{"id":242068,"date":"2025-07-28T06:31:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T06:31:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/242068\/"},"modified":"2025-07-28T06:31:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T06:31:13","slug":"tyler-bookers-mentality-and-more-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/242068\/","title":{"rendered":"Tyler Booker\u2019s mentality and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

OXNARD, Calif. \u2014 Cowboys<\/a> coach Brian Schottenheimer<\/a> believes he\u2019s an elite communicator. And as any quality communicator knows, there\u2019s value to showing, rather than simply telling.<\/p>\n

Take, for example, Schottenheimer\u2019s aspirations for his team to \u201ccompete every day.\u201d He\u2019s pulled it out of his players through a series of constant games. He\u2019s literally showed it by putting the phrase on the front of a Cowboys sweatshirt that he showed off earlier this week. <\/p>\n

\"DallasDallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer talked about punches being thrown between players during a previous training camp practice in Oxnard, Calif., July 24, 2025. (Tom Fox \/ Staff Photographer)<\/p>\n

This weekend, Schottenheimer showed the mantra\u2019s legitimacy in perhaps the best way possible. <\/p>\n

Cowboys<\/p>\n

Be the smartest Cowboys fan. Get the latest news.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, for the first time since he was drafted, Cowboys rookie first-round pick Tyler Booker<\/a> didn\u2019t line up with the starters. Schottenheimer said after the draft that they viewed the 12th overall pick as an immediate starter. That had been the case until the Cowboys rolled out veteran Rob Jones at right guard instead of Booker, who lined up with the second-team offense. <\/p>\n

The thought process, Schottenheimer said, was simple. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really compete every day. That\u2019s the central theme of the program.\u201d Schottenheimer said. \u201cRob Jones has been doing some really, really good things. Tyler [Booker] is kind of hitting that mark where it was a little bit like, \u2018Whoa, OK,\u2019 doing some good things, but doing some things that weren\u2019t to the standard. So what do you do? You make a change. Is it permanent? I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t. Booker returned to the starting offense on Sunday for the team\u2019s first practice with full pads. <\/p>\n

While Schottenheimer looked at the starting right guard swap as an affirmation of his competitive culture, Booker \u2014 seemingly as he\u2019s done with every thing since he was drafted \u2014 took the news in stride. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just another opportunity for me to play football and another opportunity for me to get better,\u201d Booker said. \u201cJust competition brings excellence. Rob has been playing really well.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for any potential setbacks through the first week of training camp practice, Booker said he expected them to hit at some point. He reminded reporters on Sunday that Rome wasn\u2019t built in a day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m prepared to handle any adversity that comes my way.\u201d Booker said. <\/p>\n

While Booker and Jones have been competing, they\u2019ve also been bonding. Booker has spent time with multiple veterans after practice, asking questions and working on specific tips. Booker spent significant time after Sunday\u2019s practice working with Jones \u2014 the person he\u2019s competing against for a starting job. <\/p>\n

While he competes with Jones, Booker is also showing a competitiveness against complacency.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to approach every day, every level, with a white-belt mentality,\u201d Booker said. \u201cThat means you\u2019re at the lowest level and you have to understand that there\u2019s so much more for you to learn. And I feel like no matter what, if I\u2019m in Year 1 or, Lord willing, Year 10, that I\u2019m always going to have that mentality.\u201d<\/p>\n

So far he\u2019s showing it, not just talking about it. <\/p>\n

Both hands on the ball! See photos from the Cowboys first full-pads practice of camp<\/p>\n

\"DallasView Gallery<\/p>\n

Here are four other observations from Sunday\u2019s practice:<\/p>\n

Opportunity seized? <\/p>\n

The Cowboys have been thin at corner for the first week of practice. Trevon Diggs<\/a> and Josh Butler are on the physically unable to perform list. Rookie third-round pick Shavon Revel Jr.<\/a> is on the non-football injury list and still doing rehabilitation work from his torn ACL last year. DaRon Bland has been out since the first practice as he and his wife welcome a child. <\/p>\n

That means that others have had the chance to play with the starters, including Andrew Booth. <\/p>\n

Booth has played well the last two practices as a starting outside corner. The former second-round pick had two pass breakups on Sunday. He also had tight coverage on another pass intended for George Pickens<\/a>, which ended up incomplete. <\/p>\n

Booth said his confidence has been growing so far in training camp. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just [about] seeing it. It\u2019s the feel. It\u2019s the feel,\u201d Booth said about his confidence growing. \u201cOnce you start feeling it, and you get those reps in, you make those plays, and stuff starts to slow down a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Booth was acquired last season in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings for former Cowboys corner Nahshon Wright, who is no longer with the Vikings. Booth appeared in seven games last season and started in two. He struggled, allowing 13 catches and 232 yards on 17 targets. <\/p>\n

Booth doesn\u2019t focus on last year. He called that thinking unnecessary. He said, instead, that he focuses on the future and building on the success of the last two practices.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrick by brick,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll be ready at game time.\u201d<\/p>\n

TE Tandem<\/p>\n

Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson thanked a lot of people after he signed his first big NFL extension<\/a>. One person in particular was Lunda Wells, the only tight end coach he\u2019s had since entering the NFL. Ferguson said Wells not only coaches him on the field, but off the field, as well \u2014 as a football player and as a person. Wells will be honest with him; so much so, that he told Ferguson not to blow his new $52 million extension all in one place. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to do that anyway,\u201d Ferguson said. <\/p>\n

Related:Dallas Cowboys agree to 4-year extension with TE Jake Ferguson<\/a><\/p>\n

Ferguson says Wells has a high standard for his tight ends. That showed in practice on Sunday. Before warmups, the tight ends grabbed footballs and ran through a gauntlet. Wells saw a coaching chance with Ferguson right away.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll that money and you\u2019re going to drop the ball?\u201d Wells said. \u201cCome on, now.\u201d<\/p>\n

New DT on the way?<\/p>\n

The Cowboys added multiple veteran defensive linemen in training camp last year. Could they add a prominent free agent during this year\u2019s camp? <\/p>\n

Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones was asked about former first-round defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who was cut by the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this week. The Raiders are also attempting to void roughly $35 million in guarantees after a dispute over surgery on an injured foot, according to reports. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe look at anything and anybody who becomes available,\u201d Jones said. \u201c[Vice president] Will [McClay] and his [player personnel] staff do a great job, our scouting staff, bringing it to a point where if we want to go further, we have the coaches look at it, and Jerry and I look at it if it gets to that point. They\u2019re always looking at any player that\u2019s available.\u201d <\/p>\n

Injuries increased<\/p>\n

Cowboys second-year tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford, a standout so far in camp, was knocked out of training camp practice on Sunday<\/a>. A pileup during a run play caused Spann-Ford to fall backward. He received attention from trainers on the field and inside the white injury tent on the field before he left. <\/p>\n

The Cowboys were also without safety Juanyeh Thomas, who was seen limping, and running back Deuce Vaughn, who is dealing with a hamstring injury. Thomas was in pain late during Saturday\u2019s practice. Vaughn told The Dallas Morning News his hamstring wasn\u2019t as serious as the one he dealt with during last year\u2019s training camp. <\/p>\n

Cowboys right tackle Terence Steele<\/a> was in pads and did individual work and team walk-throughs on Sunday as he deals with an ankle sprain, but he did not participate in full team drills. <\/p>\n

Schottenheimer said he didn\u2019t know the severity of the leg injury wide receiver Parris Campbell suffered on Saturday, but he indicated it wasn\u2019t serious. <\/p>\n

Other notes<\/p>\n

Schottenheimer said he heard literal barking from DE Sam Williams when the countdown clock to the first padded practice reached zero because he was so excited. It was Williams\u2019 first padded practice in roughly a year. … Micah Parsons and McClay were seen talking<\/a> with each other for an extended period of time during practice. … The first-team drill play was a play-action pass to TE John Stephens Jr., who his attempting to come back from his second torn ACL in as many seasons … WR Jalen Tolbert and TE Luke Schoonmaker both had noticeable dropped receptions<\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/a>Dallas Cowboys 2025 offseason central: Key dates, roster moves and more<\/a><\/p>\n

Your one-stop-shop for everything happening in the Cowboys\u2019 offseason.<\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/a>\u2018Maybe the most talented player we\u2019ve had\u2019: Jerry Jones lauds Micah Parsons amid dispute<\/a><\/p>\n

The Dallas Cowboys\u2019 owner and general manager named Parsons alongside former two-sport star Deion Sanders.<\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/a>Who is Jake Ferguson? 10 things to know about the Cowboys newly extended tight end<\/a><\/p>\n

Ferguson has quickly turned into a reliable target for quarterback Dak Prescott.<\/p>\n

Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"OXNARD, Calif. \u2014 Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer believes he\u2019s an elite communicator. And as any quality communicator knows,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":241396,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2066],"tags":[2886,230,229,257,2461,7,467,491,6,9,8896,3428],"class_list":{"0":"post-242068","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas-cowboys","8":"tag-brian-schottenheimer","9":"tag-cowboys","10":"tag-dallas","11":"tag-dallas-cowboys","12":"tag-dallascowboys","13":"tag-football","14":"tag-george-pickens","15":"tag-micah-parsons","16":"tag-nfl","17":"tag-sports","18":"tag-training-camp","19":"tag-trevon-diggs"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=242068"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242068\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=242068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=242068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=242068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}