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Thursday Notebook
Notes: Ogletree Back In The Mix
Nick Eatman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas - With running back Marion Barber missing two straight days of practice with a calf strain, it's starting to look like he'll miss Sunday's game with the Colts.
Since the Cowboys don't have another running back on the 53-man roster, it appears another player will get the chance to be active Sunday. Even coach Jason Garrett hinted that player could be wide receiver Kevin Ogletree.
Yeah, you remember him? The guy that came on strong toward the end of his rookie season last year and who many thought would eventually become the fourth receiver this year, if not the third.
As it turned out, Ogletree hasn't played much at all this season, activated for just four games. But despite being inactive for the last seven, if he gets the chance to play, Ogletree vows to be ready.
"I'm excited. Just the chance to being able to help us in a game excites me," Ogletree said. "Hopefully it happens this week. If not, I'll be ready when my number is called."
The second-year receiver from Virginia was returning kickoffs during the special-teams portion of practice. While that might be something the Cowboys consider this week, it could also be because both Bryan McCann (ankle) and Dez Bryant (back) were limited in Thursday's practice.
"Whatever they want me to do, I'll be ready," said Ogletree, who had seven catches for 96 yards last season, mostly coming at the end of the year.
But despite playing behind Miles Austin, Roy Williams and Dez Bryant at receiver and even Sam Hurd, who is also the special teams captain, Ogletree said he hasn't been frustrated by his limited role this year.
"No, it's not about personal success," he said. "As a team, it's frustrating in the fact that we're battling. But I'm not frustrated by my role."
But despite playing very little this year, Garrett said Ogletree certainly has improved.
"He's done a nice job. He had a good preseason. He's done some good things in practice and he's become a good special teams player," Garrett said. "I don't think anything has happened to him. He's probably a better player now than he was last year when he was getting an opportunity. But we have three receivers ahead of him that we like. Sometimes it's hard to get a guy like that to the game. He might have a decent chance to get to the game this week. He's practiced well. Let's see how he does."
Controlling Dez
While coach Jason Garrett admitted the NFL is a copycat league in terms of running plays or schemes that have worked in the past, he's not expecting the Colts to exactly imitate the Saints' game plan last week that held Dez Bryant without a catch for the first time in his career.
In fact, Garrett said the Saints didn't exactly do anything the Cowboys, or Bryant, hasn't seen before.
"I don't think it was anything unique that they did," Garrett said. "Receivers around the league get doubled all the time. It's a base-coverage that defenses put in - you can roll to the reviver to try to take him away. All the good receivers see that every week and you just have to keep battling through it and find a way to be effective anyway."
Holiday Help
Each holiday season the Cowboys players, coaches and front office staff adopt Angels for The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program. On Thursday, the Cowboys' rookie class loaded a Salvation Army truck with the hundreds of Angel gifts purchased by the Cowboys. The Salvation Army Angel Tree program is designed to bring joy to thousands of needy children, seniors, and disabled adults during the holiday season.
-Rob Phillips
Notes: Ogletree Back In The Mix
Nick Eatman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas - With running back Marion Barber missing two straight days of practice with a calf strain, it's starting to look like he'll miss Sunday's game with the Colts.
Since the Cowboys don't have another running back on the 53-man roster, it appears another player will get the chance to be active Sunday. Even coach Jason Garrett hinted that player could be wide receiver Kevin Ogletree.
Yeah, you remember him? The guy that came on strong toward the end of his rookie season last year and who many thought would eventually become the fourth receiver this year, if not the third.
As it turned out, Ogletree hasn't played much at all this season, activated for just four games. But despite being inactive for the last seven, if he gets the chance to play, Ogletree vows to be ready.
"I'm excited. Just the chance to being able to help us in a game excites me," Ogletree said. "Hopefully it happens this week. If not, I'll be ready when my number is called."
The second-year receiver from Virginia was returning kickoffs during the special-teams portion of practice. While that might be something the Cowboys consider this week, it could also be because both Bryan McCann (ankle) and Dez Bryant (back) were limited in Thursday's practice.
"Whatever they want me to do, I'll be ready," said Ogletree, who had seven catches for 96 yards last season, mostly coming at the end of the year.
But despite playing behind Miles Austin, Roy Williams and Dez Bryant at receiver and even Sam Hurd, who is also the special teams captain, Ogletree said he hasn't been frustrated by his limited role this year.
"No, it's not about personal success," he said. "As a team, it's frustrating in the fact that we're battling. But I'm not frustrated by my role."
But despite playing very little this year, Garrett said Ogletree certainly has improved.
"He's done a nice job. He had a good preseason. He's done some good things in practice and he's become a good special teams player," Garrett said. "I don't think anything has happened to him. He's probably a better player now than he was last year when he was getting an opportunity. But we have three receivers ahead of him that we like. Sometimes it's hard to get a guy like that to the game. He might have a decent chance to get to the game this week. He's practiced well. Let's see how he does."
Controlling Dez
While coach Jason Garrett admitted the NFL is a copycat league in terms of running plays or schemes that have worked in the past, he's not expecting the Colts to exactly imitate the Saints' game plan last week that held Dez Bryant without a catch for the first time in his career.
In fact, Garrett said the Saints didn't exactly do anything the Cowboys, or Bryant, hasn't seen before.
"I don't think it was anything unique that they did," Garrett said. "Receivers around the league get doubled all the time. It's a base-coverage that defenses put in - you can roll to the reviver to try to take him away. All the good receivers see that every week and you just have to keep battling through it and find a way to be effective anyway."
Holiday Help
Each holiday season the Cowboys players, coaches and front office staff adopt Angels for The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program. On Thursday, the Cowboys' rookie class loaded a Salvation Army truck with the hundreds of Angel gifts purchased by the Cowboys. The Salvation Army Angel Tree program is designed to bring joy to thousands of needy children, seniors, and disabled adults during the holiday season.
-Rob Phillips
