Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb reminded teammates to keep their cool after the team had multiple skirmishes during the first two days of training camp.
Rookie defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku and tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford got involved in a brief scuffle on Tuesday. At the following practice on Wednesday, a fight broke out between safety Markquese Bell and TE Tyler Neville.
New head coach Brian Schottenheimer then stopped practice and pulled the whole team together. He said the next player who threw a punch would be kicked out of practice (via Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News).
“We’ve got to be professional,” Lamb said of the incident after practice, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. “I get it that we have a lot of animosity and tension between us and understanding that we want to proclaim our dominance and show like aggressiveness on both sides of the ball, but then again, to what extent?”
Fighting in training camp isn’t uncommon. It’s an intense environment. Many are trying to prove themselves before teams trim their rosters to 53 players. However, too much brawling can threaten to tear a locker room apart.
A lack of discipline was also one reason the Cowboys replaced Mike McCarthy with Schottenheimer this offseason. According to NFLPenalties.com, Dallas drew the league’s sixth-most flags (128) last season.
Per Archer, there were no more fights after Schottenheimer pulled the team aside. Still, the incidents raise questions about his ability to maintain control. The coach spent Wednesday morning’s meeting discussing two plays where DE Sam Williams was too physical and sent to the sideline. His players must not have received the message.
It’s good for Dallas that Lamb seems to be echoing Schottenheimer’s sentiments, but the rookie HC still must get through to his team.
Rebounding from a 7-10 season could already prove challenging for the Cowboys. As of Wednesday, ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Dallas a 34.5% chance to make the playoffs. Infighting will make that even more difficult.
