Caleb Downs hasn’t been in the news for a couple of days, so it’s time to spark that back up. Downs was involved in the Dallas Cowboys’ first training camp scuffle, and while it didn’t amount to much, the intensity he’s showing offered some reminders of why Cowboy fans are so excited about him.
Maybe it’s time to start getting excited about rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham, who is drawing extensive praise for his start to camp, playing a position of need for the Cowboys.
And last season’s team sack leader, Jadeveon Clowney, will be playing his trade elsewhere in Texas as he is now off the market. Here is what Dallas is doing.
Caleb Downs
The Dallas Cowboys’ top draft pick, Caleb Downs, continues to draw raves a week into camp, and he also drew a shove in the closest thing Dallas has had to a training camp dust-up.
After an incomplete pass thrown to tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford at Saturday’s practice, Spann-Ford picked up the ball and headed to hand it to an official. Instead, Downs slapped the ball out of his hands, causing Spann-Ford to shove Downs. That was the extent of it, but it showed how Downs is proving to be a pest to the offense.
Meanwhile, another of Dallas’ new additions in the defensive backfield, safety Jalen Thompson, had this to say about Downs in an interview with the Dallas Morning News, which asked him if it’s OK to be “irrationally excited” about Downs:
”For sure,” Thompson said. “That’s a guy that works hard every day, bro. And like I said, the versatility that he brings to the team, the leadership that he brings. He’s always the first one in the line doing the drills; he’s always asking questions in the meetings. When you get a guy like that, kind of reminds me of myself when I was younger in the league. You get a guy like that, it’s special. Special.”
PJ Locke
The Cowboys’ first injury of training camp, to safety PJ Locke, doesn’t appear too serious. He hyperextended his knee in a non-contact situation on July 29 and was helped from the field.
At Monday’s practice, he was in pads, but not working out. His return should be in the next few days.
Jaishawn Barham
While Downs, and to a lesser extent the other first-round pick Malachi Lawrence, have dominated headlines throughout the offseason, rookie third-round pick Jaishawn Barham is also drawing big praise.
From ESPN’s Cowboys reporter Todd Archer: “It’s hard not to notice rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham. He is seeing some work with the first-team defense so far. He is active in the run game, filling holes, but he also showed good feel for zone work, knocking down a Prescott pass near the goal line.”
Matthew Lenix of the site Blogging the Boys listed Barham as one of the three most improved players, along with backup running backs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah.
Of Barham, Lenix writes: “Learning curves are expected in these situations, but Barham is looking like seasoned pro in a short amount of time. Whether it’s been against the run or the pass, Barham’s instincts and processing ability have been on full display.
”At Michigan, Barham played both linebacker and edge. He’ll be asked to due some of both in Dallas as well. That type of versatility makes him a great fit for what Christian Parker wants to do, and if he keeps that up when the pads come on, veteran Dee Winters will have some serious competition at middle linebacker.
”Yes, Barham is a rookie, but he’s taken a leap already. He’s adapted to the NFL very well so far, and the eyes on him will only increase once he’s in pads.”
Jadeveon Clowney
A key pickup early last season for the Cowboys was pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who came to the team on a one-year deal starting in Week 4 and led Dallas with 8 1/2 sacks.
The Cowboys never seemed interested in re-upping with him, perhaps because he might not fit defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s new system. At any rate, the market for him seems strong elsewhere, and indeed, he just signed with the team that drafted him first in the 2014 draft, the Houston Texans. He signed a one-year deal with a base value of $5.5 million, with a chance to make as much as $8 million with incentives.
“It was a really easy decision. It wasn’t about the money,” Clowney told the Houston Chronicle. Clowney lives in Houston.
After playing with the Texans for the first five years of his career, he has played for six teams in the previous seven seasons.
Dallas Cowboys depth chart
Offense:
QB Dak Prescott, Joe Milton III, Sam Howell
RB Javonte Williams, Jaydon Blue, Malik Davis, Phil Mafah
WR CeeDee Lamb, KaVontae Turpin, Anthony Smith, Denzel Mims
WR George Pickens, Marquez Valdez-Scantling, Tyler Johnson, Jordan Hudson
WR Ryan Flourney, Jonathan Mingo, Traeshon Holden, Camden Brown
TE Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spain-Ford, Luke Schoonmaker, Princeton Fant
FB Hunter Luepke
LT Tyler Guyton, Nate Thomas, Marcellus Johnson, Shiyazh Pete
LG Tyler Smith, Trevor Keegan, DJ Wingfield
C Cooper Beebe, Nick Leverett, Matt Hennessy
RG Tyler Booker, T.J. Bass, Chris Glazer
RT Terence Steele, Drew Shelton, Ajani Cornelius
Defense:
DE Quinnen Williams, Tydus Wheat, Tommy Dunn Jr., D.J. Withers
NT Otito Ogbonnia, Jay Toia
DE Kenny Clark, Jonathan Bullard, Kevin Gilliam Jr.
WLB Rashan Gary, James Houston, LT Overton, Marist Liufau
LILB DeMarvion Overshown, Jaishawn Bullard, Justin Barron
RILB Dee Winters, Shamar James, Curtis Robinson, Langston Patterson
SLB Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, Sam Williams, Isaiah Land
LCB Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel Jr., Caelen Carson, Darrion Kendrick
SS Jalen Thompson, Markquese Bell, Julius Wood
FS Malik Hooker, C.J. Locke, Alijah Clark
RCB DaRon Bland, Devin Moore, Josh Butler, Ameer Speed
NB Caleb Downs, Reddy Steward, Zion Childress
Special teams:
PK Brandon Aubrey
P Bryan Anger
PR KaVontae Turpin
KR KaVontae Turpin, Jayson Blue
LS Trent Sieg
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Cowboys news today: Rookie Caleb Downs shows intensity at camp
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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By Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
