Early portions of training camp can be extremely misleading. Practices without contact while wearing just shells have a way of misrepresenting what’s really happening. That doesn’t mean it’s all garbage and unworthy of our attention, but it does mean certain aspects should be taken with a grain of salt.
Matters of speed and agility qualify as aspects in which some solid conclusions can be made. The Dallas Cowboys are hoping more than a few players shine in these areas, and the early portions of training camp provide the perfect stage in which to show them.
Jaydon Blue has already made headlines by lighting up Oxnard with an electrifying run to the house. An honest game of two-hand touch couldn’t have brought him down short of paydirt, so it’s safe to say would-be tackles would face a similar fruitless fate. But no one was worried about Blue. We knew coming in he had the juice in his arsenal; it’s other players we were worried about who didn’t have the speed and agility required to meet expectations this year. Here are three:
DaRon Bland
DaRon Bland, coming off a second injury-filled season, is paid to be the Cowboys’ CB1 this year. But with two foot surgeries in two years, no one knows if he has what it takes to be a top-flight cornerback in the NFL anymore. A good showing against air will go a long way in instilling faith.
Shavon Revel
Shavon Revel, a promising second-year cornerback coming off injuries of his own, is another player who must prove he has the speed and mobility required. Last seen, Revel looked about as flexible as piece of uncooked pasta. He was lumbering and robotic, struggling to shadow the receivers he once blanketed.
Simply seeing movement in space would go a long way in alleviating fears. Revel has already ditched the infamous knee brace from last season and been given the official go-ahead clearing him for camp. The next thing up is the physical ability to do the job.
Jake Ferguson
Jake Ferguson, tight end, is coming off a pair of poor seasons. While he notched plenty of marks in the touchdown column last season (8), he failed to do much of anything with the ball in his hands. Ferguson has never been a fast or athletic player in Dallas, but after bulking up, he seems to have lost whatever wiggle he once had.
At age 27, Ferguson still has youth on his side, so if he dedicated the offseason to speed and agility training, he should be able to recoup some of his lost luster. Playing in pads will tell the true story with Ferguson, but shinning a little early on will go a long way in calming concerns.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 3 Cowboys who must show speed, agility early in training camp
Reporting by Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire | USA TODAY Network
