Cowboys Country

Cowboys 1st & 10: To Training Camp We Go (Finally)

In this edition of First and 10, it’s time to take a dive into how the NFL and NFLPA finally got the agreements in place to start training camp, plus top Cowboys stories

Matthew Postins

With so much adjustment this offseason, I spent part of my week searching for changes to NFL Training Camps. It isn’t JUST the fact that there’s no preseason anymore. The NFL and NFLPA nixed that earlier this week. It’s all sorts of changes and adjustments that have nothing to do with the obvious changes to health and safety protocols. But it’s also interesting to see how the NFL and NFLPA are messaging it to their audiences.

1) NEW RULES The first thing I found was the NFLPA’s ‘offseason rules,’ which were obviously written and agreed to pre-COVID 19. They make no sense in this world now. So I popped over to the NFLPA home page and found their link to a COVID-19 updates and information page, and it’s quite informative. Scroll down a bit and you’ll find the IDER Plan Tracker. IDER stands for Infections Disease Emergency Response. It’s a tracker of where each team stands. Updated July 25, it notes that the NFLPA has received IDER plans from all 32 NFL teams, that 12 have been approved and the other 20 are in review. By the way, the Cowboys’ plan is still under review as of July 25.

So what is the IDER? You probably don’t know it by those initials. But you know what it is. It’s the plan and response to safety protocols for COVID-19 that last week players were saying wasn’t good enough. It was all over Twitter. Earlier this week each NFL team turned in their plan to the NFL’s chief medical officer, who approved all 32. Now the NFLPA has to approve all of them. Don’t expect it to be a rubber stamp.

Scroll a little further down that NFLPA page and you’ll find some great data. It’s a National Overview of Coronavirus Concentrations in NFL markets. It shows 14-day averages of daily cases per 100,000 population in each NFL market (Miami is, as of this writing, No. 1 going away. The Dallas market is No. 10). There’s a national view, a team view (which shows cases around the team’s home stadium relative to the market, the state and the nation) and where the NFLPA is pulling the data (Johns Hopkins University).

Out of curiosity, I was interested to see if the NFL had anything about COVID-19 on its pages. NFL.com is covering it like a news story and has updates when news breaks (such as the updates to the CBA, as reported on Friday), but no information clearinghouse page that I was able to find. You probably don’t realize it, but the NFL has an Operations page and on this page I was able to find a page called The NFL Family Responds to the COVID-19 Crisis. It’s an informative page, but it’s really more about how players are responding in their communities to the crisis. It has everything from charitable endeavors to scholarship donations. Finally, after a little more digging, I found the NFL COVID-19 Policies and Procedures page. On that page I found the following:

On June 7, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell distributed the NFL-NFL Players Association Education Protocol for 2020 Training Camp. That protocol requires clubs to distribute specific NFL-NFLPA educational materials and to conduct educational sessions for players, staff and family members.

The NFL and the NFLPA have developed materials to communicate the Covid-19 Policies and Procedures.

All of these materials were provided to players, football staff members, and league personnel electronically.

In accordance with the Education Protocol, after distributing these materials, each club must hold at least one live virtual education session during which players and members of the football staff may ask any questions of the club’s medical staff or infection control officer. Each club will also be required to hold a virtual information/education session for family members of players and club staffs during which family members will have an opportunity to ask any questions they may have.

The certifications required by the Education Protocol will be distributed in a different communication.

After that was the link to the video and presentation on the COVID-19 presentation.

As for fans? Well, there isn’t much information out there right now about gameday protocols as of yet, and if I’m placing bets I’m putting my money on the NFL season starting without fans in the stands, much like Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy did make it clear that no matter how many fans are allowed to attend games this year, the league will mandate face coverings.

Something tells me a more robust fan page is coming to either NFL.com or operations.nfl.com. the league and the players needed to get their agreement handed out first.

I should note that McCarthy’s Twitter feed is quite transparent, as he tweeted or re-tweeted all of this information in the past weeks as it was released. So if you’re following McCarthy, you’re in the loop.

That includes Friday, when the league and the players finally hammered out the amended Collective Bargaining Agreement for the 2020 season.

So, here we go. Training camp, no preseason and then opening week, when, undoubtedly we’ll finally get to see the NFL take the field for the start of its 101 season come September.

Photo courtesy DallasCowboys.com 

We think.

2) THE WEEK IN DAK

Yes, even though Dak Prescott is playing on the franchise tender in 2020, there is still plenty of news surrounding the Cowboys’ starting quarterback this past week.

Let’s start with this. Former NFL executive Andrew Brandt believes that Prescott will get a better deal than Patrick Mahomes, who just signed the largest contract in NFL history.

Yes, that’s what he said. Fish broke it down here.

Then, Fish found himself on Colin Cowherd’s show talking about whether Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy wants Prescott around. Cowherd seemed to speculate that McCarthy might not have been ‘pounding his fist,’ his way of saying that McCarthy wasn’t supporting the re-signing of Prescott. Fish explained to Cowherd that while McCarthy may not be physically pounding his fist on the desk, he is behind Prescott. And, yes, Fish is wearing a Cowboy hat.

Plus, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was told by Prescott on Twitter that “Our best ball is yet to come!” as the Cowboys prepare for the 2020 season.

Fish put his opinion hat on later in the week and echoed some of the best words in advertising history, ‘Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.” No, not Fish (although hey, if he’s your cup of tea, that’s your thing). No, Fish used the phrase to get the point across that it’s not worth hating on Prescott because he a) didn’t sign the long-term deal and b) is getting paid the franchise tag in 2020. Where else are you going to find a Weird Science reference?

Also, just because the Cowboys are forking over more than $31 million to Prescott this season, it doesn’t mean the Cowboys can’t pursue other free agents or trade possibilities ... (though, as of Saturday, not that one.)

Finally, Fish posted this about the “allegedly” mixed emotions of Prescott post-contract negotiations. Any article that starts by invoking Clint Longley and Blaine Nye’s famous quote, "We just witnessed the triumph of the uncluttered mind” is worth a read.

3) SPEAKING OF JAMAL ADAMS …

The All-Pro safety will NOT be a Dallas Cowboy anytime soon.

The price is steep. And Fish reports that Dallas did not make a "recent'' trade bid on him.

Moving on …

4) GETTING THE ROOKIES SIGNED

The Cowboys got many of their rookie deals done this week, as one would expect with the salary-slotting model the NFL uses now.

For instance, seventh-round pick, James Madison quarterback Ben DiNucci, agreed to his deal on Monday, a four-year contract. New Cowboys defensive end Bradlee Anae, who fell to the Cowboys at No. 89 overall on draft weekend, also agreed to his four-year deal on Monday. On Wednesday our Mike Fisher reported that the Cowboys were close to agreement on the four-year deal with cornerback Reggie Robinson II. On Thursday the Cowboys agree to terms with their first-round pick, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who will get paid a guaranteed $14.1 million in his four-year rookie deal.

Meanwhile, our pals at EagleMaven, part of the Maven Network for SI, put several Cowboys on their NFC East All-Rookie offense and defense.

Plus, Cowboys rookie Trevon Diggs prepared for the season by sparring with his older brother, NFL receiver Stefon Diggs, during workouts back home. Bri Amaranthus has the info.

And then came Saturday and a CowboysSI.com exclusive: Dallas signed all of its draftees - and here, we even have full contract details.

5) A COWBOYS FREE AGENT RETIRES

The enigmatic Michael Bennett — to some in the Dallas Cowboys family a “leader” and to others a veteran who in his single season here mostly “marched to the beat of his own drum'' — is announcing his retirement from the NFL.

Our Mike Fisher filed this story upon Bennett’s announcement on Tuesday.

6) COWBOYS BLITZCAST: PRESEASON IS GONE BUT THE ROOKIES ARE HERE

The NFL preseason is going down ... but the Dallas Cowboys rookies are coming up.

Welcome to the ‘The Blitzcast – A Dallas Cowboys Podcast by Drunk Sports in partnership with CowboysSI.com. “BigRed” Lance Dorsett and Timm “IndyCarTim” Hamm are your hosts as we discuss all things Dallas Cowboys and all things NFL!

On this week’s show ...

Lance and Timm discuss the cancelation of all preseason games by the NFL to appease the NFLPA in this Coronavirus culture. Will this be a permanent death of the NFL preseason?

Players report to team camps this week, regardless of the fact that the NFL and NFLPA are in the process of hammering out all issues and details for the season. ... But it’s a move in the right direction.

And so much more. Click here to listen.

Plus, our Mike Fisher wrote about whether the elimination of the preseason could benefit the Cowboys from a preparation standpoint.

7) THE ‘WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM’

On Thursday it was announced that the NFL’s Washington football team would be called, well, the ‘Washington Football Team’ until they come up with their new team nickname. Many of social media took the franchise for a ride, including former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.

Yeah, I get it. It’s kind of dumb and it’s easy to bash. But, did we REALLY think this franchise had a new nickname at the ready after years of denying the inherent offensiveness of the previous nickname? C’mon. It’s Dan Snyder. That’s not how he works.

8) WHITT'S END: DREW TO CEEDEE, THE EVOLUTION OF COWBOYS CONTRACTS

Our Richie Whitt broke down the evolution of Cowboys contracts in his ‘Whitt’s End’ post earlier this week (and you’ll note the plethora of eighty-eights in the image). Plus, remember the number 14. That’s pretty critical, too.

9) COWBOYS COVERAGE

The Dallas Cowboys are still working it out. How many media members get access to The Star for this week's start of training camp? When? How often? Video conferencing or in the locker room and on the sideline? 

CowboysSI.com is on it ... in one form or another. Stay tuned.

10) TWEET OF THE WEEK

Get a College Football America Yearbook today and see what college football stars might be Cowboys in 2021.

Wanna talk Cowboys? Hit up Postins on Twitter at @PostinsPostcard and Mike Fisher on Twitter @FishSports

Published
Matthew Postins
MATTHEW POSTINS

Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist writes for CowboyMaven. He also writes for Inside the Rangers, CowboyMaven,DallasBasketball.com, Longhorn Country, All Aggies, Inside The Texans, Washington Football, covers the Big 12 for HeartlandCollegeSports.com and is the Editor of the College Football America Yearbook.

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