Dec 26, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) throws a touchdown pass in the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium. Photo Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
How different are things for the Dallas Cowboys at quarterback than they were a year ago?
In 2016, Tony Romo was to be the starter with Kellen Moore as the backup and rookie fourth-round pick Dak Prescott pegged as a developmental prospect for the future.
In keeping with that theme, Prescott got two reps during his first OTA practice that consisted mostly of watching and looking.
Of course, that was before Prescott took over for an injured Romo and Moore in training camp and fashioned one of the finest seasons by a rookie quarterback in NFL history.
This year, Romo is gone to CBS, Moore is the backup and Prescott is the face of the team and getting all the first-team reps.
Prescott has returned to minicamp looking to build on that rookie season with a different outlook, different role and many more reps as the team’s franchise quarterback.
“Yeah, it’s funny just watching that film from last year,” Prescott said. “I mean I got two reps out of the whole day compared the reps I get today. It’s great improvement the number of reps. I’m thankful.”
“Literally, he was splitting reps with the third group last year at this time,” offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said Wednesday after the second offseason practice. “Now he’s taking all the reps with the 1s. That’s a big difference, right?”
Linehan said the majority of the reps give him a chance to improve in every aspect of the game from footwork to accuracy to making calls at the line of scrimmage to knowing the system.
“There’s a lot of plays that we ran in spring ball that he didn’t get reps at,” Linehan said. “We didn’t run them last year because you didn’t have a big background on it. We didn’t necessarily need them at the time. We might run into a defense that’s we’re running those plays specifically for that. Just getting experience in the system that he didn’t have last year.”
Wide receiver coach Wade Wilson said Prescott has already surpassed his rookie numbers in the team’s offseason program in terms of speed, strength and agility.
Prescott, tested with his teammates in the 20-yard dash, bench press, cone drills and vertical jump among others, is faster and stronger heading into his second season.
“They tested last Monday,” Wilson said. “He has improved strength-wise, flexibility-wise, speed-wise, quickness-wise. He is not resting on anything that went on last year.”
Prescott said he credits his work in Orlando with coach Tom Shaw, who prepared him for the draft last year as well as the offseason work with Cowboys strength coach Mike Woicik, but mostly his desire get better.
“Yeah my numbers went up,” Prescott said. “It’s just working hard continuously. That is how I have gotten to where I am in life. I’m not going to forget that and keep working hard. … I don’t look at what’s behind me. I look at where I can go and what I can do. The only way I know to do that is through hard work. That is something I continue to try to do.”
