Dallas City News

The Dallas Cowboys got back into the swing of things on Friday in Oxnard after having Thursday off. The off-day brought the news of two new edge defenders, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Shaka Toney, being signed following the injury to Sam Williams. However, it was another defensive lineman who stole the show on Friday with his best practice of training camp so far.

Stock Up: iDL Mazi Smith

While the Cowboys were resting on Thursday, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer used part of his media availability to touch on what he’s seen from Mazi Smith so far. Zimmer specifically referenced reports from some that Smith hasn’t looked great this year and offered his strong disagreement, going on to praise the first round pick from a year ago.

It must have put a smile on Zimmer’s face to see Smith go out on the field Friday and show out the way he did. Smith has looked noticeably bigger this year, putting back on the weight he held in college, and some have also noted his quicker burst off the line of scrimmage.

In team drills on Friday, Smith looked to be constantly wreaking havoc in the middle of the defensive line, clogging holes against run plays with ease.

Smith has seen his star gradually rise with each practice so far, which is important considering his disappointing rookie season last year. It helps that Smith is seeing more work in the nose tackle role he thrived in with the Michigan Wolverines. It also helps that Smith is going up against some tough competition in practice each day.

The other Smith, reigning All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith, won this rep against the nose tackle, but it wasn’t easy. Mazi Smith showed off his strength in being able to move Tyler Smith somewhat, but he still was slowed down in the drill. Facing off against a player of Tyler Smith’s caliber will only continue the upward climb for the defensive lineman.

Stock Down: Luke Schoonmaker, Deuce Vaughn, Israel Mukuamu

One of the most unfortunate parts of training camp is the increased potential for injuries. The Cowboys already got a taste of that with Sam Williams, and three more popped up on Friday, all of them involving players who are fighting for positioning on the depth chart.

Before practice began, Mike McCarthy had specifically discussed second-year pro Luke Schoonmaker and the importance of staying healthy going forward.

Just a couple hours later, Schoonmaker had to leave practice early to head into the medical tent with an undisclosed injury, later going into the locker room. He wasn’t the only one. Safety Israel Mukuamu also had to bow out early and get checked out. Schoonmaker is fighting for the TE2 spot on the roster after an uneven rookie season, while Mukuamu may very well be fighting for a roster spot in a crowded safety room. Missing practice in training camp won’t help either player.

Friday also brought news that Deuce Vaughn has been dealing with a hamstring injury, which has kept him from practicing the last two days. While his absence from team drills had been noticed, Vaughn’s injury status wasn’t known at the time. Similar to Schoonmaker and Mukuamu, Vaughn is in need of a good camp and preseason run to solidify his spot on this roster. The hope is that all three players are back on the field before too long.