's fifth-round draft choice Shemar James the Jack, both running second team … After two minicamp practices, with the final of three on Thursday, the battle between Joe Milton and Sam Howell for the backup QB job appears to be coming down to accuracy, and if these two minicamp practices mean anything, Howell is the much more accurate of the two … Even though he was a late free agent addition, don't go to sleep on ninth-year veteran receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. He got some play with the first team in three-receiver sets with Pickens not yet in 11-on-11 drills … And for this you don't say, when offensive coordinator Klayton Adams was asked about the possibility of using more NFL trending three tight end/one receiver formations, he said it's a thought, but then again which Pro Bowl wide receiver are you sitting on the bench, CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens. To me, 'nuff said.
And let's give Christian Parker this week's last word while addressing his role changing from being a previous defensive backs assistant/pass game coordinator to a first-time defensive coordinator. Now, instead of simply addressing merely the players in his position group, he's dealing with all the defensive players on a daily basis.
"I've done that before, obviously not at this rate," Parker began, having previously been an assistant in Denver and Philadelphia. "I think the thing that is most different is, like, we start off with an hour block, we start with the unit, I'll go. They then break up into position meetings; it's like where do I go now.
"Then in practice, during individual (drills), I'm used to getting my hands dirty and (now) I'm walking around with my arms crossed like I'm a security guard. So I try to keep myself occupied during those moments. It's been good, a good transition, popping in and out of rooms, doing those things. And sometimes I'll meet with the back seven or just the front seven after we finish those unit meetings, but it's been a good adjustment."
And what about then being on the field? Since you have a defensive backs background, do you try to go elsewhere?
"There still is, like, when we break stretch, this magnetic pull that pulls me to the direction of the DBs," Parker said. "Luckily, they switch when they start individuals, so I can't naturally find them every single time. I try my best to stay away from that. I still go over there, still talk to those guys and communicate with them, but at the end of the day, it's about all levels and making sure I do that at a high level."
See there, some major revelations during these mini's.
