Cowboys Corner

Miles Austin is trying to prevent recurrence of hamstring issues

For two seasons, Miles Austin has been hamstrung. He missed six games with injuries to both hamstrings in 2011. Last season, Austin played in every game but missed training camp and practice time during the season with tight hamstrings.

To that end, Austin has made changes to his off-season workouts to try and prevent a recurrence.

"I’m definitely strengthening my hamstrings a lot more than I have been, just doing a different routine, a couple of extra exercises on our leg days," Austin said. "I'm just running hard and trying to compete at a high level. That way, it doesn’t shock your muscles when you actually do it for real."

Jason Garrett has mentioned that the Cowboys sometimes need to hold Austin back, because Austin works too hard. But Austin said his work habits won't change.

"I can’t be the player that I am and not practice hard or do those [extra] things [after practice]," Austin said. "I’m going to continue to do those things. So we’ll see."

Austin, who turns 29 this summer, had only two 100-yard games in 2012. He finished with 943 yards. His last 1,000-yard season came in 2010, the last time his hamstrings held up all season.

-- Charean Williams

 

Dez Bryant says he's catching better despite finger, feels like a veteran: 'No more games, no more wondering'

Dez Bryant said he thinks he might be catching the ball better with his finger the way it is now.

“It’s never going to be normal, but I promise you, it’s never going to be an issue,” the Cowboys receiver said Wednesday at a charity event in Arlington. “I’m ready to go and catch some footballs. I actually feel like I’ve been catching better with the finger problem.

“Hey, I’m ready to go.”

Bryant broke his left index finger catching a pass in the Cincinnati game last year, and despite fears that he needed surgery that would cause him to miss the rest of the season, he never missed a game. He taped it heavily and played, knowing the finger would be left permanently damaged without surgery.

Now as he enters his fourth year, he said he has a “whole different” mindset.

“It’s no more games, no more wondering,” he said. “I know what I’m doing, so I’ve got to come in and do what I did at the end of last year and hope to build on it.”

-- Carlos Mendez

Twitter @calexmendez

Murray happy to bring Randle 'into the family,' says he's a quality running back from a school 'known for great running backs'

DeMarco Murray said he understands the Cowboys might want to use two running backs, but he’s used to that. He said he’s never been a “true starter,” either with the Cowboys or in college at Oklahoma.

“I’ve started, but Felix was always here, and things like that, so I’m excited for the new kid,” Murray said Wednesday at a charity event in Arlington.

The new kid is Joseph Randle, a running back from Oklahoma State drafted by the Cowboys in the fifth round two weeks ago.

“He’s definitely a quality running back from Oklahoma State – they’ve always been known for great running backs,” Murray said. “I’m excited to bring him in the family. Definitely, we’re going to get after it a little bit and help him out as much as we can.”

But Murray didn’t forget about two other running backs still on the roster.

“I’m excited for Lance Dunbar and Phillip Tanner, two great running backs,” he said. “Those guys have definitely worked hard and earned themselves a shot at playing time next year.”

-- Carlos Mendez

Twitter @calexmendez

Bruce Carter says Cowboys' new defense feels natural to him, lets him do 'what got me to this point'

Cowboys linebacker Bruce Carter said everything is back to normal with his arm, and he is eager to get started in a new defense that feels natural to him.

“It just puts us in position, guys like me, Sean, the rest of the linebackers, just to go out there and make plays, just fly around,” he said Wednesday at a charity event in Arlington. “That’s what I did in college. That’s what got me to this point. I feel natural there. I feel comfortable. I’m just going to go out and play ball.”

Carter missed the last five games last year because of a dislocated elbow suffered in the Thanksgiving game.

He said his arm is fine now.

“My arm’s great. Everything’s back to normal,” he said. “I’m back bench-pressing. I’m just ready to go.”

Carter said he has been impressed by new defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin’s enthusiasm.

“He comes into work more excited than we are, sometimes,” Carter said.

But right now, the players are in a learning phase.

“Everything’s going good with the new coaches,” Carter said. “Me, Sean, the rest of the linebacker guys, we’re really absorbing everything he’s trying to tell us. Details, details, details. We’re just trying to do the right thing.”

-- Carlos Mendez

Twitter @calexmendez

Jason Hatcher, who is in the final year of his contract, hopes to return in 2013 to defend his home run title

Jason Hatcher won the team’s home-run derby, beating receiver Dez Bryant in the final. Hatcher hit four into the stands at The Ballpark at Arlington, with his home runs, including those over a shortened fence halfway in the outfield, worth $19,000. The Reliant-sponsored event raised $43,000 for The Salvation Army.

“I can do it all, man,” “I played a little bit in high school. I was always a hitter. I always knew I could hit. It’s been a long time, so it felt good to come out here and hit home runs, especially for a cause.

“…I’m going to stick with football.”

Hatcher, who will move from defensive end to defensive tackle in the team’s new 4-3 scheme, might not be back to defend his title next off-season. He is in the final year of his contract, scheduled to make $2 million in base salary.

He has seen teammates in his position, including friend Chris Canty and Stephen Bowen, leave in free agency for greater riches and knows that could be his future, too.

 “I’m sure I want to be back, but you can’t make guys want you,” Hatcher said. “You’ve got to go out there and perform. Sometimes it’s a numbers thing. Sometimes it’s a money thing. Hopefully, I’ll be back. I love the state I’m in. I love the organization. I love my teammates. So I’m going to go out here and play my butt off. That’s what they’re paying me to do. They’re paying me this year to play my butt off, so that’s what I’m going to do. I’m not going to worry a contract at all. I’m looking forward to the 2013 season.”

 -- Charean Williams

Sean Lee says he'll feel soreness in toe until training camp, but he could play on it tomorrow if he had to

Sean Lee says he still feels some soreness in his toe after he works out, and that it could be that way until the start of training camp.

“You’re going to feel that soreness, all the way probably until right before camp,” he said Wednesday at a charity event. “It’s progressing really well. If I needed to play tomorrow, I could.”

The Cowboys linebacker missed the last 10 games last season because of a dislocated toe suffered in a game at Carolina.

He said he is doing everything he can to make sure he stays healthy. He came to the Cowboys with a knee injury, but he played in 14 games as a rookie and 15 games his second year. He missed a game in 2011 because of a dislocated wrist, but came back with it heavily wrapped in time for the next game.

“Ever since college, I’ve really changed across the board how I’ve trained, how I’ve tried to recover – stretching, eating, every habit that can help me stay on the field, I’ve tried to do since college,” Lee said. “Last year, the type of injury it was, I thought it was a fluke. You really can’t avoid that. But I’m still at this stage, trying to avoid injuries. And I’ve got to find a way to stay on the field. If I want to be an effective player, I’ve got to stay on the field.”

Lee looked just fine Wednesday at Rangers Ballpark. He competed in a home run contest sponsored by Reliant to raise money for the Salvation Army.

-- Carlos Mendez

Twitter @calexmendez

Jason Garrett on Tony Romo: You want your quarterback to be involved

The Cowboys still haven’t announced who will call the plays this season. Coach Jason Garrett also doesn’t seem eager to acknowledge quarterback Tony Romo’s increased involvement in the offense, including game-planning.

 

“I think Tony Romo is a great leader for our football team,” Garrett said Wednesday. “He’s been a guy who’s always been very committed to what we’re doing, and it’s something that we have always wanted as coaches. You want your quarterback to be involved. We’ve always feel like he’s done that, and he’ll continue to do that going forward.”

 

The Cowboys committed their future to Romo with a six-year, $108 million extension this off-season. With that apparently comes more responsibility as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said during the draft that he expected Romo to put in “Peyton Manning-type time” at Valley Ranch.

 

-- Charean Williams 

Doug Free's future? Don't ask him

Doug Free might be back. He might not be. He might take a pay cut. He might not.

The right tackle offered little of substance about his future Wednesday at The Ballpark in Arlington during the Cowboys’ charity fund raiser benefitting The Salvation Army.

“Really nothing to talk about right now,” Free said. “There’s a lot going on and stuff, but I’m just happy to be here.”

The Cowboys want to keep Free despite his struggles last season when he had a team-leading 13 penalties, including five holds, and allowed seven sacks. He played better late in the season when he played in a rotation with Jermey Parnell.

The Cowboys have asked Free to take a pay cut from the $7 million salary he is scheduled to make. He currently is slated to count $10 million against the salary cap.

Veteran right tackle Eric Winston remains a free agent. The Cowboys could sign Winston to compete with Parnell for the starting job if Free refuses the pay cut, and they decide to designate Free a post-June 1 salary cap casualty.

“You never know what might happen,” Free said when asked if he anticipated being with the Cowboys next season.

-- Charean Williams

Cowboys sign QB Aaron Corp

The Cowboys signed free-agent quarterback Aaron Corp on Tuesday. Corp signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Richmond in 2012. He was released on May 14, 2012, and remained out of football until re-signing with Buffalo on Feb. 14. The Bills released him again on April 29 after drafting E.J. Manuel.

Corp joins Tony Romo, Kyle Orton and Nick Stephens on the roster. The Cowboys kept only two quarterbacks on their 53-player roster last season.

Corp began his collegiate career at Southern California in 2007 and redshirted. He was the team's third quarterback in 2008, appearing in five games, before winning the starting job in the spring of 2009. Corp cracked the top of his left fibula in 2009 fall camp, and Matt Barkley won the starting job.

Corp transferred to Richmond in 2010 and started the first five games before a season-ending knee injury. He completed 67 passes for 645 yards and three scores in the four full games before his injury. He returned in 2011 to start all 11 games for the Spiders, throwing for 2,682 yards and 17 touchdowns while completing 247-of-388 of his passes. He set an NCAA FCS single-game record for completion percentage, completing 91.2 percent of his throws (31-of-34) against Towson.

 

Texas Tech WR Darrin Moore and Houston LB Everett Daniels invited to tryout at Cowboys minicamp

The Cowboys have invited to Texas Tech receiver Darrin Moore and Houston linebacker Everett Daniels to participate in this weekend's minicamp on a tryout basis, per their agent Garriett Blair.

They will join the seven 2013 draft picks, the signed undrafted free agents as well as a select group of first year players at the minicamp Friday through Sunday at the team's Valley Ranch headquarters.

Moore had 92 catches for 1,032 yards and 13 touchowns as a senior at Texas Tech in 2012.

Daniels recorded 111 tackles last season.

Clarence Hill