OXNARD, Calif. — Here are some of the top storylines from Monday's practice here in Oxnard:
One to Watch: After having one of if not his best day of training camp yet, left tackle Tyler Guyton went down with an injury towards the end of practice. After spending a bit of time on the ground, Guyton walked off the field on his own power accompanied by the team's training staff. It was clearly something that affected the team as a whole, as some energy left the practice field after Guyton walked off. - (Tommy Yarrish)
Finally!: At long last, Dak Prescott and George Pickens connected on a deep ball during Monday's practice. Brian Schottenheimer said that they were being patient with downfield shots early in camp as he wants his players to get their feet under them in order to avoid soft tissue injuries, but a couple here and there never hurt, right?. - (Tommy Yarrish)
Captain Hook: Have yourself a day, Malik Hooker. The veteran safety may or may not hear the outside noise, but he is ratcheting up his intensity, literally, and play as padded practices roll along. On Day 2 of padded work, Hooker was on demon time in both run defense and in coverage; and that includes putting some guys on the ground with his hits, though probably to the chagrin of Brian Schottenheimer. - (Patrik Walker)
Holding His Ground: The Mazi Smith experience continues into week two of camp as the former first round pick aims to produce in Matt Eberfus' defensive system. He pieced together multiple stops against the run game and held his ground against some first and second team competition. There were even a few reps where Smith lined up outside on the offensive tackle, hoping that his versatility can span across the entire defensive line. - (Kyle Youmans)
Turpin Time?: One player Brian Schottenheimer would love to get involved with the offensive scheme more is KaVontae Turpin. This showed on Monday as Turpin received multiple targets in the passing game and was successful down the field. One throw from Dak Prescott resulted on a 15-20 yard completion down field, while another utilized his speed in the screen game. - (Kyle Youmans)
Fowl' Play: Dante Fowler is going to, once again, be a problem for offenses that oppose the Cowboys. In the second padded practice, he showed his ability to not only rush the passer, but also to stop the run. One on play in particular, a handoff to running back JaVonte Williams, Fowler knifed past Steele to meet Williams at the QB — virtually at the same time. - (Patrik Walker)
"Thud" Life – If you've watched one practice to this point in camp, you've heard the coaches yelling "Stay Up" when it comes to contact, hoping there is no tackling, but only plenty of "thuds" as Brian Schottenheimer calls it when a defender pops the ball-carrier, showing some physicality without an actual tackle. Well, the defense did plenty of "thudding" on Monday, headlined mostly by safety Malik Hooker, who had a few big hits. But overall, the defense brought some physicality to the practice. Newly-signed linebacker James Houston had a nice hit over the middle, taking the wide receiver straight to the ground. - (Nick Eatman)
