Clarence Hill: Dallas Cowboys camp insights, led by Dak Prescott interception on Day 1

Here are some insights from Cowboys beat writer Clarence Hill on the first practice of training camp in Oxnard, California:

1. After an offseason of incessant talk about Dak Prescott’s league-high 15 interceptions last season, including some that tipped off the hands of Cowboys receivers, it proved to the same old stuff on the first practice of training camp. A perfect pass by Prescott on a slant to receiver Simi Fehoko went through his hands and bounced into the hands of rookie cornerback Eric Scott for the first interception of training camp.

Not Prescott’s fault but it goes on his training camp ledger.

2. The worst thing about training camp is injuries and the Cowboys saw two safeties get sidelined on opening day. Starter Donovan Wilson was carted off with a calf strain and backup Israel Mukuamu left practice early with a hamstring injury. The injuries are not thought to be serious, but the Cowboys will be cautious with them both.

3. While left guard Zack Martin’s holdout is potentially a bigger deal than it’s being made out to be, the Cowboys do have a plan up front when they finally get the whole gang together. Tyron Smith will return to his left tackle spot and Tyler Smith will start at left guard, which was also the plan for 2022 before Tyron Smith suffered a torn hamstring in training camp and was sidelined for the first 13 games of the season.

It also means that right tackle Terence Steele, who suffered a torn ACL last December, is good to go for the start of camp. Josh Ball replaced Martin at left guard in practice Wednesday with Tyler Biadasz at center.

4. It is a huge disappointment that tight end Luke Schoonmaker, the second-round pick from Michigan, was placed on the non-football injury list to start training camp. He was sidelined in minicamp with plantar fasciitis and continues to be ailing with the foot injury. The Cowboys are going to be cautious with him because it’s a long season. But Jake Ferguson has taken the lead in the battle to replace Dalton Schultz in the starting lineup with Peyton Hendershot running a close second.

5. Keep an eye on undrafted rookie receiver Jalen Moreno-Cropper. The former Fresno State star has given the Cowboys secondary fits during the offseason. He continued to make a splash on the first day of training camp with a diving touchdown catch on the back of the end zone. Moreno-Cropper has 4.4 speed and soft hands.

6. Former TCU star Kavontae Turpin had an excused absence for the first day of practice as he stayed back in the Dallas to witness the birth of his baby.

7. It takes some adjustment watching the 5-foot-5 Deuce Vaughn run around on the Cowboys practice field. But he has some juice in his legs and he knows how to make people miss. He is in a battle for playing time behind starter Tony Pollard at running back, but Vaughn will likely make his initial impact on special teams, battling Turpin for the primary return job.

8. Pollard was excited to be practice and good to go on the first day of camp after suffering a fractured ankle in the playoff loss to the 49ers. Pollard said he knew he would be ready sometime in June when he began running and cutting at full speed.

Pollard also offered no regrets about having to play on the franchise tag of $10.1 million after not being able to come to terms on a long-term deal with the Cowboys.

Pollard made $965,000 in base salary last season so he’s appreciative of the big raise in 2023.

“Everybody wants to get a deal done,” Pollard said. “But it was it was a step in progress for me. So that’s how I’m looking at it right now. Trying to be positive.”