[WAREWOLFE94]

By CLARENCE E. HILL JR.

Coach Bill Parcells is concerned about depth behind starters Terry Glenn and Owens.
Third receiver Patrick Crayton has proven capable at times, but he has only 34 career receptions.

The other receivers in camp are Terrance Copper, Jamaica Rector, J.R. Tolver, rookie free agents Sam Hurd and Miles Austin, and fourth-round draft pick Skyler Green.

Parcells likes Rector, and Hurd has been impressive in camp. The coach said Green's only chance to contribute this year is on special teams.

"I know what Terrance Copper is," Parcells said. "I'm pretty sure I have him figured out. Beyond that I...can't answer [what we have] right now."

Briefly

Bill Parcells, unhappy with his team's performance in camp, said he will add more two-a-day practices this week as the team prepares for the season opener Sept. 10 against the Jaguars.
After one week of camp, the play of center Andre Gurode and right tackle Marc Colombo has caught Parcells' eye. "Those two I have been pleasantly surprised with," Parcells said. Gurode and Colombo would start ahead of 2005 holdovers Al Johnson and Rob Petitti at this point.

Warewolfe's take..

Good new's about Gurode..i hope he is the starter at center when the season start's,,from everything i hear he is strong and does'nt get pushed back into the back field as much as Al Johnson. Gurode's weakness in the past has been his reconignition of certain defense's and calling the right signal's for them...Bill want's Gurode to maintain his focus in game's as the the opposing team's defense's make substitution'sand call the proper protection for the offensive line..this is where Al Johnson has had the edge in the recent past ....i guess we'll see how it goes.

I caught some tid-bit's on Bill's press-conf. today on the radio.

Aug 7

*Edit additional new's....Said they cut Kai Parham,

*Said D.E Ratliff going to make a run at the starting job...wow! he must be kicking some major but in camp.

*Said Barber going to play a major role for the Cowboy's this year,major he repeated.

*Said he wanted to see more of r.b Tyson Thompson behind the first offense...

*Said the offense had a little trouble with the tight-end's at protection scheme's..spent time today working on that.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Wow, their back up receivers are thin...what's up with the Freddie Mitchell bit?...Is he trying out?

[WAREWOLFE94]

The tryout was simply a look-see at Mitchell's request, and the Cowboys are not expected to sign him in the near future. But they did not rule out adding him at a later date.

Meanwhile Sam Hurd is opening some eye's.

by Tom Orsborn

The Brackenridge graduate recorded arguably the catch of camp this afternoon when he extended his 6-foot-2 frame to make a diving grab of a Drew Bledsoe pass in a 4-and-8 situation with time running out.
The reception was good for 12 yards and prompted Bledsoe to say, "Good job 1-7."

If Hurd keeps making catches like that, Bledsoe will soon know the Northern Illinois product's name and not just his jersey number.
Practice is over now and Hurd, as usual, is over in the corner of the field working with Owens. The two take turns catching passes released by the JUGS machine, which can be adjusted to throw the type of fastballs John Elway and Dan Marino once delivered.

"He's an extremely hard worker," third-year receiver Patrick Crayton said of Hurd.

[WAREWOLFE94]

Nice write up on Hurd and T.O.

by Tom Orsborn

OXNARD, Calif. — Don't tell Dallas Cowboys rookie Sam Hurd that Terrell Owens isn't a good teammate.

"The man is a great man," Hurd said. "He ain't done nothing, said nothing wrong."

The Philadelphia Eagles likely would disagree, but Hurd doesn't mind. All he knows is that Owens is his friend and mentor.

"He's been a great teacher, and all I want to be is a great student," said Hurd, a Brackenridge graduate.

The unlikely bond between Owens, a superstar receiver whose rift with quarterback Donovan McNabb forced the Eagles to suspend him last season, and Hurd, an undrafted free agent, has become the talk of training camp. While some teammates are hesitant to approach Owens, Hurd treats the 11th-year pro like an older brother.

They're even spending time together away from the field.

"He text (messages) me all the time about this off-the-wall stuff," Hurd said. "He'll say, 'What you doin', man? Man, look at this Web site, Bud.' He calls me Bud."

Owens tutors Hurd for about 30 minutes after nearly every practice. The lessons range from the proper way to position his hands when catching the ball to how to deal with the media.

"I'm just trying to enlighten him and pass on some of the things I learned late in my career that had I learned early in my career, I would have been a lot better," Owens said. "He's asking me questions, and I'm open to him."

Owens apparently has rubbed off on Hurd — in a good way. In Saturday's controlled scrimmage, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound receiver from Northern Illinois caught five passes for 96 yards — three for more than 20 yards — while working with the third-team offense.

"He made some nice catches," Owens said. "Obviously, the things that we are doing after practice are paying off."

Hurd said he first met Owens at rookie minicamp in May. The Cowboys signed Owens in March to a three-year, $25 million deal after the Eagles released him.

"I didn't want to talk to him because I didn't expect him to be cool," Hurd said. "I expected him to be like, 'OK. Who are you, rookie? You trying to come in and take my spot?' So I went up to him and I was like, 'Yeah,' and we worked out, and he was like, 'Yeah, you better come after me,' so I was like, 'OK.'

"Every day after that, he's been trying to make me better."
Owens said Hurd has been an eager pupil.

"He told me he wanted to do everything I do. He even wanted to eat what I eat," said Owens, who dines regularly on salmon and asparagus or another green vegetable for lunch and dinner.
Hurd ranks second among Northern Illinois receivers in yards (2,322), third in touchdowns (21) and is tied for fifth in catches (143).

Impressed with his size, the Cowboys signed Hurd to a three-year non-guaranteed contract in May.
"He's tall, and he has pretty good hands," coach Bill Parcells said. "He makes a good effort, but he's a work in progress, and he has some technical things receiving-wise he needs to alter. We've been talking to him quite frequently about that and are trying to get him to break a couple of bad habits."

That shouldn't be a problem, considering Hurd's work ethic.

"He's a hard-working kid who really does try to do well every day, and you have hope for guys like that," Parcells said.

Hurd is competing with a handful of other young receivers for a roster spot. He said he knows his relationship with Owens doesn't guarantee him a job.

When a reporter suggested he was "smart" to have become friends with Owens, Hurd said: "An even smarter rookie knows every (receiving) position. That's what I do. What I learn from T.O. is trying to be a better receiver. But the main thing is trying to learn every position."

Hurd said he isn't letting the attention he has received from Owens go to his head.

"One thing I always learned is don't be surprised and don't get overwhelmed by your opportunities," Hurd said. "I leave my blessings to God, and God has gotten me here, so all I do is pray to Him and then come out here and just show my talent."


This kid bear's watching...he could turn out to special for the Cowboy's.