Robert Quinn calls Cowboys most talented team he’s been on. ‘Let’s not sugarcoat it.’
Defensive end Robert Quinn deliberately chose the Cowboys over the New Orleans Saints in March when he was looking for a new team to consummate a trade from the Miami Dolphins.
With permission from the Dolphins, Quinn visited the Cowboys and Saints before being acquired in exchange for a 2020 sixth-round pick.
“The way I made up my decision was my gut. You can flip a coin. I don’t think you could have went wrong either way so I had to go off my gut and really trust that. So far it hasn’t let me down. I’m excited for this new opportunity. Should be something good this year.”
When Quinn says something good, he means Super Bowl good. He thinks the Cowboys have the makings of that as the nine-year veteran said this is the most talented team he’s been on his career.
And before you scoff and say Quinn came here from the Dolphins and left the Rams one year before they reached the Super Bowl, he was with the Rams in 2017 when they won the NFC West with an 11-5 record. It was a team that still featured running back Todd Gurley, quarterback Jared Goff and NFL defensive player of the year Aaron Donald.
“It’s pretty talented. Again, I can go through every name. I kind of just said over here every position has a Pro Bowler or All-Pro. Again, I haven’t been on a team like that.
“So that speaks on itself alone. If guys can individually continue to put up those All-Pro type seasons, collectively as a team, I think that just kind of speaks for itself. The o-line gets a lot of credit here, the offense. But you look around, you’ve got Byron Jones, Leighton Vander Esch, DeMarcus Lawrence, we have talent everywhere.”
Quinn says the Cowboys have to go out and prove it against the likes of the Rams, last year’s Super Bowl runner up and the Saints, who are again a top contender.
He likes his chances in Dallas.
“There’s only one goal in mind,” Quinn said. “You know where that’s at, to be standing up on that podium. Let’s not sugarcoat it. We want to be standing up on that podium, what is it, February something, in Miami. That’s our goal. Let’s not sugarcoat it. We’ve got to put it out there. Again, I like this group here. I get to work with them and let’s see if we can make it happen.”
Jason Garrett is spending most of his time coaching the offense right now
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett prefers to be a walk-around head coach, balancing his focus on offense, defense and kicking game.
But he will focus his attention on the offense early in 2019 because of the presence of so many first year coaches, including offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, offensive line coach Marc Colombo and quarterbacks coach Jon Kitna.
“I’m more connected with the offense right now than I’ve been in recent years and at different times I’ve been more connected with different parts of our team for different reasons,” Garrett said. “We have some young coaches on the offensive side of the ball, so I’ve been a little bit more engaged in that all throughout the offseason. But hopefully we’ll get to the point where we can get it balanced back out again.”
Rookie DT Trysten Hill had solid second day but is in the caboose right now
The biggest Day 1 story of training camp was rookie defensive tackle Trysten Hill, the team’s second-round pick, having to leave the field on a cart due to cramping and hydration.
It had nothing to do with the weather in Oxnard but rather Hill’s approach to practice.
Hill had a nice bounce back on Day 2.
Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli called it rookie growing pains.
“He has to go. The train is leaving. He is the caboose right now. Get up front,” Marinelli said but before softening. “He is learning how to hydrate and all that stuff. Our pace and tempo is fast. More than most. He is tough. Keep going. I expect every man to respond.”
Safety Xavier Woods is back camp. Guess the name of newborn baby girl
Safety Xavier Woods made it to Cowboys practice on Sunday after missing the conditioning test on Friday and Saturday’s first practice to stay back in Dallas to witness the birth of his newborn baby girl.
“Families come first,” Woods said. “I was always going to be there. I am grateful to (coach Jason Garrett) for understanding. She inspires me. I want to be the best dad, the best husband for my future wife and the best football player. I want to be the best in all aspects of my life.”
Woods’ newborn baby girl’s name is Dallas Karsyn Lilly Woods. “Dallas” was a natural first name he said.
“We just loved the name Dallas,” Woods said. “I loved Karsyn. Lilly is my grandmothers name. We wanted our daughter to have two first names.”
Cowboys putting on pads on Monday, real football starts now
No one is more excited about practice on Monday than defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.
The Cowboys are donning pads and will hit for the first time in camp, which is when real football begins for his defensive linemen.
He gets to see them rush the quarterback and tackle the ball carry. And he gets to teach.
“Now we start learning, star seeing, start teaching,” Marinelli said. “This is not the final exam. It’s part of the exam. The testing period starts. We will teach and test.”
And Marinelli will scream and cuss.
How does he want his players approaching practice: “Get off the ball. I like our pads nice and low and our feet humming. And if I am in your face, don’t listen, just keep going. Cause I am going to be in it one way or the other.”
