Training Camp Thoughts - 8/3/2010

Tony Romo is practicing with a little arm soreness and we get headlines over it. Is it really that much of a surprise that Romo gets sore every training camp? Isn't that what camp is for? I guess the media needs a story so they blow things out of proportion. I should be used to it by now.

If Brett Favre truly is retiring then things will get easier for the Cowboys on two fronts. First, the Vikings game will be a little easier but still no walkover victory. Second, the path to the NFC championship would be a lot easier without Favre running the show in Minnesota. I'll believe Favre is really retired when the season kicks off and he is still riding his lawnmower in Mississippi.

I read Peter King's SI.com article where he mentions that the injury to Dez Bryant might be a blessing in disguise. There is definitely some validity to his point. Our expectations for Dez were probably getting out of control with his early camp success. Now that he will be sitting for about another month it will allow the buzz to die down and anything he contributes early in the season will be a bonus. That is probably how we should have viewed him all along but it is hard to keep expectations realistic when a guy is flashing the skills that Dez possesses.

With the first preseason game coming up on Sunday it is looking like most of the highly drafted rookies won't be on the field. Sean Lee could still sneak onto the field but he'll have to get back to practicing very soon if that is going to happen. Dez is obviously out. And Akwasi Owusu-Ansah is very unlikely to play since he hasn't practiced yet at all. It is fortunate for the rookies that the Cowboys have an extra preseason game because they can afford to miss this week and they'll still get the same amount of preseason game reps as nearly every other NFL rookie.

I wonder how T.O. is going to behave on the field on Sunday. Will he talk with Romo and be friendly? Will he talk to Jerry Jones? How about Jason Garrett or Wade Phillips? I hope the Cowboys coaches and staff try to be the better men and reach out to T.O. The pregame chatter between the players might be one of the most interesting things to watch considering how long most of the guys who will be on the final 53-man roster will be playing in the game.