FRISCO, Texas – Cowboys minicamp rolled on Wednesday, with the second of three mandatory team practices taking place at the Star in Frisco.
It was a windy day on the practice fields, as the Cowboys rotated through individual drills to begin, went into special teams and spent a longer portion of practice in 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 periods than the previous day.
The third and final minicamp practice will take place on Thursday, the last time the team will work together as a whole until late July when they travel to Oxnard, California for training camp.
Let's take a look at some key moments from Wednesday's practice:
Quinnen Williams active in the backfield
In 11-on-11 periods, it's difficult for both the offensive and defensive lines to truly be able to go up against one another as there aren't any pads on, or as Brian Schottenheimer likes to say, isn't "real football."
While that notion has to be taken into account during this portion of the offseason, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams made his presence felt on Wednesday. He blew up a screen play to Jaydon Blue in the back field, and two plays later got pressure on Dak Prescott on an outside throw to KaVontae Turpin that turned out incomplete. – Tommy Yarrish
Locke and Key
Things are moving quickly for the Cowboys' defense, especially the secondary, as Christian Parker moves forward with installs. It's evident safety P.J. Locke has a ton of familiarity with Parker and the scheme though, their time together in Denver showing up in the second minicamp practice where Locke was breaking up passes on multiple occasions. – Patrik Walker
Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah get first team reps
Pro Bowl running back Javonte Williams did not take part in the team drills portion of practice on Wednesday. In his absence, Dallas' pair of second-year backs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah took reps with the first team.
Mafah had a strong carry on the first play of 11-on-11, and Jaydon Blue got involved in the passing game on a reception from Dak Prescott that led him up the sideline. – Tommy Yarrish
MVS Chemistry Test
Marquez Valdes-Scantling was brought in out of free agency this offseason to provide a stabilizing veteran presence behind the top three WR spots, and George Pickens' ramp-up at minicamp has afforded MVS the opportunity for first-team reps with Dak Prescott — an invaluable chance for him to try and carve out a spot on the 53-man roster down the road. – Patrik Walker
