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IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys will make their final cuts today to reach the 53-man limit, but they have already notified 21 players that they have not made the cut.

According to sources, the Cowboys have informed Shaun Chapas, Adrian Hamilton, Danny Coale, Eddie Whitley, Orie Lemon, Ronald Leary, Pat McQuistan, Jeff Adams, Teddy Williams, Harland Gunn, Daniel Loper, Clifton Geathers, Rudy Carpenter, Lionel Smith, Baraka Atkins, Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, Andrew Szczerba, Ben Bass, Saalim Hakim, Tim Benford and Robert Callaway of their release.

They have two more roster moves to make by 7 p.m. after the trade for offensive lineman Ryan Cook from Miami.

The Cowboys would like to bring some -- like Hamilton, Coale and Leary -- back on the practice squad if they clear waivers.

Leary was the apple of Jerry Jones’ eye as an undrafted free agent and early in training camp, but he will not be on the 53-man roster.

The Cowboys considered drafting Leary despite a knee condition, but ended up guaranteeing him $214,000 in base salary and signing bonus to sign as an undrafted free agent. When the interior line was hit by injuries early in camp Leary took some first-team snaps but he hit a wall midway through camp.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys wrapped up the preseason with a 30-13 win over the Miami Dolphins at Cowboys Stadium on Wednesday night. Unlike last season, when wide receiver Raymond Radway was injured in the closing seconds of the preseason at Miami, there were no such major health issues coming from this game. This was the last chance for several players to make an impact on the coaches and scouts, and join the 53-man roster.

What it means: The Cowboys finish the preseason 3-1 and have to make some hard decisions regarding the No. 3 quarterback spot, whether to keep a fourth running back or which running back to keep, whether Orie Lemon and Mario Butler make the team, and whether Danny Coale and Matt Johnson should earn paychecks in September.

McGee vs. Carpenter: There is this battle for the No. 3 quarterback position. Stephen McGee played the first half, led one touchdown drive and converted 13 first downs. He completed nine of 18 passes for 124 yards. The Cowboys led 20-6 at the break. Rudy Carpenter also led the Cowboys on a touchdown drive -- capped by a 58-yard run by Lance Dunbar -- and finished 4-of-10 for 48 yards. In addition, Carpenter had a 21-yard scramble. But it would appear neither quarterback did enough to secure a spot on the roster.

Only one starter plays: Between both units, only center Phil Costa played. Costa missed the first three preseason games with a strained lower back, and the Cowboys wanted to give him some snaps before putting him in a regular-season game. Costa didn't have any bad snaps, and it's unknown whether he had any blown assignments. David Arkin replaced Costa.

The running game is strong: There are no questions regarding the status of DeMarco Murray as the starter. Felix Jones has been guaranteed a roster spot by owner/general manager Jerry Jones. We thought the No. 3 running back gig was going to Phillip Tanner, but Dunbar came on strong Wednesday night. Dunbar ran with a burst, scoring on a 58-yard run. Let's not forget about Tanner, who burst up the middle for a 1-yard score. Dunbar rushed 15 times for 105 yards, and Tanner rushed for 48 yards on nine carries.

Lemon made his case: If linebacker Lemon was a bubble player, he should make the roster. He returned an interception 26 yards to give the Cowboys a 10-6 lead in the second quarter. Lemon was active on defense and, given what he does on special teams, should make the 53-man roster. Adrian Hamilton also was fighting for a roster spot, but he hasn't shown his pass-rush abilities on a consistent basis with the Cowboys.

Cowboys lose three players: Guard Derrick Dockery left the game for personal reasons, and fellow guard Daniel Loper suffered a hamstring injury. Cornerback Lionel Smith departed the game with a concussion. None of the three returned.

Who played well: Tyrone Crawford, Orie Lemon, Phillip Tanner, Lance Dunbar and Dan Bailey.

Who didn't: Teddy Williams, David Arkin, Stephen McGee.

Bailey is perfect: Kicker Dan Bailey finished the preseason 8-for-8 on field goal attempts. Bailey made kicks of 25, 30 and 26 yards Wednesday night. The Cowboys didn't have any concerns about him heading into the preseason, but unlike last season when the team had a kicking competition, nothing was going on here. It was all Bailey. The longest kick of the preseason by Bailey was 49 yards.

Ryan Tannehill makes the start: The eighth pick of the NFL draft, quarterback Ryan Tannehill made the start for the Dolphins and completed 5-of-7 passes for 35 yards. The former Aggie played with a presence and threw some strong passes, but he still has a ways to go to help the Dolphins.

What's next? The Cowboys must cut their roster to 53 players by Friday night and then finalize their practice squad roster with as many as eight players. The team will practice over the weekend at Valley Ranch and prepare for the regular season opener at the New York Giants.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- We have 15 minutes left and the Cowboys are leading the Dolphins, 27-13.

Highlights:

* Cowboys front got some good pressure on Miami quarterback Matt Moore to start the second half. They forced Moore out of the pocket twice, and Tyrone Crawford picked up a third-down sack.

* Quarterback Rudy Carpenter started the second half and his first pass was a deep attempt to Andre Holmes.

* Cornerback Lionel Smith took a shot from running back built like a fullback Jorvorskie Lane and left the game with a concussion and won't return. Guard Daniel Loper left the game with a right hamstring injury and won't return. Loper was already dealing with an elbow issue. Guard Derrick Dockery left for personal reasons.

* Jerry Jones says Felix Jones has a roster spot, but the running back should be worried about playing time heading into the season. Lance Dunbar and Phillip Tanner played well in the first half. Dunbar, who is competing with Tanner to become the No. 3 running back, had a strong 27-yard punt return and broke free for a 58-yard touchdown run. It was the longest rushing touchdown of the preseason.

* Teddy Williams gave up a 20-yard completion in this quarter and looks like a man who is still learning the game. When you take chances on players such as Williams, who didn't play college football, and you switch his position from wide receiver back to receiver, there are bound to be problems. Williams isn't playing with confidence and is still trying to figure things out. It might be too late for him to make this team despite his speed and athletic ability.

* The Dolphins were 0-for-8 on third down until Lamar Miller's 6-yard run gained a first down late in the quarter.

* A little surprised to see Victor Butler in the game. He's backing up Anthony Spencer at outside linebacker and has played well the entire summer. But as the season starts, and given the injury status of several players, Butler should have sat the second half.

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Cowboys will play the second half without three players: guards Derrick Dockery and Daniel Loper and cornerback Lionel Smith.

Loper suffered a right hamstring strain in the first half vs. Miami and had been bothered by the injury for the last two weeks. Smith suffered a concussion while attempting to tackle Dolphins fullback Jorvorskie Lane.

Dockery left the game because of personal reasons after opening up as the starter at left guard.

Dockery and Loper are in a battle for one of the final offensive line spots. They signed with the Cowboys early in training camp.

OXNARD, Calif. -- A look at the last practice from Oxnard before we move to San Diego for about a week.

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* If you don't believe the Cowboys have leaders on this team, check out inside linebacker Sean Lee. After Andre Holmes made a sliding catch near the sideline, it appeared cornerback Morris Claiborne didn't touch him. Lee shouted at the rookie corner: "Hey, you gotta touch him." It's not college where if a player hits the ground when carrying the ball, then he's ruled down. In the NFL, a player can get up. It's something Claiborne hasn't seen yet.

* Sometimes the pressure on a quarterback gets to him. Tony Romo dropped the ball when trying to avoid pressure from DeMarcus Ware.

* With Jermey Parnell out with a stiff neck, Jeff Adams received some second-team snaps at tackle.

* Practice was held in helmets and shorts for the first time this camp. The first three days of camp, the players didn't wear helmets and wore full pads thereafter. With a game coming up Saturday night, the Cowboys wore full pads Wednesday and went with a padless and shorter practice Thursday.

* This is what burns the Cowboys coaches: Inconsistency. Holmes allowed Akwasi Owusu-Ansah to strip him of the ball after a catch.

* Speaking of stripping players, Tim Benford did a nice job holding onto the ball as Lionel Smith tried to force a turnover after a reception.

* Romo threw a deep ball along the sidelines to Dez Bryant. But Claiborne had inside position, and despite contact from both players, no penalty was called. The pass landed incomplete.

* Felix Jones showed a nice burst after catching a swing pass. Jones has looked sluggish at times, but here he displayed some speed as he moved through the defense. During kick return drills, Jones displayed some wiggle and speed.

* Running back Lance Dunbar returned to practice after his recovery from a hamstring injury. He made a nice catch underneath the linebackers, who were in zone coverage, and got up field.

* Everyday you can find a new wide receiver emerge as the favorite to become No. 3 on the depth chart. Dwayne Harris made a nice catch while falling down. Mario Butler had the coverage but his back was to the ball. Harris made the catch as he hit the ground and lost his helmet, but he held on.

OXNARD, Calif. -- Eight practices into training camp and it’s time to be mindful of the quarterbacks’ arms.

Tony Romo threw only 16 passes in team and seven-on-seven drills, and Kyle Orton had just 12. Unofficially, Romo has completed 138 of 212 passes, and Orton 90 of 134.

With a day off Wednesday, Romo and Orton should be refreshed when they come back to work Thursday.

Now, on to the observations:

** Things got a little feisty during the session. Veteran DE Kenyon Coleman did not like something about a block from rookie TE James Hanna and shoved him in the back. Rookie TE Andrew Szczerba attempted to come to Hanna’s defense with a shove back. Later, Szczerba got into a mini-scrum with DE Tyrone Crawford. Sean Lee gave C Phil Costa a shove. NT Josh Brent expressed extreme displeasure with LB Caleb McSurdy for not making the calls loud enough.

** The goal-line drills were followed by a lot of situational work, including the old lateral play by the offense. The best part of that play came when Dez Bryant flung a lateral across the field to Romo, who threw it back to the right to WR Dwayne Harris over two defenders. Harris was quickly smothered to end the circus play.

** Costa was busy at center with the struggles of David Arkin and Harland Gunn. Arkin had four poor exchanges before he was replaced. Gunn had one shotgun snap that was low. That led Costa to take more reps. He was not immune from mistakes either. He snapped one early to Romo, causing the quarterback to flip the ball away in disgust.

** Crawford has a chance to be a player. In one on one pass rush drills he bulled through LT Tyron Smith. For a rookie, Crawford has some strength to him.

** NT Robert Callaway committed the cardinal sin for interior linemen by jumping on a hard count from Romo on a fourth-and-1 play. All in all, however, Callaway has had a nice camp and is pushing Brent for the backup nose job.

** WR Cole Beasley made two middle-of-the-field catches that led to immediate timeouts by giving himself up. Beasley has done a nice job since coming back from his mini-retirement.

** Orton was late on a crossing route to WR Tim Benford in the final team period, which allowed S Danny McCray to come down to break up the route. Benford was open earlier in his route, but it looked like Orton was waiting for him to clear through another defensive window.

** In the morning walkthrough, back-to-back false starts got RT Doug Free kicked out for a snap. Arkin moved on the second snap and was also replaced. Pat McQuistan replaced Free and Derrick Dockery replaced Arkin. Only for a snap.

** Ps Chris Jones and Delbert Alvarado worked on the flip-flop punt that Mat McBriar had perfected. Jones did not have that kick in his arsenal last year and seemed to do a decent job with it, however, with not as much rotation as McBriar.

** Keep an eye on the undrafted Benford during the preseason games. He is a smooth route runner and uses his hands to catch the ball more than his body. In one-on-one drills against CB Lionel Smith, Benford ran a double-move comeback to the sideline, creating perfect separation for a Romo throw.

OXNARD, Calif. -- It will be easy to track Morris Claiborne for the time being because the rookie first-round pick is recovering from a slightly sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

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The hope is that he will be able to return after the first preseason game at Oakland next week. In the meantime, Claiborne will spend his time on the practice field attached to the hip of secondary coach Jerome Henderson as he learns the defense.

Claiborne’s absence means more work for Teddy Williams, Mario Butler, Isaac Madison and Lionel Smith.

“Obviously you like him out there getting the reps when he’s not there, missing time,” Henderson said, “But this is the NFL. This happens in the league all the time. You can go from the second team to starter or third team to starter in a matter of a second. We’ve got to be prepared for that. As much as it’s a negative, it’s also a positive because now we can get other guys filling roles. You’ve got to shuffle a little bit, but that’s the real world for us, so it’s good it’s happening now to get experience doing it.

OXNARD, Calif. -- Rudy Carpenter’s welcome to the Blue and White Scrimmage on Sunday was not a good one.

His first throw down the sideline to wide receiver Raymond Radway was underthrown and intercepted by cornerback Lionel Smith.

“It’s frustrating for me too because I would say the strength of what I do is just move the chains, make good decisions with the football and throw it accurately,” said Carpenter, who had not taken a snap in the full-team practice in six days. “The one thing I have to try to do is just constantly stay in the moment.”

Carpenter responded by completing his next three passes, including a deep throw down the sideline to Tim Benford on the same route as Radway’s. The third-team offense got to the defense’s 1, but it was unable to punch it in for a touchdown.

“I’ve been fortunate and got to play a lot of games in college and so far in the NFL playing a lot of preseason games,” Carpenter said. “It’s one of the things where every play you have to press the re-set button, see the coverage, make the right throw and not ever second-guess yourself. It’s one of the things that makes Tony Romo so good or Brett Favre so good. They bounce back play after play and not be affected by bad things that happen.”

IRVING, Texas – Jason Garrett was imploring players early in Thursday's practice to get through Day 2 of the pre-training camp workout at Valley Ranch with the same bounce in their steps as they had on Day 1.

Even with the early starting time, the heat was taking its toll on some players, with several cramping up and needing rest. With only four healthy players, the wide receivers are getting a ton of work and feeling it.

At different times, Cole Beasley, Tim Benford, Saalim Hakim and Donavon Kemp needed to take a few minutes.

On to the observations:

** For the second straight day, Kyle Orton went deep with his first throw on seven-on-seven, this time connecting with undrafted rookie WR Cole Beasley, who ran past CB Teddy Williams, a former NCAA sprint champion. Beasley made a nice adjustment on the throw to his outside shoulder, holding on to the football as he fell to the ground.

** The secondary and linebackers are aggressive in coverage, coming up with a number of deflections. LB Ashton Whiteside, undrafted out of Abilene Christian, had two, batting down Stephen McGee passes to tight ends James Hanna and Andrew Szczerba.

** CB Lionel Smith, undrafted out of Texas A&M, was able to break on a Rudy Carpenter pass to the flat for a deflection, coming off his receiver for a nice play. CB Mario Butler had the only interception of the session when a Carpenter pass across the middle sailed into his arms.

** FB Jamize Olawale might have a chance to make this team after earning a roster spot following a rookie camp tryout. He was able to grab a low pass almost off the ground without losing a step and turning upfield. It was an athletic play that speaks to his receiver skills at North Texas. His true test will come when the pads come on and he has to lead block.

** TE James Hanna had a nice afternoon, snatching two passes with linebackers closing on him fast. His first came on an Orton pass near the sideline, beating Butler to the ball. The second came from Orton as well with LB Orie Lemon on his hip.

** CB Mike Jenkins did some conditioning work and if his ability to throw a football means anything, then his right shoulder needs some work. Jenkins could hardly throw an overhand pass 10 yards, not that that is in his job description. But it was a little unsettling to see after months of rehab.

** RB Lance Dunbar has some quick feet. During team run drills, the North Texas back was able to adjust to the back side of the running play after a hole closed quickly. With Ed Wesley on hand for Thursday’s practice, Dunbar was able to stay a little fresher.

Today's team-by-team look at the cornerback position in the NFC East wraps up with a check on the revamped secondary of the Dallas Cowboys.

Projected starters: Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne

Reserves: Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick, Mario Butler, C.J. Wilson, Lionel Smith

Potential strength: Sometimes change for change's sake can be a good thing, and that's the Cowboys' hope this year. Terence Newman was a major liability last season, and while Jenkins played well when healthy, he really almost never was. So they went out on the free-agent market and signed Carr, and then they used their first-round and second-round picks to move up and select Claiborne, the best cornerback in this year's draft. That pushes a grumpy Jenkins into a backup role and leaves Scandrick where he belongs, at the nickel corner spot. Assuming Claiborne plays the way he played in college right away in the pros, the Cowboys have transformed cornerback from an a significant weakness to a possible strength.

Potential weakness: Well, Jenkins doesn't seem overly motivated, now does he? He's refused the team's requests to spend any non-mandatory time at the team facility this offseason so they could help him rehab his shoulder. He's asked for a new contract, bristled at the backup role into which he's been forced, and demanded a trade that the team has no intention of making. He's behind in that shoulder rehab, and at this point the Cowboys have no idea whether they'll be able to count on Jenkins at the start of the season. And sure, you can say they're fine because of Carr and Claiborne. But Claiborne's a rookie who has yet to practice as he continues his recovery from wrist surgery, and part of the plan to overhaul cornerback involved having depth at the position. Jenkins needs to be healthy and have his mind right, or else they won't be as strong at cornerback as they need and intend to be.

Keep an eye on: Smith. An undrafted long shot, for sure, but he's got 4.44 40-yard-dash speed and could open some eyes in training camp. He'll have to make the team with his special teams play, but a guy with that kind of speed at that position could be helpful down the road if he develops.

IRVING, Texas – The other day Tim MacMahon was gutsy to put out his first 53-man roster prediction for the Cowboys. If you haven’t taken a look at it, click here.

Instead of going forward with my own 53-man roster prediction since most of the names will be the same, I’ll just list my differences. And as Tim pointed out, this is ridiculously premature, so don’t hold it against us when the team makes the final cuts.

Cornerback: Tim went with Mario Butler as his fifth cornerback. I’m going with undrafted rookie Isaac Madison, who was working with the first team sub defenses, which means he is ahead of Butler, who spent last year on the practice squad.

Safety: Tim went with five safeties: Gerald Sensabaugh, Brodney Pool, Barry Church, Danny McCray and Matt Johnson. I’m going with four safeties right now and Pool is the odd man out. Again this is fluid and things change, but I’m going with a sixth cornerback and that is undrafted rookie Lionel Smith, who took over for Madison on the last day of minicamp, which means he is also ahead of Butler.

Outside linebacker: Tim went with undrafted Adrian Hamilton as the fifth outside linebacker. I can see that happening and you’re banking on the future with him as a pass rusher. It makes sense right now, but I’m going with four outside linebackers in order to put defensive end Clifton Geathers on the roster. The Cowboys have put almost two years into developing Geathers and I think he might be a Jerry Jones’ pet cat.

There are some other possible changes from Tim’s roster, but I’m conflicted on it. In other words, I’m giving myself some wiggle room for the future.

Here they are:

Defensive line: Tim has Marcus Spears over Kenyon Coleman and notes Coleman’s $1.9 million salary as a negative. Marcus Spears makes $2 million and was not as productive as Coleman last year. Plus, Coleman was a Rob Ryan guy in Cleveland.

Offensive line: I believe Pat McQuistan makes it but don’t count out Kevin Kowalski. The problem is that you’re left with only three tackles on the 53 if McQuistan is out. That might be too light, but the Cowboys did it last year. Let’s see how the young undrafted guys develop in camp. If they do well enough you might be better served to go with your fourth tackle on the practice squad.

Fullback/tight end: Tim went with one fullback and three tight ends. I can see either two fullbacks or four tight ends and that could come at the expense of a third quarterback. Undrafted tight end Andrew Szczerba is not the most gifted athletically but he could be an in-line blocker they lack as a backup. And here’s another thought as a possible blocking tight end: outside linebacker Alex Albright. He made the team as an undrafted rookie last year and showed a knack for being in the right spot at the right time. He can also play special teams. It might be worth a look to see if he can block some as well.

Wide receiver: Don’t rule out Dwayne Harris. He has changed his body from a year ago and is moving much better. His ability to be a return man might help his cause. If Kevin Ogletree is not the No. 3 receiver, I don’t know if it would make sense to keep him because he doesn’t help enough on special teams.

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys closed the three-day minicamp at Cowboys Stadium and we will close out the observations for the offseason here with some thoughts. Fear not, the observations will be back when training camp begins.

Here we go:

** If there was an eye-catching player Thursday it was rookie RB Lance Dunbar. The North Texas product has speed and took the snaps that had been going to Phillip Tanner in the offseason. In one goal line run, Dunbar simply ran away from the defense to the corner of the end zone.

** WR Cole Beasley showed some toughness Thursday by practicing after hurting his knee Wednesday. He always made a nice grab down the middle of the field from QB Rudy Carpenter, slowing down slightly to use his body to create separation from S Justin Taplin-Ross. Maybe a pass interference penalty could have been called, but Beasley showed some savvy.

** Earlier WR Kevin Ogletree tried to do the same on CB Lionel Smith, but let a Tony Romo deep ball bounce off his hands for an incompletion.

** It was a struggle for QB Stephen McGee after putting together a pretty good Wednesday workout. McGee held on to the ball too long in red zone drills and was late on some throws down the field. In the two-minute drill he threw five straight passes to WR Andre Holmes and completed only one of them. The completion came on a fourth-and-long.

** On a fourth-and-short play, Romo forced a throw to TE John Phillips on a bootleg that was intercepted by LB Sean Lee. Bad throw? Maybe but given the situation -- they needed to score a touchdown late in the game -- it was an all or nothing play.

** On the third play of the team period, Romo was able to find WR Dez Bryant deep while being covered by CB Brandon Carr and S Brodney Pool. Carr looked to be in decent position but Pool was just off, allowing the completion. It might not have happened, however, in a real game with DeMarcus Ware bringing pressure off the edge.

** Rookie TE James Hanna seemed to come along well this week in the mini-camp, catching more passes in the three days than he had in the organized team activities.

** LB Victor Butler did a nice job of fighting off Tyron Smith on a screen pass to Phillips. If Smith makes the block, then the offense would have scored a touchdown.

** With Isaac Madison sitting because of a sore shoulder, fellow undrafted CB Lionel Smith worked with the first team nickel and dime packages and did a nice job. He was in position on a number of plays and was able to break up a pass in the end zone from Romo to Holmes in seven-on-seven drills.

** Injured rookie WR Danny Coale appeared to be talking about punting steps with kicking coach Chris Boniol at one point during practice. Coale did some punting at Virginia Teach. He also worked on some field goal holds, too.

** Secondary coach Jerome Henderson played catch with some youngsters who were on the field as part of a tour of the stadium while the players stretched.

IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys held the first of four organized team activities that will be open to the media at Valley Ranch on Wednesday, so we bring you some observations from the two-hour workout:

** Maybe it’s the product of not seeing him throw in four months, but Tony Romo was throwing the ball with a tremendous amount of velocity. Romo went 8-of-11 in team and seven-on-seven drills Wednesday with one drop by TE John Phillips.

** LB Sean Lee looked in midseason form by snuffing out a pass to the flat to FB Lawrence Vickers for what would have been no gain or a short pickup.

** QB Stephen McGee and rookie Tyrone Navikoff had a difficult time with the snap, muffing three before Navikoff was pulled in favor of Bill Nagy. And Nagy’s first snap with McGee went to the ground.

** WR Raymond Radway, who missed his rookie year with a broken ankle, was knocked out of practice briefly after getting poked in the eye.

** Dez Bryant, Kevin Ogletree, Akwasi Owusu-Ansah and Dwayne Harris worked as punt returners. Tim Benford, Radway and Lance Dunbar handled kick returns.

** With OLB DeMarcus Ware missing the workout, Victor Butler was with the starters and showed good awareness on a reverse by Harris by not allowing the wide receiver to get outside. Anthony Spencer did the same later in practice on a reverse to Miles Austin.

** WR Andre Holmes made a nice grab on a Kyle Orton throw in seven-on-seven drills while crossing the middle. Earlier, Holmes snared a Romo pass that was a little ahead of him.

** Rookie Saalim Hakin struggled in the rookie minicamp with drops and he struggled Wednesday. Unofficially he had three and the last brought receivers coach Jimmy Robinson over with some encouragement.

** Undrafted rookie CB Lionel Smith intercepted a McGee pass along the sideline.

** Rookie S Eddie Whitley ended practice with a nice breakup of a McGee throw to James Hanna. Whitley broke on Hanna’s route perfectly to bat the pass away.

** RB Phillip Tanner did not look any different after being put on injured reserve last year with a hamstring injury. He was quick and decisive with his cuts.

IRVING, Texas -- Making instant evaluations off two rookie minicamp practices can be dangerous to a person’s health, but here are some observations from the Cowboys sessions Friday:

** Kyle Wilber is active. That’s what the Cowboys thought they were getting in the Wake Forest linebacker. He has a quick first step off the ball and was able to track down running back Darrell Scott from behind in the morning practice.

** Defensive end Tyrone Crawford had a would-be sack of Nathan Dick in the first workout thanks to being unblocked, but he was able to get up the field in more competitive situations.

** Linebacker Caleb McSurdy was able to knock away a Larry Smith pass to tight end James Hanna but on the next play was not as fortunate, with Hanna getting a step on him on an out cut.

** Troy Woolfolk is listed as a cornerback but he played safety Friday. He intercepted a pass that was tipped by linebacker Adrian Hamilton. On the next play Wilber deflected a pass that Lionel Smith intercepted.

** It was difficult to get a read on the wide receivers and tight ends because the timing of the passing game was a mess.

**Tight end Andrew Szczerba made a nice one-handed grab down the middle of the field in the morning practice but was unable to finish the session because of an injury. He practiced in the afternoon. Wide receiver Donavon Kemp sat out of the afternoon workout.

** Cornerback Isaac Madison made a nice breakup of a deep ball from Smith to Cole Beasley.

** Like he did at training camp and all through last season, Jason Garrett had officials at practice. At different times flags were flying, including a handful for lining up offside.

The offseason started a few weeks ago with voluntary workouts for veteran players. Now, after last week's NFL draft, it's time for the rookies and the undrafted free agents to start putting in their work during the next three days at Valley Ranch.

The first of two practice sessions starts Friday at 10:30 a.m. CT.

What happens today: The Cowboys will have seven draft picks, 21 undrafted free agents and at least 10 tryout invitees work out this weekend at Valley Ranch. CB Morris Claiborne, the sixth overall pick of the draft, will be in attendance but he won't practice as he's still recovering from left wrist surgery.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Saalim Hakim, WR, Tarleton State: The brother of former NFL player Az-Zahir Hakim spent just one season at Tarleton State after playing at Palomar Junior College in California. Hakim, an undrafted free agent, caught 18 passes for 358 yards and two touchdowns for Tarleton State, including a game-winning catch against Texas A&M Commerce in 2010. Hakim missed the deadline to declare for the draft after his 2010 season and spent 2011 in the United Football League. Hakim has been clocked at 4.29 in the 40.

Lionel Smith, CB, Texas A&M: The speedy cornerback -- clocked at 4.44 in the 40 -- can play both spots. During his college career, Smith stripped Cowboys sixth-round pick James Hanna after a reception and stopped Iowa State's James White at the goal line. The undrafted cornerback will have to make this team on special teams.

Ronald Leary, G, Memphis: The Cowboys held a private workout for Leary with offensive line coach Bill Callahan. The Cowboys like his size because he can play both guard spots, but the undrafted free agent suffers from chronic knee problems and his long-term future is in doubt. The Cowboys are taking a flier with Leary. If he remains healthy, he could be the backup guard.

Matt Johnson, S, Eastern Washington: The Cowboys got a fourth-round pick who picked up 17 interceptions during his career. Johnson can play center field and near the line of scrimmage. Johnson gives the Cowboys comfort in knowing he has a habit of defending receivers at the point of attack.

Danny Coale, WR, Virginia Tech: The fifth-round selection gets a chance to impress the coaches by working out of the slot and playing both receiver spots. He's got the speed to play the position and runs good routes and displays good hands. But can he beat out a group of backup receivers, led by Kevin Ogletree, to make the final 53-man roster?