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Click here for a complete list of the Dallas Cowboys' roster moves.

Biggest surprise: I guess they released four fullbacks, including Chris Gronkowski, meaning they kept none. They're obviously deep at tailback with Felix Jones, Tashard Choice, DeMarco Murray and Phillip Tanner and at tight end as well, so they either didn't see the need to use a fullback this season or are content with the idea of picking one off the scrap heap within the next couple of weeks. Other than that, I didn't find any of the cuts especially surprising. Igor Olshansky started 28 of their 32 games the past two seasons, so he's the biggest name among the cuts. But we'd seen this one coming for a while. It was clear that new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan preferred Kenyon Coleman at defensive end, and that the Cowboys weren't going to be afraid to cut ties with established veterans.

No-brainers: Kickers Shayne Graham and Dave Rayner had their chances to win jobs but couldn't, so they're gone and the Cowboys will go with David Buehler for kickoffs and Dan Bailey for field goals. Lonyae Miller showed promise early but was passed by Tanner for the lone spot in the crowded running back field. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah clearly wasn't panning out at safety in spite of being the team's fourth-round draft pick in 2010.

What's next: With only five wide receivers on the roster, the Cowboys could theoretically hunt around for veteran help there. But they may believe the receiving ability of their tight ends and running backs minimizes the importance of adding there. They will surely continue looking for a kicker, because
they're obviously not satisfied with what they have, and they may be on the lookout for added depth in the secondary. They kept 10 offensive linemen, but that doesn't mean it's impossible to see them bringing someone in from the outside if they can find a reliable veteran backup for some of their young starters.

Happy September, everyone. You know what September is? Yeah, the month when football starts. It's one week until the first regular-season NFL game of the year, 10 days until the first NFC East games of the year, and quite honestly there are 15 Division I-A college football games tonight if you're into that sort of thing, which I am. You know what else I'm into? Links.

Dallas Cowboys

Tashard Choice has a bruised knee and won't play in the Cowboys' preseason finale in Miami. This means Choice will finish the preseason with 14 rushing yards on three carries. Cuts are coming Saturday, and I can't imagine Choice is in huge trouble. I mean, if his roster spot were in jeopardy, they'd have to give him a chance to play in the game and earn it, right? But if someone like DeMarco Murray, Lonyae Miller or my personal favorite, Phillip Tanner, has a big night, it could bode ill for Choice's short-term future in terms of carries and maybe even his long-term future in terms of the roster. They're not messing around in Dallas, remember. Just ask Andre Gurode.

Apparently, after Martellus Bennett said that stuff in the offseason about how Jon Kitna had earned the right to challenge Tony Romo for the starting quarterback job, Romo sat down with Bennett to air some things out because he didn't consider Bennett's comments "in the best interests of the Dallas Cowboys." I like it. Sounds like Bennett did too.

New York Giants

Tom Coughlin said he's weighing whether or not to play his starters at all in tonight's preseason finale, since it'd be the Giants' second game in four days due to the rescheduling as a result of Hurricane Irene. Coughlin, like all coaches, laments the fact that the compressed offseason and new CBA rules have limited his ability to get in enough practices to get his team ready for the season. And certain key parts of Coughlin's team have looked awful in these preseason games. But he's probably better off resting regulars like Eli Manning and trusting that his veterans will be ready come Sept. 11 whether they get a few more meaningless game snaps in or not.

Ohm writes that the Giants' defensive players say they're ready for the season in spite of the injuries that have thinned their ranks. I actually thought the Giants looked very good on defense Monday night, for whatever that's worth, which is very little since it was a preseason game. Again, the front-line starters look very good. I'm just not sure the defense could take another significant injury and still do what they're going to need to do. And there are always injuries.

Philadelphia Eagles

The final preseason game is audition time for the players on the bottom third of the Eagles' current 80-man roster, as Tom Rimback writes. Further down in this story, you'll see an indication that the Eagles don't plan to play either of their rookie offensive lineman, Danny Watkins or Jason Kelce, who are projected to open the season as starters for them in tonight's preseason finale. Me, I'd have run them out there for another quarter or so. But as usual, they didn't ask me.

One of the more interesting battles fought in the Eagles' preseason finale could be the one between Vince Young and Mike Kafka to determine which would start if Michael Vick got injured early in the season. Young has struggled to learn the offense since arriving in Philadelphia. Kafka knows it, but he's not 30-17 as an NFL starter. If Young demonstrates that he's picking things up, I imagine he's the first option off the bench.

Washington Redskins

Everybody, including the other players on the Redskins' roster, awaits the decision on whether John Beck or Rex Grossman will be the starting quarterback for the season opener. Rich Campbell wonders if Mike Shanahan is delaying the announcement in part to keep the Giants -- his Week 1 opponent -- in the dark. Something tells me the Giants have bigger worries.

Thomas Boswell thinks the Redskins have finally hit on a key element in their head coach -- one who's not a nice guy. Now, that doesn' t seem very nice on Mr. Boswell's part, does it? I'm not sure Thomas has really taken the time to get to know Mr. Shanahan...

Two weeks of preseason football in the books, and some made it through better than others. We take a look at where things stand in the links.

Dallas Cowboys

Running backs DeMarco Murray and Tashard Choice will return from their injuries and practice Tuesday. Perhaps they'd been watching Felix Jones and figure they need to get back soon or else they won't get any carries. Perhaps, in Choice's case, he's been watching Phil Tanner and Lonyae Miller and figures he needs to get back soon or else he might not make the team.

Carlos Mendez has a somewhat detailed look at the communication issues the Cowboys are still trying to work out as they attempt to master Rob Ryan's defense in time for the start of the season.

New York Giants

Terrell Thomas' season-ending ACL injury was the one and only important story of Monday night for the Giants, who beat the Bears handily but in a game that didn't count and cost them one of their starting cornerbacks. They did get some good news when X-rays on left tackle Will Beatty's foot came back negative. It would have been tough to weather two major injuries to starters in one preseason game. One's certainly bad enough.

The player most directly affected by Thomas' injury is cornerback Aaron Ross, who will have to play a lot more than originally anticipated and probably a lot better. The game he played Monday night was very encouraging.

Philadelphia Eagles

Position battles continue to rage in Philly, and it looks as if free-agent signee Jarrad Page has become a threat to Nate Allen at the free safety spot. The main reason for this is that Allen does not appear to be completely back from his knee injury. As Nick Fierro writes here, Kurt Coleman is also playing a bigger role in the safety mix, which appears to be unsettled at the moment.

DeSean Jackson has a very sober and reasonable take on the Larry Fitzgerald deal and how it affects him: "The things he's done, he's been in the league, of course, longer than me, this is his third deal . . . There's really no comparison of the type of receivers we are." This is all true, but again, Fitzgerald's deal pushed the top end of the market higher, and while Jackson can't expect to get the same type of deal, the Fitzgerald deal can only help him make more. The question is still how much more the Eagles want to pay, and if the figures don't jive, it's possible the Fitzgerald deal could even portend Jackson's departure from Philly next offseason.

Washington Redskins

Kyle Shanahan explains some of the specific things the team is evaluating while deciding between John Beck and Rex Grossman for the starting quarterback job. We still don't know who's starting Thursday against Baltimore, let alone Sept. 11 against the Giants. But you know where my money is if you ever read this blog.

Chris Cooley says he "can't imagine" not being ready for that Sept. 11 opener, which is good news for whoever the quarterback turns out to be.

Thoughts from the Cowboys' 20-7 preseason loss to the visiting Chargers.

Defense is what matters for the Dallas Cowboys. Defense is what killed them in 2010, and defense will determine whether or not they can rebound and return to playoff contention in 2011. And so, when you tune in to watch a Cowboys preseason game, you're going to watch the defense. And it is, as we mentioned in Camp Confidential, a work in progress.

New defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's defense is based on multiple and varied looks. It's intended to confuse the opposing offense, but before it can do that, the players playing the defense must learn the scheme and develop trust and confidence in it. Since the lockout eliminated OTAs and minicamps, the Cowboys couldn't start practicing their roles in Ryan's new scheme until a couple of weeks ago, and the lack of experience in the new system has shown in both of their preseason games so far.

The best example was Randy McMichael's touchdown catch from Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers. The Cowboys' pass rush had Rivers cold and he looked as though he was about to throw the ball away. But because cornerback Alan Ball and safety Gerald Sensabaugh had both gone after the same receiver, McMichael was wide open. Rivers saw him and found him for the touchdown, and Ryan had something to say to Sensabaugh when he came off the field.

There were good things that happened, too. Barry Church had an excellent game, knocking down a touchdown pass in the first half and making a great open-field tackle in the third quarter. And Ryan lined top linebacker DeMarcus Ware in several different spots -- left side, right side, dropped him into pass coverage. As a coordinator, Ryan's never had a player as good as Ware, and he's going to have more and more fun with him as everybody gets comfortable in the new system and he can keep moving Ware (and others) all over the field into unexpected spots.

But the question is how soon that will be. Can this Cowboys team learn and become comfortable in this new system in just two more preseason games and three more weeks of practice? There are still communication issues in the secondary, and injured starting cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman haven't even played yet, so there's no way to even know if they'll be good enough to allow Ryan to do what he wants to do up front. Long way to go before the Cowboys' defense looks like a cohesive unit, and they don't have a lot of time.

Here are some other things I saw in the loss to San Diego:

1. The first-team offensive line looked good. Especially rookie right tackle Tyron Smith, who is big and strong and athletic and just looks like a nightmare to try and get past. They've been working with Smith on his footwork, specifically the alignment of his left foot, and it's a matter of him getting comfortable with the new foot position and trusting it. He looked better and protecting the outside Sunday night than he had in the first game. Fellow rookie Bill Nagy got the start at left guard and handled himself well, but he gets overpowered by stronger defensive linemen, as rookie David Arkin did a bit last week. If everyone's healthy (including starting center Andre Gurode), I still think either Montrae Holland or Phil Costa starts at left guard three weeks from now in New York. But Nagy and Arkin will still get opportunities in the meantime to show what they can do, and there are plenty of reasons to like both -- for the near future, if not immediately. You can always build strength.

2. I don't have anything, really, to say on Tony Romo. Yes, his interception was terrible -- terrible decision, terrible throw, terrible all the way around. But from the Twitter reaction you'd have thought it was his 700th consecutive pass attempt that resulted in an interception. His touchdown pass was a very good throw, and while it seems clear that those who don't like Romo will always be looking for reasons to point and shout, "See? Told ya!", he has offered no reason to worry and remains very low on the Cowboys' list of concerns.

3. Lonyae Miller and Phillip Tanner. With Tashard Choice and DeMarco Murray injured, the younger running backs on the Cowboys roster have had a chance to show their stuff. Miller looked good early, and the block he threw against the blitz early in the third quarter will show up on his personal highlight film. But his fumble will not, and fumbles can kill a fringe guy's chances of making the team. Tanner struggled in pass protection last week, but he looks like a better runner than Miller does. I don't think any defenders let up on the play after he lost his helmet on the touchdown that got called back, so on tape that's going to show up as a tough touchdown run. Difficult call, if it comes down to two of these guys for one spot, or if they're looking to see whether or not one can unseat Choice.

4. Oh, and the starting running back. Felix Jones, for the second week in a row... wow. Fast, tough and resilient. Guy is moving up those fantasy draft boards, I guarantee. He's running like he means it. His teammates like the spark he brings. He's seeing the field and his lanes from the backfield, and he's working for extra yards against a very good defense in a game that doesn't count. Everything you'd want to see out of Jones when presented with a chance to be the every-down guy, he's showing. My only concern? He's taking a lot of hits, and hasn't exactly shown himself to be Mr. Durable in the past. If he can hold up, he's got a chance to bring something special.

5. The No. 3 receiver issue. If it's Kevin Ogletree's job to lose, he didn't do anything to lose it Sunday. He looked very speedy and very determined, and we didn't see any of the Dwayne Harris magic we saw last year. Manuel Johnson was the down-the-roster receiver who made the strongest second-half impression with Stephen McGee under center. Which is probably another reason for Ogletree to feel good about things.

6. No blood in the kicking battle. Neither Dan Bailey nor David Buehler got a field goal attempt, and I'm not sure I get why neither got one in the final minute. Is it more important right now for the Cowboys to see these guys kick or see if their third-team offense can get in on fourth-and-goal? I guess you could say a 20-yard field goal would be a poor indicator anyway, but still. Why not put one of the kickers in a real game situation if you can?

7. Finally, I'm a little bit surprised by the choice of James Spader for "The Office." My hope is that it allows the very funny people that populate the rest of the cast to shine now that they don't all have to orbit Steve Carell.

Good morning to all. Your links are piping hot and ready. Come and get 'em.

Dallas Cowboys

I'd say at this point that Kevin Ogletree has an opportunity to be a factor in the passing game. And if that's the case, you'll surely want to know about his 30 tattoos, including the one of his grandfather, and which 'Entourage' character he'd like to be. Don't worry. Got you covered.

Clarence Hill thinks Tashard Choice's injury and Lonyae Miller's strong early showing could mean Choice's spot on the roster is in trouble. I'm a little bit skeptical on that, as is Choice, if you read his tweets on the matter. Could be a case of somebody trying to light a fire under Choice and get him on the practice field. Or it could be true. We shall see.

New York Giants

Paul Schwartz writes of young defensive tackles Linval Joseph and Marvin Austin, who are tasked with replacing Barry Cofield in the middle of the Giants' defensive line. Both are large, talented young men who were drafted in the second round. They are an example of the Giants' 2011 plan/hope that the depth they've developed within their system at certain positions on both lines can sustain them in a year in which they weren't able to be active in free agency.

I didn't personally see Steve Smith at the Giants' facility Monday, but multiple reliable sources said he was there, and Zach Berman writes that he'll be back Tuesday for an examination of his surgically repaired knee. Sounds as if the Giants and Smith are inching closer toward a contract agreement, but it also sounds as if Smith won't be ready for the start of the season even if that happens, which means Domenik Hixon, Ramses Barden & Co. have an opportunity if they want one.

Philadelphia Eagles

Bob Ford makes the very good point that, while DeSean Jackson's holdout can be (and apparently has been) fixed by something as simple as Jackson deciding to show up and practice while they work out a new contract, Jeremy Maclin's absence is not so easy a problem to fix.

The Eagles didn't sign Ryan Harris to hold a spot for Winston Justice while Justice got healthy. They signed him because they felt uncertain about right tackle and that Harris could be the solution. So the fact that Harris is running with the first team while Justice works his way back from injury is significant, and if Harris is starting at right tackle on Sept. 11, it's not going to be a major upset.

Washington Redskins

Nice story by Carla Peay on new Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson, who used to work the concession stands at FedEx Field and now will play for the team on Sundays. Money quote: "It's going to be a great feeling not having to serve fries."

If there's a position of strength on the Redskins' offense, it's tight end, where Chris Cooley and Fred Davis believe they should be on the field together more than they have been. And yes, it makes sense to give an unproven quarterback such as John Beck the ability to rely on reliable tight ends. But I asked Mike Shanahan about this when I was there last week, and he kind of hedged, which means either he didn't want to to tell me about specific offensive sets he's planning to run or that he expects his tight ends to have to do a lot of blocking since the line and the rest of the offense are such major question marks. Or both. I actually think it may have been both.

We'll chat at noon ET, since it's Tuesday, and the Giants are off today so no training camp for me. Just a normal day in front of the computer, enjoying the day's NFL news with all you good folks.

» NFC High Energy: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A look at a player who gave his team a significant boost in Week 13.

Perhaps we'll never know why it took so long for the Dallas Cowboys to give Tashard Choice some significant playing time this season. You'd think all those 2-yard carries for Marion Barber might have done the trick, but interim coach Jason Garrett was firm in saying last week that Choice was the team's third tailback.

Choice forced Garrett to eat those words when he finished with 100 yards on 19 carries in the Cowboys' 38-35 overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts. And I don't think Garrett minded one bit that Choice made the coaches look bad with his performance Sunday. Owner Jerry Jones said last week that Choice wasn't doing enough on special teams. But if he's the first or second back on this team, someone like Lonyae Miller can pick up those special-teams duties.

"I think if you go back and look at Tashard, how he’s played when he’s gotten opportunities, he’s played fairly well," said Garrett. "So seeing him make the runs, both inside and outside, that’s stuff that we’ve seen from him before. He’s a good football player. There’s no question about that."

I think Choice may be the Cowboys' most complete running back at this point. And with his performance in Week 13, he pretty much assured everyone that Barber won't be back in 2011.

» NFC Decisive Moments: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

The Dallas Cowboys signed former Fresno State backup tailback Lonyae Miller to an undrafted free-agent contract last April. And on Friday, they called him up from the practice squad as insurance with Marion Barber out with an injury.

With 21 seconds remaining in regulation, Miller made perhaps the most important play of the game against the Colts. Bryan McCann had the ball poked away from him during a kickoff return and Miller, playing on special teams for the first time this season, made the recovery. The Cowboys probably wouldn't have won the game in overtime if not for Miller's hustle on the play.

"I can't think of a more significant play in the game, to be honest with you,” Garrett said. “When you go about it the right way and you're hustling to the football and the ball comes out [and] you're able to get in there and make a play like that, it's a game-changer. I think our team understands that. Lonyae got his first opportunity to be an active player this past week and he took advantage of it."

Miller will accept his decisive moment ribbon Wednesday at Valley Ranch.

I thought the most significant thing to come out of Saturday's preseason game was the debut of Cowboys rookie linebacker Sean Lee in Dallas' 16-14 victory against San Diego. The second-round pick made back to back plays in the fourth quarter to shut down the Chargers' short-yardage running game. I wondered how he'd react to game speed, but it didn't seem to faze him. Watching him fight off a lead blocker and then tackle the tailback on his own was the most impressive play of the evening.

Now, let's look at some of other aspects of the Cowboys' win:

• Nice job by cornerback Terence Newman bouncing back from getting burned to undercut a route and intercept Philip Rivers in the first quarter. This defense looks a lot more opportunistic after three preseason games.

• The Cowboys better hope Ryan Mathews is the second coming of LaDainian Tomlinson, because he made them look bad at times Saturday night. The Chargers were able to run down hill with all three of their main backs. Wade Phillips' defense will have to work on tackling this week, because it kept bouncing off Chargers running backs. I've been a fan of Mike Tolbert's ever since he came out of Coastal Carolina. Impossible to bring him down if you go high, and Orlando Scandrick learned that lesson the hard way.

• I didn't like the looks of Gerald Sensabaugh's left shoulder injury. Keith Brooking injured his right shoulder and said it was a "mild AC strain." Neither injury is serious, but don't be shocked if they sit out the final two preseason games.

• I know that Tony Romo had linebacker Stephen Cooper closing in on him, but you can't throw that pass into the middle of the field. You'd rather see Romo take the sack in that situation, and he admitted that after the game. It wasn't a great night for Romo and the offense, but the red-zone touchdown pass to Miles Austin was a thing of beauty. Romo throws that back-shoulder fade as well as any quarterback in the league right now.

• Norv Turner burned the Cowboys with those little slip screens to Darren Sproles. He used the Cowboys' speed against them by letting DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer come free before dumping the ball over their heads. Not even Brooking could make a play in the open field as Sproles raced for daylight.

• Marion Barber and Felix Jones aren't doing much in the preseason games. Jones needs to turn some of those runs upfield quicker instead of gliding down the line of scrimmage, hoping to find a seam.

• Rookie free-agent safety Danny McCray has become a special teams phenom. I saw him make at least three tackles in coverage. He's already among the Cowboys' top two or three special-teams players, and he's not finished climbing.

• It's fun watching left tackle Doug Free get out in space on screen passes. He flattened a defender to lead the way for Barber's 8-yard reception.

• Let's give offensive tackle Robert Brewster his due. He certainly had some help at right tackle when Romo was on the field, but I thought he played pretty well. And when he moved over to the left side, Brewster did a nice job of anchoring and giving Jon Kitna a clean pocket. Backup center Phil Costa also receives kudos for some excellent work. He does a nice job on those middle screens. He's been the under-the-radar star of the offensive line in this camp. Mark that down somewhere.

• Spencer is pretty much impossible to block right now. He had one sack wiped out because of defensive holding, but he was constantly in the face of Rivers or Billy Volek. He's poised to have a huge season.

• During my time in Oxnard, Calif., last week, I kept telling you guys that Martellus Bennett could be a threat in the red zone. Well, Kitna realized that Saturday night. Bennett was a nice third-down option for both Romo and Kitna. He's an enormous target who is too big for safeties to cover and too fast for linebackers. That might have been the best all-around game I've seen him play in a Cowboys uniform. Let's see if he can take it to the regular season.

• Linebacker Leon Williams didn't help himself by missing a tackle in the backfield on Tolbert. And fellow linebacker Victor Butler helped himself big time with a strip sack in the second half that led to the game-winning safety. Butler has had an excellent camp.

• Cornerback Cletis Gordon's the biggest surprise from this camp. The former Charger snagged an interception with his right hand while running step for step with a wide receiver in the second half. If you count practice, I think he has at least 14 interceptions this preseason.

• I like how rookie running back Lonyae Miller runs the ball. He played better than Herb Donaldson on Saturday. I'd try to get Miller on the practice squad. I'm sure he wanted to show off for his former Fresno State teammate Mathews.

Dallas-Cincinnati was a Hall of Fame Game in name only. It wasn't pretty to watch either offense, but the Cowboys have reason feel good about their defense, which provided their only touchdown. Tight end John Phillips had an excellent evening, but it was cut short by what appears to be a serious knee injury. With Martellus Bennett's inconsistency last season, the Cowboys were counting on Phillips to play a significant role in the offense. The way his knee completely gave out as he started his route was not a good sign. Now, let's talk about what stood out to me in the Cowboys' 16-7 win over the Bengals.

• I know it was only one series, but left tackle Doug Free was outstanding in protecting Tony Romo. Antwan Odom's a pretty solid pass-rusher, but Free controlled him throughout the series. Even when he got knocked off balance on one play, he stayed in front of Odom. Before he got hurt, second-team left tackle Alex Barron did not impress me at all. The Cowboys' backup linemen made Geno Atkins look like he belonged in Canton, Ohio, on a permanent basis. And Michael Johnson also gave the Cowboys' blockers fits. John Phillips was the only player who consistently stayed with his blocks throughout the first half.

• When I saw that Ron Winter was running the show, I knew we were in for a long evening. I know it wasn't his usual officiating crew, but he made sure they called everything. They hit Andre Gurode for a holding penalty on the Cowboys' first drive.

• That was pretty entertaining to watch Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton match up with Adam Jones. The cornerback held his own for the most part, but Crayton and Romo fooled him on an excellent back-shoulder pass. Just exquisite timing -- especially since it's so early in camp.

• Romo connected with Roy Williams on a crossing route during that first drive. The ball was a little behind Williams and it was high, but he snagged it anyway. That's a really good sign for Williams. I thought he and Austin made the most of their limited opportunities. Jason Garrett made it a point to get Williams involved quite a bit.

• Felix Jones got bailed out by an offside call when the Cowboys were inside the Bengals' 10-yard line. He has to secure the ball in that situation.

• [+] Enlarge
  AP Photo/Ron SchwaneBrandon Sharpe of Dallas scored the Cowboys' only touchdown, returning an interception 6 yards against the Bengals.
  Through one preseason game, it doesn't look like the Cowboys have solved those red-zone issues. It was only one opportunity, but there was no reason to get bogged down inside the 5-yard line.

• David Buehler made his short field-goal attempts, but he missed a 49-yarder by about 20 yards to the left. It was a gigantic hook, and that's something that has to concern Wade Phillips. You can handle a miss from 49 yards, but it's concerning when the ball's not even close. I Thought I was watching more "highlights" of Tiger at the World Golf Challenge.

• I loved how defensive end Stephen Bowen played Sunday night. He was an absolute beast from the right side. He forced a poor throw from Carson Palmer by collapsing the pocket in the first quarter. The Cowboys will be just fine if Marcus Spears isn't able to make it back for the first game. Jason Hatcher and Bowen both played well against the Bengals.

• What an awful deal for John Phillips. He was the Cowboys' best offensive player in the first half and he hurt his knee in a non-contact situation. I seriously think he was ready to surpass Bennett. He can line up in the backfield as the lead blocker and he can make nice catches downfield. He was on his way to being the best blocking tight end on the team. I really believe that. Tough, tough injury for a guy who was having an excellent camp.

• Kevin Ogletree caught everything thrown his way, but he has to know where he is on the field. On his first catch, he sort of staggered forward and lost the first down. It was an awkward play from a normally smooth player.

• Tashard Choice showed some nice acceleration on that 21-yard run around the right side. You have to find a way to get him more involved in the offense. He's too good to only have two or three carries per game.

• Herb Donaldson, it was nice knowing you. You can't fumble on your first carry of the evening. Gibril Wilson made a nice play to poke it out of there, but Donaldson did not secure the ball properly.

• I thought Cris Collinsworth made a really nice assessment of Bowen when he compared him to Jim Jeffcoat. He's obviously not there yet, but he sort of moves like Jeffcoat. He doesn't look very fast, but he always seems to be causing trouble in the backfield. Really good night for him.

• I'm not sure what happened to third-string quarterback Stephen McGee. He looked confident early in completing his first five passes. But as the night went on, he became more and more tentative. You're going to get sacked if you hold it that long. He reminded me of Drew Henson tonight because he just took too long to process things. McGee has good athleticism and an excellent arm, but you need to unload the ball. Otherwise, a guy named Michael Johnson suddenly looks like an All-Pro linebacker. Mike Zimmer appears to be onto something with that guy.

• It was a good night for former Texas Tech players. Jamar Wall did an excellent job in coverage. On one particular play, Chad Ochocinco could not shake Wall. And linebackers Brandon Williams and Brandon Sharpe both had big interceptions. Williams had a nice return that should've set up a touchdown. Sharpe picked off a Jordan Palmer pass and returned it for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Sort of fun to see Tony Romo cut off an interview with NBC to celebrate the touchdown with a loud, "Yes!" And if I'm Carson Palmer, I'm in there tomorrow morning begging the coaches not to cut my little brother. For goodness sakes, Jordan Palmer looked nothing like an NFL quarterback. He held the ball too long, and then he made backbreaking decisions.

• Sorry, but Robert Brewster looked like a bust on this evening. The former Ball State offensive tackle was taken in the third round in '09. He promptly tore a pectoral muscle while lifting weights. On Sunday, he had no chance against the Bengals backup defensive ends and linebackers. He wasn't strong enough to anchor his body and he just got bullied the whole time he was in there. I was not impressed with anything about his performance.

• Brian McCann's back there trying to make a play on a punt return and Brandon Ghee just nails him. I know they said Ghee was blocked into McCann, but I thought the play could've been avoided. You hate to see a defenseless player take a shot in the chest like that.

• I thought Danny McCray had a nice outing. He had the interception, but he also was very active on special teams. The Cowboys wanted more turnovers this season, and on Sunday, they caused four. Jason Hatcher applied the pressure that led to McCray's interception. Did I mention how poorly the Bengals' backup quarterbacks played?

• Wall had a solid game, but he got burned going for an interception on a pass to Matt Jones.

• The Cowboys' young linebackers were incredibly active. Insider backer Jason Williams flattened one of the Bengals' running backs and Brandon Williams was flying all over the field. Also strong showings by Victor Butler and Steve Octavien. It looks like the Cowboys have a ton of depth at linebacker based on what we saw Sunday night. And rookie Sean Lee didn't even play because of a quadriceps injury that has slowed him early in camp.

• Great special teams play by former Oklahoma standout Manuel Johnson to help the Cowboys down a Mat McBriar punt at the 1-yard line.

• I liked how Marcus Dixon played in the second half. He was very active and he always seemed to be in the right place. If Jordan Palmer's going to hold the ball, Butler and Dixon are going to get to him. For a first preseason game, the defense was very impressive.

• I thought Marion Barber looked quick early in the game. And he brought a ton of energy to the offense. I think the Cowboys will try to do a better job of keeping him fresh for the fourth quarter this season.

• Former University of Texas star Jordan Shipley burned the Cowboys for a 64-yard punt return. Apparently Carson Palmer has been raving about Shipley. Shipley and Wall have faced each other several times in Big 12 play. Shipley certainly got the best of Wall with a nice move in the open field. And McBriar's one of the best punters in the league, but open-field tackling's not his strength.

• It's probably time to end the Pat McQuistan era in Dallas. He's just not quick enough to hold off defensive tackles. And if you run a stunt against him, he's in big trouble.

• Rookie running back Lonyae Miller out of Fresno State had his moments. He'll be a good practice squad candidate.

• Overall, not a bad first outing. The Phillips injury is tough blow.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- I've put in a request to the league asking for less access to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. By my count, we've heard from him three times in the past two weeks -- and he's delivered wildly different messages each time.

From what I can tell, Felix Jones pretty much became the starting running back in March, lost the job to the svelte Marion Barber during last month's one-day owners meeting and then regained it after a remarkable showing in OTAs on Wednesday. If you're in the market for good sound bites and awkwardly long eye contact, Jerry's your guy. If it's clarity you're seeking, I'd probably point you in a different direction.

A week after strongly indicating the Cowboys would likely stick with the rotation of Barber/Felix Jones/Tashard Choice, the Cowboys' master of suspense said Wednesday that "nothing's set in stone" and that he looked forward to a lively competition in training camp. Things really took an interesting turn when he suggested that undrafted rookie Lonyae Miller of Fresno State would also be in the thick of things. Miller averaged 5.6 yards per carry and had 20 touchdowns in college, but he was overshadowed by first-round pick Ryan Mathews.

But the most compelling storyline at OTAs this side of Dez Bryant is Barber's new look. The man who was nicknamed "the Barbarian" for his punishing style has lost at least 10 pounds and I've actually seen him sidestep defenders in practice. As most of you know, Barber cashed in on a superb '07 season with a lucrative long-term contract and the starting job. And he hasn't been the same since.

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IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys have 24 players attending their 2010 rookie minicamp this weekend, but all eyes were on wide receiver Dez Bryant during Friday's morning practice. The good news for Cowboys fans is that Bryant made several nifty catches, including one where he reached up and snatched the ball with one hand. I also observed Bryant adjusting to a deep ball nicely when one of the quarterbacks threw it over his wrong shoulder.

He was the most talented player on the field, which is a good thing since he was the only first-rounder to make an appearance Friday. But now the bad news: In the eight Cowboys rookie minicamps I've covered over the years, I've never seen a player struggle this much from a conditioning standpoint. Wide receivers coach Ray Sherman made sure that Bryant had plenty of reps in each drill. And it only took about 45 minutes for Bryant to walk over to the sideline and attempt to puke.

Several cameramen gathered later to say that Bryant only had "dry heaves," but it was obvious that he was out of football shape. He later claimed to enjoy the whole experience since it had been so long since he'd scrimmaged.

"Just getting back in the flow," Bryant told reporters after his first practice. "As the days go on, you will see a lot of progression."

One of the lesser-known wide receivers in camp was overheard shouting at Bryant during practice, "These people didn't come out here to see me. Let's go!."

Wide receivers coach Ray Sherman, who's tutored some of the best in the league, said he wasn't concerned about Bryant's conditioning -- or lack thereof. He even compared Bryant to Cris Carter and former Cowboys great Michael Irvin at one point.

"He's in a class of his own, though" said Sherman. "He's gonna be a special player. There's no doubt in my mind."

Bryant said he was relieved to find out the Cowboys have some similar routes to the ones he ran at Oklahoma State. He planned to spend a lot of time in his new playbook in order to learn the different terminology. On Friday, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was purposely throwing a lot at Bryant to see how he responded. And like Sherman, he didn't appear to be concerned that Bryant struggled with his conditioning. The Cowboys believe that some time with strength and conditioning coach Joe Juraszek will eventually do the trick.

LB Lee wears a brace: Former Penn State linebacker Sean Lee, a second-round pick, wore a brace on his left knee during Friday's practice. He had told Dallas-Fort Worth's 103.3 ESPN earlier this week that he would not wear a brace, but he was overruled by the Cowboys' medical staff. Lee had tore his anterior cruciate ligament in '08 and missed that entire season. He wore a brace throughout his senior season at Penn State, but was hoping to lose it for good.

"I hope I don't have to wear it [in 2010]," said Lee after practice.

He said that doctors and trainers wanted to be cautious since he was playing on a different surface than he's accustomed to. I asked Lee to come up with the most important thing he learned from legendary coach Joe Paterno.

"Just the extreme passion that he brings," said Lee. "He's 83 and he still coaches with a sense of urgency. And just all the intangibles. He wants us to succeed on the field, but he also wants us to be good young men."

Other notes: Tough day for the young quarterbacks on the roster. Eastern Washington's Matt Nichols has a live arm, but he didn't know where his throws were going. The wide receivers dropped so many balls I stopped counting...My pick to click (as far as undrafted players go) is former Fresno State running back Lonyae Miller. He had the misfortune of playing behind first-rounder Ryan Mathews, but it's obvious the guy has some ability. He'll definitely be a practice squad candidate...I enjoyed watching fullback Chris Gronkowski in drills. He appears to have fairly soft hands, but more importantly, he fired off the ball and brought a lot of aggression in blocking drills...I'll have reports on the Redskins and Eagles throughout the weekend...Oh, and here's the latest on the Scott Sicko saga. He's "incredibly happy" to be a Cowboy after initially telling SI.com's Peter King that he was turning down all offers to play in the league after being passed over in the draft.

The good people at Scouts Inc. released their list of the top-10 undrafted players Sunday. You have to spend a dime or two to read the whole thing, but I'll tell you that new Cowboys quarterback Matt Nichols of Eastern Washington showed up at No. 10.

"He has the tools and mental aptitude to become a serviceable reserve with proper coaching and development," said Scouts Inc. of Nichols.

I've spent a portion of the day asking scouts about some of the undrafted players. It looks like the Chargers landed a couple of the top undrafted players with Troy defensive end Brandon Lang and Fresno State wide receiver Seyi Ajirotutu. I also had two different AFC scouts tell me that Fresno State running back Lonyae Miller was an excellent pickup by the Dallas Cowboys.

Miller backed up Ryan Mathews (12th overall to Chargers) last season but he impressed scouts at the Senior Bowl with nine carries for 44 yards. I'm told that Miller has a good chance of making the practice squad and that he has the potential to be a contributor down the road.