Cowboys intend to follow 'two days on, one day off' model with QB Tony Romo in camp
By David Moore
Tony Romo won't practice on the second day of training camp.
No need to raise the red flag or resurrect doubts about the ability of the Cowboys quarterback to make it through the season. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said the Cowboys will adopt its blueprint from two years ago when Romo would typically throw for two days then take a day off.
Romo increased his work load to three consecutive days on occasion in last year's camp but Linehan noticed a difference.
"We did a little bit more last year, we stretched it and it worked OK,'' Linehan said. "But I felt like he was getting a little bit sore, more sore than the year before, so we'll go back to the 2014 camp schedule.
"We will try to do it like that, (two on, one off) but we'll play it by ear.''
Romo has shown he can operate at peak efficiency in this model. He practiced no more than two consecutive days for the vast majority of the 2014 season, and that was one of the best years of his career.
His ability to excel with this schedule provides another benefit. It gets more work for backup quarterback Kellen Moore, who has precious little game experience in the NFL, and Dak Prescott, the fourth-round pick the team wants to develop.
"That's a huge part of it,'' Linehan said. "That's really why we feel better about the 2014 type schedule so we can get those guys snaps. That gets Dak more reps instead of having to manufacture them.
"Now Kellen gets a good day of work and Dak gets a good day of work and Jameill (Showers) gets some snaps he wouldn't normally get.''
Wait a minute, you say. The Cowboys have been in camp for only 24 hours before Romo gets a day off. That's not two on, one off.
But the first padded practice of this camp is Monday. The players will work in pads for two days before getting a mandated day off.
"The reason we do it (Romo day off) here is because the first two days are polish days against air,'' Linehan said. "We decided to do it this way so he'll have a good baseline for the week.
"We know he's not the youngest player on the team anymore. We know there is going to be some training camp management, but he's into it mentally. He's so engaged with Kellen and those guys. He gets a lot out of it.''