Dallas Cowboys Practice Report: Matt Waletzko and Ronald Jones Return to Practice

The Dallas Cowboys are back at The Star in Frisco to prepare for their last week of the preseason. The team had a day of padded practice, showing how high the competition is, especially for some younger guys.

Dallas Cowboys Practice Report

Injury Updates

Because the depth on the offensive line has been in question, it was interesting to see if Matt Waletzko would practice after suffering a shoulder injury during Saturday’s game. During a conference call on Monday, head coach Mike McCarthy said that Waletzko had a chance to practice on Tuesday, and he did. Waletzko practicing during position drills with the rest of the offensive line.

Ronald Jones returned to practice for the first time since suffering a groin injury. If he can play on Saturday’s game against the Raiders, it would be his first time playing a preseason game with the Cowboys.

Guys that were dressed out or not participating in practice were Sheldrick Redwine (hamstring), Nahshon Wright (ankle), Malik Jefferson (foot), and Donovan Wilson (groin).

Mojo Moment

During the mojo moment, some moments showcased what the starters are capable of doing. They use these practices at full speed because they won’t play during the preseason.

This was the first time we saw Zack Martin back in the mix with the offensive line’s starting five. To no one’s surprise, the starting five were:

• RT – Terence Steele
• RG – Zack Martin
• C – Tyler Biadasz
• LG – Tyler Smith
• LT – Tyron Smith

Trevon Diggs would have had an interception off of Dak Prescott, but it was called back because of offsides by the defense.

Meanwhile, all eyes remain on kicker Brandon Aubrey and whether or not he can make kicks under pressure and consistently.

During the drill, the team left Aubrey with less than a minute to kick a game-winning field goal after the offense reached the 28-yard line. Good news, he nailed it, and the “mojo moment” ended.

Highlights From the Day

Kicking Update

Speaking of Aubrey, he went 7 of 8 during practice. The only kick attempt he missed was from the 48-yard line, where it veered a little too far right and hit the upright.

Other Highlights

During team drills, Asim Richards got work at left tackle while Tyron Smith was out. He showed that he is still a guy that the front office could be looking at to take the swing tackle position.

7-on-7 Drills

First Team

On the offensive side of the ball, Prescott was getting the ball out quickly and with ease. Even when he had to scramble, the receivers made it easy for him to see them.

CeeDee Lamb had an active night, but one of his best catches was on a deep pass on double coverage from Leighton Vander Esch and DaRon Bland.

As for the pass pro, Peyton Hendershot was noticeably good at blocking. This is nothing new, but it was clear how he could hold off defenders from getting to Prescott quickly.

On defense, you could see Jayron Kearse continue to quickly diagnose plays from the offense and communicate with the guys around him.

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Of course, Micah Parsons blew right through defenders into the pocket nonstop. It’s unfair how easy Parsons makes this look.

Stephon Gilmore continues to be a menace in the backfield. He even had an interception off of Prescott and was great in man coverage during the night as well. Again, this is nothing out of the ordinary for Gilmore, but it’s clear that he looks ready to play in Week 1 of the regular season.

Second Team

Dennis Houston was getting much attention from Cooper Rush and Will Grier in the middle and downfield. He also got some work in with the starters, but overall, he consistently made catches throughout the night.

Jalen Moreno-Cropper was another player getting much attention from the backups and was making big plays happen, even in tight coverage.