SAN ANTONIO -- High expectations are nothing new for the Dallas Cowboys.
Neither is bitter disappointment when those expectations go unfulfilled.
But when the Cowboys opened training camp over the weekend, there was a clear sense that the level of excitement over how far the team can go this season -- as well as the potential for a terrible letdown -- has never been greater.
That's what happens when you have the makings of a contender for a Super Bowl that will be played in your stadium, giving you the chance to become the first team to play for the Lombardi Trophy at home. A year ago, the Cowboys won the NFC East and snapped a 12-year drought without a playoff victory before being crushed by Minnesota in the divisional round. Throw in the fact that they're celebrating their 50th anniversary and next month's induction of Emmitt Smith into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and it's easy to see why this is much larger than any camp opening the Cowboys have had in a long time.
Bryant makes splash
It took only about an hour into the start of training camp in San Antonio for rookie Dez Bryant to make an impression on Cowboys fans, Gil Brandt says. **More ...**
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» **Chat with Brandt on Tuesday**
One fan in the Alamodome best summed up the feelings of Cowboys faithful everywhere when he screamed: "Super Bowl!"
For good measure, team owner and general manager Jerry Jones cranked the thermostat even higher when he mentioned during his first news conference of camp, "There's just not a whole lot of things not to like about the upcoming season." He added something about the Cowboys knowing the journey they have ahead of them, but his message was clear.
"We'd be kidding ourselves if we thought that the expectations aren't there," tight end Jason Witten said. "We know what the expectations are, year in and year out, (and) maybe a little bit more so now. But I really think the process has to stay focused on today."
Super Bowl XLV, as coach Wade Phillips pointed out to players in their meeting on the eve of the first practice session of camp Saturday, is nearly 200 days away.
"I think everybody knows that the task at hand is the most important thing in whatever job you're working," Phillips said. "If you get too far ahead of yourself, you lose focus on what you're doing. Right now, we're trying to put together a football team. We have some guys that have played before and they did some good things. But it's not the same team that it was last year."
Actually, a lot of it is. The Cowboys are returning 20 of 22 starters. The fact they were uncharacteristically quiet during the offseason on the player-personnel front made a fairly strong statement about their confidence that they have the makings of a serious contender.
"I feel like we have all the people we need on the team to do the things we need to get done," linebacker Anthony Spencer said. "It's just us competing and getting it done when things aren't going our way. We know we have a good team. We know we're going to play well. It's just, when things are not going our way, how are we going to respond to it? I think that's going to define us this year, definitely."
Observation deck
» As always, the biggest pre-practice ovation from fans is quarterback Tony Romo. The second-biggest cheer is for wide receiver Miles Austin, who shows off his explosive run-after-the-catch ability every chance he gets.
» The addition of first-round draft pick Dez Bryant, from Oklahoma State, makes it easy to marvel at the abundance of talent at wide receiver. And makes one wonder: With only one ball to go around, somebody's bound to be unhappy. Someone like Roy Williams, whom Bryant is expected to ultimately supplant. "That's going to be the subject of the year, and all that stuff," Williams said. "(The media) are going to try to pit us against each other, but (Bryant's) a great talent and he's going to come out here and work every day just like myself, and he's going to help us win. And on Sundays, we've got the same jersey on, the same helmet, and we're going to cross the same end zone, week after week."
» As soon as fans spot Jerry Jones walking onto the field, they begin chanting, "Jer-ry! Jer-ry!" until he obliges them with a wave.
» Phillips looks refreshed and ready to begin his fourth season as the Cowboys' coach and 34th year in professional football. He has dropped about 40 pounds through diet and exercise. He has started a jogging routine in the area around the Cowboys' training facility in Irving, Texas. Of course, as the 63-year-old Phillips pointed out, when a younger person loses a considerable amount of weight, people say, "You look good," but when you're an older person, they wonder if you're sick.
» Lean and mean seems to be the theme of the Cowboys' camp. Besides Phillips, others who reported lighter were Romo, Austin, and linebacker Bradie James. Even Bryant came in a bit lighter than his designated reporting weight of 217 pounds. "Since I've been here (2007), we've never had a guy come in (to camp) one pound overweight (based on limits set at the end of offseason workouts in June)," Phillips said.
Surprise, surprise
Safety Barry Church, signed as an undrafted free agent from Toledo, has shown an exceptional comfort in pass defense even though most scouts thought his best attribute was helping in run support near the line of scrimmage.
"When we got him, we were surprised that he covered so much ground in the passing game," Phillips said. "We know he's a good special-teamer and a tough guy and guy that made a lot of tackles and played more of a linebacker-type (style in college). But to see him cover like he does is a good thing and may carry him a long way."
Rookie report
» Bryant is the early star of practice. He catches everything thrown his way. He makes difficult catches look easy, such as tipping one ball to himself on the sidelines and then turning upfield without breaking stride. Bryant also was quick to make a favorable impression on everyone connected with the Cowboys by being the first player on the field 45 minutes before the start of the first practice. Byrant said it was his way of making a statement, "letting the coaches know I'm here to play."
His teammates saw signs of that long before arriving here.
"I've been impressed with Dez since minicamp," Spencer said. "He's running those routes, jumping, catching the ball with one hand ... I mean, I haven't seen him drop a ball yet. That's a plus, especially with a receiver that athletic and that muscular. He's strong. I hope he's going to do the things that we need him to do when the season comes around. I'm really excited to see what he can do."
"He's really the Dez Bryant of the defense," Phillips said. "(The media) haven't talked about him as much and maybe we haven't. It's not as high-profile a position as a wide receiver coming in as a first-round pick. But Sean can do everything as a linebacker. I think he's going to contribute this year and contribute a lot."
Phillips and Cowboy defensive coaches are highly impressed with Lee's versatility, range, and ability to quickly recognize what he sees on the other side of the line.
Lasting image
Training camp practices in the Alamodome have a decidedly game-like feel.
It isn't merely illustrated by the the fact that a crowd of about 20,000 (doubling last year's attendance and many times more than at other NFL camps) is quick to roar its approval at any exceptional play or boo a bad one, and that the noise is accentuated by the roof. It's also reflected in the fact the parking lot, with a $10 charge per vehicle, is jammed.
"To see how many fans show up, even (Friday) night, to the (training camp) kickoff party, it's amazing," veteran backup quarterback Jon Kitna said. "So is the fact that they sit and watch practice like it's a game, and they don't miss anything. It's pretty special to be a part of that."
What's even more amazing is that the Cowboys are only going to work here for two weeks. They'll leave this place behind when they head to Canton, Ohio, for their Aug. 8 preseason opener in the Hall of Fame Game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Then, after a brief stop at their Irving facility, they'll begin the second phase of camp, at Oxnard, Calif., where they will also spend two weeks.
You wonder just how taxing it's going to be to log about 6,500 miles over a five-week stretch that will see the Cowboys practice in three different facilities and play preseason games in four different stadiums.
But the Cowboys don't worry about that sort of thing. All that matters is the throngs of fans that show up wherever they are. This is one that always has a huge following.
"We're big," Roy Williams said. "We're show ponies out here. Let's take this train on the road, and we perform wherever we want to."
Photo gallery
Say what?
"Just because we've got 20 of 22 starters and we're very talented, that doesn't mean diddly when it comes to winning football games. We've got to have that edge, that killer instinct and know that no other team in this league is going to lay down for us. Regardless of what comes our way, we've got to go get them, we've got to go for their throat, go for their jugular, and take it to them. If we put the work in and keep that edge, that mentality, then it's going to be a really good year." -- Linebacker Keith Brooking.
Extra points
With only 19 interceptions the past two seasons (only Detroit, with 13, has fewer), the Cowboys have made boosting that total a point of emphasis throughout the offseason and are continuing to do so during camp. For instance, linebackers -- a group that accounted for only one interception in 2009 -- are spending noticeably more time during each practice on ball drills so that, as Spencer points out, it becomes second nature once they're in a game. ... Buzz persists that the Cowboys are trying to trade wide receiver Patrick Crayton, but haven't been able to get an offer even as high a fourth-round pick. ... The Cowboys continue to like what they see in Doug Free, the returnee competing with newly acquired Alex Barron to replace Flozell Adams at left offensive tackle. "He's really got left-tackle feet; that's the first thing you want, a guy that move that quick," Phillips said. "And he's one of the best down-field blockers we had last year. He knows what to do assignment-wise, (but) he's got to work (on) techniques." ... Phillips is celebrating becoming a grandfather for the first time. Last week, his daughter-in-law, Anna Phillips (she's married to Wade's son, Wes, a Cowboys offensive assistant coach) gave birth to a girl, Ivy Jo.