Cowboys 'Smartest Move Ever!' Coach McCarthy's Big Reveal

The purpose of playing starters in the NFL preseason? To "get in a rhythm.'' To "get a feel for the speed of the game.'' To "get hit to knock off the rust.'' Happily, the Dallas Cowboys are apparently smarter than that.

FRISCO - Once upon a time, before there were "sports analytics'' and "salary caps'' and players who dared question their coaches instruction there was an NFL preseason strategy that included something called a "dress rehearsal,'' an exhibition game that would feature all of the starters, playing together.

The purpose? To "get in a rhythm.'' To "get a feel for the speed of the game.'' To "get hit to knock off the rust.''

And other such nonsense. ... and kudos to Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy for recognizing that times have changed and that in terms of risk/reward, there is absolutely nothing to be gained by putting the likes of Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs and CeeDee Lamb in preseason harm's way.

"We have a really good understanding of the guys that we have here and have established themselves in the locker room,'' said McCarthy in expressing why he sat 25 veterans in the preseason-opening loss to the Jaguars and why he plans to do the same on the next two Saturdays, at Seattle and back home to end the preseason against the Raiders.''

"Established themselves''? Yes - established themselves as simply being both known quantities and too valuable to expose to injury.

Under today's NFL guidelines, the $40 million quarterback is irreplaceable - that goes for Prescott and others. Under today's training methods, a talent like Parsons is in shape and "up to speed'' all year long. So he doesn't "need'' snaps against an opponent. (We will see proof of that concept as newly re-signed Zack Martin rolls into camp ... quite likely in outstanding shape.)

And as far as "the speed of the game'' and "knocking off rust''? One, that can be simulated in practice. And two, if it's not? On the very first play in Week 1 at the Giants, there will be "speed'' and there will be "knocks.''

And everybody will be all caught up, right?

"I think it's from experience," said McCarthy of the modification of an old-fashioned football philosophy. "I think where your team is, what you think of your team, we feel very strongly about our roster. I've always looked at roster development from the back forward.  This is really the best format for roster development. This format here is really, really good."

That is obviously the other factor here. Prescott and Lamb don't need to play three snaps against a live defense (yes, three snaps was sometimes the "tune-up'' plan) to find a rhythm. And the coaches don't need to see them to know what they've got.

Meanwhile, the two dozen non-front-liners? They need the work. They're fighting for jobs. And the coaches can best evaluate them - the "roster development from the back'' players - by giving them all the time possible.

Want to discover that rookie Deuce Vaughn can "belong'' with the big guys? That just happened. Want to discover that second-year guy Jalen Tolbert is "transformed''? That just happened. Want to figure out who in this backup offensive line group of Asim Richards, Matt Farniok, Brock Hoffman, Josh Ball, Matt Waletzko, TJ Bass and company who can play? That still needs to happen.

There are plenty of kinks to work out, including McCarthy's operation as his own play-caller. He said doing so against the Jags was "a lot of it’s like riding a bike ... It’s natural. It was fun to prepare for a game again.''

But he also added honestly, “It wasn’t clean,'' and he confessed to once calling a "Strong Right'' play that served as the terminology in his old Green Bay playbook ... but it's not called that here in his new "Texas Coast Offense.''

“Personally, I’m glad I have number of coaches that worked with me before,’’ McCarthy said. “We got it corrected right away.''

Meanwhile, McCarthy got something else "corrected'' here, too: The nutty idea that stars should play in NFL exhibition games. ... and dumping that concept might be the smartest thing he's done since arriving in Dallas.

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