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IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys first-round pick Morris Claiborne, who is recovering from left wrist surgery to repair ligament damage, probably won't practice with the team until training camp in late July.

Rookies, injured players, quarterbacks and wide receivers will practice at Valley Ranch for a few days before the team leaves for training camp in Oxnard, Calif., in late July.

Claiborne, who is wearing a brace during organized team activities, had hoped to return for the mandatory minicamp tentatively scheduled for June 12, but he said that's doubtful.

"I don't like it, but I know it's what's best for me in the long run and what's best for the team," Claiborne said Wednesday afternoon following the second day of OTAs. "I'm not trying to rush it. I'm just going to take my time and do what the trainers have me doing in the meantime."

Claiborne will wear a brace for two more weeks, then undergo therapy and if he gets cleared by team doctors, should be ready to practice in late July.

"You love to have him out here now," secondary coach Jerome Henderson said. "He's missing valuable reps. He's doing a good job staying in it mentally and standing behind a guy and having good questions. There is no way you can make up for the time you missed, it's tough."

IRVING, Texas -- Rookies and selected veterans had their last chance to impress Saturday as the minicamp came to an end, and here are some lasting impressions from both practices:

** Each year it seems the focus of the Cowboys’ defense is to create more turnovers and it has not happened nearly enough. If possible, defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is even more committed to the cause. He was constantly reminding the defense to force a fumble or pick off a pass. He got his wish on the first play of team run in the afternoon when Darrell Scott put the ball on the ground on a run up the middle.

** Rookie free-agent linebacker Adrian Hamilton, a Dallas Carter grad, opened up a lot of eyes. He had a would-be sack coming off the edge and then pressured quarterback Nathan Dick into running to his right before throwing the ball away. In the morning practice, he also displayed the ability to drop in coverage to get in the throwing lane on a slant to Cole Beasley for a deflection.

** Wide receiver Saalim Hakim had a rough afternoon, dropping two passes in on-air drills. In the morning, Hakim was slow to get up after he was pushed in the air by cornerback Isaac Madison. The referees called pass interference on the play.

** North Texas running back Lance Dunbar and Scott showed some quick feet without many holes to get through. Dunbar’s quick change of direction hurt a defense that overpursued on a run to the right, while Scott used a spin move to create space on his best run of camp.

** Rookie free-agent tackle Jeff Adams struggled with Tyrone Crawford’s power on a pass rush, allowing the third-round pick to push him back in the pocket. But on the next play, Adams got his hands on Crawford first and was able to hold his ground.

** Wide receiver David Little, who was in camp on a tryout basis, made a nice adjustment on a deep pass from Dick down the sideline, turning his body in mid-air to come down with a throw to his outside shoulder.

** Secondary coach Jerome Henderson is going to be fun to watch. He is active at practice and instructive. At one point, he told the secondary that they never should catch a ball with their pinkies together. He wants them to catch the ball with their thumbs together because that means they are getting the ball at the highest point and not allowing the wide receiver to make a play on the ball.

** Wide receiver Donavon Kemp (hamstring) and tight end Andrew Szczerba did not practice Saturday.

IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys concluded their rookie minicamp Saturday afternoon and will get the chance to welcome back almost all of the draft picks and college free agents May 14.

There is some question as to whether fourth-round pick Matt Johnson will be able to return May 14 because of Eastern Washington’s system. Several players will graduate in the next two weeks, including Tyrone Crawford from Boise State and Caleb McSurdy from Montana.

When the rookies return, they will work out and do on-field sessions with the veterans as part of Phase 3 of the offseason program.

“The guys that go home and work, I’ll be able to tell,” secondary coach Jerome Henderson said. “I’ll look and say, ‘That guy’s been working on what we talked about, working on his technique, working on his body position.' I’ll be able to tell the guys that haven’t because they’ll be at the same place they left this camp and shame on them if they are at the same place when they come back.”

The Cowboys have 88 players on the roster and have two spots left open. One player who impressed was North Texas fullback Jamize Oliwale, who played linebacker in college. He caught the ball well out of the backfield and did a decent job as a runner.

The next bit of business for the Cowboys is signing their draft picks. They were allocated a rookie pool of $5.714 million and could begin talks sooner with the agents for their choices than they have in the past. After June 1 the Cowboys will gain a $6 million credit because of the release of cornerback Terence Newman earlier in the offseason.

IRVING, Texas -- With the addition of Brandon Carr in free agency and the trade up to draft Morris Claiborne in the first round, Mike Jenkins’ future with the Cowboys came into immediate question.

According to sources, the Cowboys were open to a trading for Jenkins, while also knowing they needed as many cornerbacks as possible after having to use Alan Ball and Frank Walker more than they wanted in 2011.

New secondary coach Jerome Henderson spoke with Jenkins after Dallas drafted Claiborne.

“I’ll keep that conversation between Mike and I,” Henderson said. “It was a personal conversation and it was me speaking to him, both as a coach and also just a guy who’s played in the league and been through some things … We had a real good conversation.”

Jenkins is rehabilitating from reconstructive shoulder surgery and is expected to be ready for the beginning of training camp. He is entering the final year of his contract.

“Mike Jenkins gave me everything he can,” defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said. “He had a blown shoulder. He had everything going on. He played his heart out. But half the games he wasn’t there, which is unfortunate, because he’s a super talented guy. I think we were banged up there at that position. We had every kid on our roster playing corner for us. We’ve got obviously two fantastic players to help us, and that’s exactly what they’re going to do.”

IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys made sure they treated Brandon Carr well on his free-agent visit.

They flew up Jason Garrett, Rob Ryan, Jerome Henderson and Joe Baker on Jerry Jones’ private plane. They took Carr immediately to Cowboys Stadium, flying right by the $1.2 billion structure on their way to Arlington Municipal Airport.

They had some of his highlights on the center-hung HD video board. They talked about the team’s tradition.

But what really hit him to Carr, who signed a six-year, $60.1 million deal with $26.5 million guaranteed, were his new teammates. The Cowboys had DeMarcus Ware, Jason Witten, Sean Lee and Miles Austin eat dinner with Carr at the stadium and offer their sales pitches.

“I didn’t expect that at all,” Carr said. “Those guys came to dinner and they were down to earth. That blew me away that here are guys like DeMarcus Ware and Jason Witten and they’re going to be grinding away all summer and in the locker room. I was like, ‘Man, these guys are guys I can see myself playing with.’ They seem accountable. Everybody had the same message as far as getting it down now and not waiting. That’s what I want. Those guys are pretty anxious to get back at it.”

INDIANAPOLIS – Jason Garrett finalized his coaching staff with the addition of his former Princeton teammate, Joe Baker, as assistant secondary coach, but how Baker and Jerome Henderson, the new secondary coach, split up the duties will be different than how it worked in recent years.

From 2008-11, Dave Campo worked with the cornerbacks and Brett Maxie worked with the safeties

“Jerome Henderson is the secondary coach and Joe Baker is the assistant secondary coach, so at different times Jerome will be with the corners and Joe will be with the safeties,” Garrett said. “That’s just the mechanics and logistics of practice. Like an offensive line coach, he’ll have centers and guards today and the assistant offensive line coach will take the tackles, but it’s not like he’s the tackle guy and he’s the center/guard guy. Or he’s a safety or cornerback guy. It’ll be a different set up than what we had before.”

Baker joined the Cowboys from Tampa Bay where he had been the Buccaneers’ linebackers coach. He was their secondary coach in 2009.

IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys have hired Joe Baker as an assistant secondary coach.

Baker has been an NFL assistant coach for four teams over 16 seasons. He spent the past three seasons in Tampa Bay.

The Cowboys, who announced Baker's hiring Monday, last month hired Jerome Henderson from Cleveland to be their new secondary coach.

Baker had also worked with St. Louis, New Orleans and Jacksonville.

Baker was a college receiver at Princeton, including two seasons (1987-88) when Cowboys coach Jason Garrett was the quarterback there.

MOBILE, Ala. -- Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan are interviewing defensive back coaches at the Senior Bowl.

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The Cowboys hired Jerome Henderson last week as the secondary coach, replacing Dave Campo. Brett Maxie, the safeties coach, was offered a new contract, but he elected to become the secondary coach of the Tennessee Titans.

"We'll continue that process," Garrett said about interviews. "We want to make sure, whoever you bring into the organization, you go through the right process to evaluate them and see how they fit."

The Cowboys might find a young coach and groom him under Ryan and Henderson. It might be harder to find a veteran coach to come in as an assistant, given the experience and potential higher salary they may command.

The Cowboys' secondary drove you crazy last season.

It was inconsistent and its three prime cornerbacks, Terence Newman, Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins, were hurt at various times during the season. The safety play from starters Abram Elam and Gerald Sensbaugh was inconsistent, as well. Sensabaugh played with a sprained foot the last two months of the season and was in so much pain, he took a pain injection before games.

The numbers suggest the Cowboys' secondary was not very good. It allowed 57 passes of 20 or more yards, eighth most in the NFL, and Dallas went 0-3 when opposing quarterbacks threw for 300 or more yards. One bright spot was that the Cowboys allowed just eight first downs on third-and-10, the fourth fewest in the NFL.

New secondary coach Jerome Henderson has to work with a secondary that might see significant changes.

Here's what Henderson expects from the secondary: "Guys who will challenge, guys who are tough and guys who play with intelligence -- situational intelligence. And that's one of the things I will really talk to the guys about: having situational understanding of football. There are certain situations where I have to get down on that guy [in] certain situations."

Elam is an unrestricted free agent and it's not known if the Cowboys want to bring him back. Henderson coached Elam in Cleveland for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

"Abe is probably one of the best people I know," Henderson said. "One of the best men, cares about his teammates, cares about football, works his butt off, studies, prepares, competes. He's tough. I love the kid."

The secondary also has Alan Ball, Frank Walker, Mana Silva, Danny McCray and Barry Church.

Who returns is uncertain. The Cowboys could add a cornerback in the draft, maybe in the first or second round, and must prepare themselves if they don't have Jenkins for offseason workouts.

Jenkins underwent shoulder surgery that will keep him out four to six months while rehabbing. He might not be ready until training camp and he could be limited when he returns.

"I'm sure there are guys in place that will be on this team that will be big contributors on this team," Henderson said. "I just don't know the roles and I don't know what I have to do with them to get them to where I want them to be or where they should be."

One thing Henderson has done is start the process of reviewing film of his unit. He's built small lockers in his office of every secondary player on the roster, and when they're involved in a play he takes a clip of it and places it in the small stalls.

Henderson is trying to see if the secondary players are making plays and, if not, he's trying to fix it. Henderson said he's a coach that wants to give his players solutions to their problems if they have any.

"I do know there are a lot of guys who will play a lot of football for the Dallas Cowboys that are already on the roster," Henderson said.

IRVING, Texas -- The Cleveland Browns valued secondary coach Jerome Henderson.

The organization didn't want Henderson to leave but when his contract ended following the 2011 season, Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan asked the front office to make the move.

Henderson takes over for Dave Campo, who didn't receive a new contract.

It was not the first time Ryan tried to get Henderson. The Cowboys tried to interview Henderson last summer for the secondary job but the Browns wouldn't give permission.

When Henderson's contract ended, the Cowboys moved quickly. Sometimes, it's all about timing.

"It was still a tough decision because anytime you invest in young men and you invest in a program you want to see that to fruition," Henderson said. "You build those bonds with those players and it's not easy to leave. When I looked at this opportunity here, it was one I couldn't pass up."

It's clear Ryan wants to bring in coaches for the defense whom he's familiar with. When Ryan left Cleveland he brought Matt Eberflus (linebackers) and Ben Bloom (defensive quality control/linebackers) with him. Brian Baker, the defensive line coach, is highly thought of by head coach Jason Garrett and developed into a good fit.

Campo and safety coach Brett Maxie had a year left on their contracts and the Cowboys tried to replace Campo last season. The franchise wanted to interview then-Pittsburgh Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton, but he took a job as the Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator.

After a meeting with Garrett when the season ended, Campo was told he would not be welcomed back, but Maxie was offered a new contract. Maxie, however, decided to become the secondary coach with the Tennessee Titans.

Garrett said the team has plans to hire an assistant secondary coach in the next couple of weeks.

IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys coach Jason Garrett opened his introductions of new offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Bill Callahan and secondary coach Jerome Henderson with an homage to the man Callahan is replacing, Hudson Houck.

After 29 years in the NFL and two stints with the Cowboys Houck, who turned 69 on Jan. 7, elected to retire.

“He is as good an offensive line coach that this league has ever seen,” Garrett said.

Garrett went on to cite Houck’s time at Southern Cal where he coached linemen like Jackie Slater and Anthony Munoz and designed running games that helped Charlie White and Marcus Allen win Heisman Trophies. With the Los Angeles Rams, Houck coached Slater and saw Erick Dickerson dominate the league in rushing.

His first stint with the Cowboys coincided with Emmitt Smith’s push to become the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. In San Diego, Houck was the line coach when LaDainian Tomlinson was building a Hall of Fame career.

“He’s a rare guy, a rare person who made a tremendous impact on players through the years, on a lot of fellow coaches through the years and just a real class guy and a guy who makes me as a coach feel proud to be in the same profession,” Garrett said. “I learned an immense amount from him when I was playing and had the good fortune of coaching with him on the same staff. Really an unbelievable guy.”

Cowboys safeties coach Brett Maxie interviewed with the Tennessee Titans on Thursday for their vacant secondary position.

Maxie, whose contract expired with the Cowboys after the 2011 season, was asked to return, but the Titans were granted permission to interview him for a job.

The Cowboys hired Jerome Henderson as their secondary coach on Thursday and it isn't known if Maxie leaves if he will be replaced.

Maxie has been with the Cowboys since 2008.

IRVING, Texas -- At the end of the disastrous 2010 season two of the Cowboys biggest problem areas were the secondary and offensive line. A year later, they remain problem areas but this time the Cowboys will do something they hope rectifies the problems.

In addition to the expected changeover in personnel in 2012, the Cowboys will have a change in assistant coaches, too, with Bill Callahan and Jerome Henderson replacing Hudson Houck and Dave Campo.

The changes had to be difficult on Jason Garrett because of his personal relationships with Houck and Campo that go back to his playing days with the Cowboys.

But at some point you have to cut the cord.

By not renewing the deals for Houck and Campo, Garrett severed ties to the teams Super Bowl teams of the 1990s and brought in two coaches with no real ties to his playing or coaching days.

It takes some guts to go with guys you know only on reputation or on the recommendations of others.

Callahan has an excellent reputation as an offensive line coach. Henderson, who played for Bill Parcells with New England and the New York Jets, was on the Cowboys’ wish last year but Cleveland blocked the move. He was the only defensive assistant to remain under new coach Pat Shurmur’s staff.

Why did these moves happen today?

Tuesday marked the end of the seven-day grace period teams have in attempting to keep coaches whose contracts had run out after the 2011 season.

Callahan reportedly turned down an extension from the New York Jets, where he was the assistant head coach. What will be his title with the Cowboys? Does he come in solely as the offensive line coach or does he take over the running game coordinator title Houck had as well?

Henderson should take over a secondary in transition. Terence Newman could be a salary-cap casualty. Abram Elam, whom he coached in Cleveland, will be an unrestricted free agent, as will backup cornerbacks Alan Ball and Frank Walker. The Cowboys re-signed cornerback Orlando Scandrick and safety Gerald Sensabaugh to extensions in 2011 and cornerback Mike Jenkins will be in the final year of his contract in 2012.

Maybe the moves came a year too late, but better late than never.

The Cowboys will hire Jerome Henderson as their secondary coach, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

The deal is expected to be finalized by Monday.

Henderson, 42, will reunite with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan with the Cowboys. Henderson spent the last three seasons as the Cleveland Browns’ secondary coach, working for Ryan the first two years. The Browns ranked second in the NFL in passing defense this season.

Henderson broke into coaching with the Jets in 2007 as an assistant defensive backs coach/director of player development. He was promoted to defensive backs coach in 2008, when Darrelle Revis made his first Pro Bowl appearance.

Henderson was a second-round pick by the Patriots in 1991 and played eight seasons in the NFL as a free safety. He made 33 starts in his career while playing for the Patriots, Bills, Eagles and Jets.