SAN ANTONIO -- There have been a few times this camp that I thought Jason Witten caught a pass only to figure out that it was actually John Phillips.

It’s tough to pay a higher compliment to the pupil.

Phillips contributed in a limited role as a rookie, blocking well and catching seven passes for 62 yards. His vastly improved receiving ability has been the surprise of camp so far.

“It’s night and day. It really is.,” Witten said. “I always felt like he had the talent to do those things, but I didn’t know he’d play as well as he has the last two days – and against good players, too.

“He has great timing in his head. Even when it’s not a clear route, he knows, ‘All right, I need to get out of this break.’ I think that goes a long way. It’s just quarterback-friendly.”

It’s not like Phillips suddenly morphed into a receiving threat. He spent the last year studying one of the NFL’s premier pass-catching tight ends.

“He sat back there when he wasn’t getting a lot of reps and watched No. 82,” tight ends coach John Garrett. “He watched the model of how to do it in every aspect of the game. He’s not dumb. He knows who to watch and who to emulate, and he has picked up a lot from Jason.”

Martellus Bennett says he can’t be like Witten because they have different styles. Phillips tries to mimic every move Witten makes, especially the subtle ones that create separation from safeties and linebackers.

“I watch him on film, in practice, in games and watch the way he sets things up before he breaks,” Phillips said. “He does a great job of that, probably the best in the league. It’s just an honor to be able to stand behind him and soak it in and add it into my game.”

Phillips has become a precise, crafty route runner. He’s earned Tony Romo’s trust because he gets to the spots where he’s supposed to be and has sure hands.

The former sixth-round pick has been described as dependable, not flashy. But he got a bunch of oohs during one practice by plucking a high and outside pass with one hand while tapping his feet inbounds.

“Oh, man,” Witten said, “I don’t know where he got that from.”