OXNARD, Calif. -- After three days of practices the Cowboys have a day off.

Who needs it?: Several players, especially the injured ones such as Jay Ratliff (foot), Gerald Sensabaugh (knee), Danny Coale (foot), Kevin Kowalski (ankle) and Mackenzy Bernadeau (hip and knee). Rest should help players like Ratliff who is battling plantar fasciitis. Rest is one of the best treatments for something like that. Bernadeau is getting close to coming off the physically unable to perform list, so resting his body after doing some rehab work the last three days is a positive. Sensabaugh is resting his body mainly as a precaution.

Morris Claiborne can relax: It's been a busy three days worth of practice work for the rookie corner from LSU. He's taken on Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, Kevin Ogletree and Raymond Radway, who have beaten him for deep and short passes. Claiborne gets to take a break and watch film and rest his body.
"I'm going to take advantage of this day," Claiborne said of the Thursday off day. "I'm not going to sit on my butt the whole day. I'm going to get up and get a workout in and a couple of strides in and then chill."

The next practice:Things heat back up on Friday at 2:30 PT and expect Felix Jones, Andre Holmes and Brodney Pool to participate in the practices for the first time this summer after finally passing their conditioning tests. The Cowboys will not be in pads, instead will work in shorts and helmets in the afternoon.