Klayton Adams: Everyone Better Be Ready | Dallas Cowboys 2025

Klayton Adams: Everyone Better Be Ready | Dallas Cowboys 2025

All right, Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News. Uh, Devonte Williams has had a pretty good start to the season. What do you attribute some of that to? I mean, he’s a good player. Um, I think he’s probably you see with some of the devastating knee injuries around the league. It was one of the things that we discussed about when we signed him was sometimes two years for a young guy as kind of the marker for a running back. I think um it was kind of a similar sign timeline I think for Saquon Barkley. I don’t know as much about his situation, but we anticipated that um that he would be probably full strength and full speed for the first time and he has been. So, um you know, we try to do things that he likes and fits his skill set, but ultimately it’s just him being a good player. Do you notice that in training camp or did it once the season started you can kind of see that the things you’re talking about the speed and the physicality? Uh we’ve been we’ve been excited about him um since he got here just in the offseason more so just about how he learns and how he works and some of the things you see him doing when you’re running around without pads on. But then when the pads came on um we saw what we thought we were going to see a guy that has good speed, plays with good pad level, uh runs physical and hard and violent. Those are that’s what we wanted. Clayton Todd Artius has been. What was yesterday’s practice like because you obviously you’re down two more offensive linemen. You didn’t have Turpin up there. I mean, how’d you how’d you make do with some of this stuff? Yeah, to be honest, I didn’t really think about it. Uh it it’s just kind of that’s the standard operating procedure I think in the NFL is that you’re going to the somebody else is going to be up and they got to carry the flag and they’ve got to get ready to play and they’ve got to play well. So, um, yeah, there I think there was a couple of plays early where we’re like, why did that, you know, we’ve run that a million times. How did we screw that up? Oh, okay, there’s a new guy in there or whatever. So, uh, in general, not a whole bunch different, but um, you know, that’s the the overarching theme um, from whether you’re 100% healthy or not is everybody better be ready to play because if you get a jersey on game day, there’s a chance you’re going in. You bet you’re expected to play well. And then do you expect either of the Tylers to be out there today? Uh, I have no idea. Yeah. And then, uh, one more on Jake Ferguson. Obviously got a number of catches, but his yards per catch is down. Does that matter as much or how do you or do you want to see him maybe getting I think uh you know I I couldn’t tell you like right off the top of my head how many uh times he’s been like the primary read on a downfield play but I will say especially with tight ends. Some of it just has to do with the style of coverage that you’re seeing um and potentially who they’re trying to take away. you know, if there’s a zone team that’s a lot of space over the middle, uh, sometimes you’re going to see those guys making catches there. If if they’re going to get some inside leverage, man, sometimes you can get them on some of the deeper seven routes and things. I just don’t think that that has probably opportunity hasn’t presented itself um, the same way that it will later in the season, but I’m I’m happy that he’s getting to touch the ball a lot and I know that he probably is as well. Jim showed it with the Athletic. Uh we asked Brian a lot about Jaden Blue and when he’s going to be active and things like that. He said he’s very close and that he’s been practicing really really well. Just what have you seen from Jaden Blue? Yeah, I I would echo uh coach’s sentiments on that. Um in fact, I had that I’ve had that conversation with him in the past, man. You’re doing really well. Uh you it’s going to be really more about opportunity here than it is you you’re not being punished or anything like that. Um and so he has continued to keep his head down and work hard and at some point here uh he’ll get out there and uh I expect him to play well and do special things when he does. And then uh Sunday night obviously a big game for George Pickkins. Was there any particular play in that game that stood out to you that that he made? Obviously that he made quite a few, but if there was any one that I don’t know if like you just expect him to make all those plays or if anything that stood out from any one of them. There was a fourth and six late uh that he and Dak connected on the in cut that was pretty much we’re making this play or we’re losing the game and uh that was to me was impressive by both of those guys. The pocket movement by Dak uh and then just the ability to to turn his hands over uh by GP and and make that play going to the ground. I thought that was pretty big time play. Tommy Tommy Stcowboys.com Nate Thomas had to step in for some in time last Sunday. Where have you guys seen him grow from the start of training camp and the offseason program before that to to now because it was you kept hearing his name at camp. It’s like, man, where’s where’s he come from? But it seems like he’s really progressing well. He is. Yeah, he and he did a pretty good job when he got in there. Um, you know, he’s been able to take some good quality reps this week as well. But one of the things that’s unique about Nate for the situation that he’s in is, you know, Nate basically took every single rep at at tackle during training camp with the starters. So, I felt like he had a ton of time to grow and he got some good reps in the preseason games. So, when he got in there and and and played well and was able to to be pretty firm in pass protection and didn’t really blink, I wasn’t surprised by that. Um, that’s what you’re hoping to see, especially for a guy that uh got in the game. We we had the plan last week of Nate’s going in series X and he’s going to play. I I don’t forget exactly when it was. And the whole idea with that was like this guy’s gonna play at some point. Let’s let’s not, you know, whenever he ends up take making his first start, let’s not make that the first time he’s been in a in a game for meaningful minutes. So, uh he went in for a series in the first half last game and then it came to fruition later in the game. He had to go in and he had to play when it was uh time to try to win the game. So, I I felt like that plan worked out well for us. Joe, Joe White, Dallas Morning News. Uh TJ Baz and Brock Hoffman are really close. They’re obviously very different too in their personalities. One’s very loud. Yeah. One’s very introverted and quiet. One, what do you make of just kind of their friendship dynamic? And two, how much does that help for two guys that were backups and are called upon to to start together when they are called upon? Yeah, I I think it’s helpful for sure when there’s chemistry um with guys. I think when you’re looking at that group in general and not speaking so much on our group as just the offensive line group in general is you you really want if you got whatever 13 guys in that room like they all need to have some pretty good chemistry. And when you can create that, then I think you can live through situations where you’ve got two or three guys down and somebody’s getting called up because the guys that are still in there, this, you know, the the kind of survivors that are still uh playing in the game know like, you know what, hey, I got no issues here. Brock’s going to be fine or I got no issues here cuz TJ’s going to be fine. So, that’s really what you’re trying to create. Um, specifically with those two guys. Yeah. I mean, I I think that when you get to the point where you’re operating at, you know, like an elite level on the offensive line, which we’re not, um, but like those guys almost don’t have to communicate because they just know like this happens and this is how we react. How quickly did you notice that dynamic between those two? Uh, I noticed it pretty quickly in the offseason just because they’re always walking around the building, you know, joking around, doing stuff together. Pretty cool. Pretty cool guys. Garrett Garrett Podell CJ Sports Clayton Dax obviously playing incredibly high level uh football but you know you come from offensive line background you and coach Seanheimer said we want to run the ball uh how do you feel about putting as much on Dak’s plate as you are he leads the league in pass attempts three four weeks yeah I mean I think at the end of the day like he’s a he’s an outstanding player and he gives us a chance to win every game but I think you know when you when you’re evaluating where we’re at right now in regards to pass attempts it’s it’s really just been about what do you have to do to try to win the game. I don’t think that we’ve gone into any games and said, you know, hey, we plan on throwing it x amount of times. Um, you you’re really you’re he’s doing a really good job of calling the plays that we need to try to win. We’ve also been in two overtime games and one of them went all the way through the overtime period. So, we’ve had kind of a um a lot of plays, I think, compared to the rest of the league because of that. And you know, when you’re in one of those barn burners like we were on Sunday, you got to do what you got to do to try to win the game. And so I think that’s probably where some of those numbers come from. Having said that, I think he’s done an outstanding job of like making the most of those opportunities. And how comfortable are you putting the game on his shoulders in that way? Um, you know, your first year working there. Yeah, I mean there’s nobody else I’d rather have Nick Harris for Start Telegram. On the topic of TJ Bass, how much can you appreciate his performance against that Packers front on Sunday night? Yeah, I thought TJ did a lot of nice things. Um, when you put a young guy in the game, which I know that TJ’s played before. Um, but one of the things that you’re looking for is that they don’t freak out. You know, it’s not too big for them or they don’t make a mistake and then all of a sudden there’s five or six plays after that that linger. TJ never does any of that stuff. Um, TJ will probably laugh if he hears this, but like TJ’s like he’s right here, man. you know, he he’s consistent and and doesn’t really freak out about anything. And some people would say that, oh, he’s just not an emotional guy or whatever, but I think that he just knows what he wants and and and controls his emotions, manages his emotions well, and you know, that’s what makes him pretty good player. And then any across the hall meeting with Aaron White Cotton this week, knowing his background with the Jets defensive front? Yeah. No, we we’ve had some discussions for sure just about personnel and and uh you know, the way the guys operate, things like that. Skyler Skyler Dixon with the AP. Other than the promotion, what uh appealed to you about joining Shotti here? Uh, you know, I I uh one of the things that I knew about him going into this was that I mean, this guy’s been calling plays in the NFL for a long time. I think he started calling plays in the NFL when he was in his maybe his late 20s. Um, don’t quote me on that. That’s what I thought uh was the case. But, uh, I wanted to watch him operate and learn from him about, uh, calling plays in the NFL and it’s been it’s been a serious education because he’s very good at it. Um, and he works really hard at it. But that was that was really kind of one of the main things is coming from the background that I come from, um, you know, it’s sometimes hard to operate within the head of the quarterback or the play caller. And I wanted to learn more about that. Babe, Babe Loenberg, uh 1053 the fan Cowboys radio. So TJ Baste, but uh he he pretty much took all his work offseason training camp through the first part of this year at left guard and he goes and he starts at right guard. Um what are the nuances there other than hand in the ground that uh that you make an adjustment to in terms of that? And you’re a center so you never had to worry about it, right? I got my first start in college down in Fort Worth at left guard and yeah 2003 I did not play very well but um that’s yeah it’s a it’s a good question. Um it I think a little bit uh is case by case. Uh there are some guys who really struggle when you move them from one side to the other. I have always attributed it to being like a right-footed or a left- footed person. I I’m not sure that that’s always the case either. But you do everything you can to try to train guys to play really comfortable on both sides. Um, and there are just some guys that really struggle with that transition. Uh, having said that, the some of the best sixth guys and seventh guys in this league are the guys that can do it and have no issue going back and forth. TJ just doesn’t really have an issue going back and forth. Uh, Kelvin Bechum’s a guy that I worked with in Arizona. Never had an issue going back and forth, even in the same game if he had to. Um, so I don’t know like the full answer to why some guys struggle with it and some guys don’t. We try to play with a relatively even stagger with our feet and I think that that does help guys transition from one side to the other where when guys play with really big massive staggers sometimes it’s really difficult for them to go over to the other side. I think there’s a lot of things that go into it. Anything to to a dominant hand, you know, you talk about the foot, you’re dominant on one side. I I think I think it has more to do with the feet. I really do because we always talk about, you know, just being a blocking and tackling uh game, but you you know, every every block is one or it’s lost with your feet. You can’t dominate a block without your hands inside, but every block is won or lost with your feet. So, if you can’t if you can’t correct errors with your feet, you’re going to have a major issue. Kyle Kyleman, Cowboys TV. With your offensive line background, was there ever a point where you had the game plan without three or four of your starters up front going into a week, whether it was in the NFL or an earlier year? Yeah. Yeah. I think um maybe last year uh it might have been the first Rams game early in the season. Yeah. It was like we we had two guys out already and lost another guy on Thursday and then Friday lost one of the backups who was going to start and it was um like I said, it’s it’s welcome to life in the NFL. It’s just the way that it is. Uh and you don’t different than college football where you’ve got like all right, well the freshman’s going to play. Let’s see what he’s got. Uh you don’t really your your pockets aren’t as deep that way because you essentially are restricted to whatever your roster and your P squad is. But, um, you know, like I said last week, man, the the guys that we it’s it’s our job to to make sure that they know what to do. It’s their job also to make sure that they know what to do. And then, you know, after that, uh, we got to fill them with confidence and they got to know that we believe in them and that we fully expect them to go out and play really well because we believe that they’re capable of doing it. How does it change the the way that you look at blocking schemes and things of not up front without getting too far into it, but how does it change the way that you you look at it from a coaching? I think it’s much more on a micro scale than a macro scale. Um I I firmly believe that you kind of decide uh how you’re going to attack an opponent based on the style of front that you’re seeing and then the intricacies of how you’re going to block those things have more to do with your players. So, um, if that makes sense. So, like usually very minor things of this guy’s a better puller than he is his own combo guy, for example. I’m making it up. But, and we’ll finish up with Christie. Christy Scales 1053, the fan Cowboys radio, the Jets, Quinnon Williams, uh, where’s he rated among some of these really fine stout linemen you go against. And, I know he gets a lot of attention for the sacks and collapse in the pocket, but he’s nearly double digit and run stuffs already this year. So, yeah, he’s outstanding. Uh, and um, kind of like last week when we were talking about the Packers pass rush, it’s it’s he’s an elite player and we also we see other guys that are elite players cuz it’s the highest level of football in the world. So, um, you got to prepare for him on all three downs. That’s not always something that’s super common with interior guys. He’s a really good pass rusher on third down. He he’ll go through you, he can go around you, and he plays really low uh with he he’s really compact with his upper body in the run game, which is one of the things that makes makes it hard to block him. So, he he’s outstanding. It’ll be a really good challenge for our guys. I’m looking forward to it.

Offensive coordinator Klayton Adams speaks with media before Thursday’s practice to discuss the Week 5 matchup against the New York Jets and more.

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