As long as nobody throws a haymaker, the first joint practice of training camp is always a blast. The Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams were all business on Tuesday, turning in a highly competitive, fight-free session that should benefit both teams in the long run.
All in all, it was an encouraging afternoon for Brian Schottenheimer's squad, particularly on defense. While the Cowboys took their fair share of licks from Matthew Stafford, they held their ground and battled back. That competitive edge was missing last summer and ultimately bled into the regular season.
Like any joint session, though, it wasn't all good news across the board. Some players fell well short of expectations, while others simply couldn't keep up with the competition. Without further ado, let's break down who left something to be desired in Woodland Hills.
4 biggest Dallas Cowboys losers from joint practice vs. the Rams
Terence Steele, RT
The Cowboys caught a break that Myles Garrett did not practice. He was present, but he was off to the side and didn't participate in team drills. Tyler Guyton responded with a clean afternoon, but his running mate really struggled to contain Rams edge rusher Byron Young.
According to Nick Harris of the Star-Telegram, "it wasn't until the two-minute session at the end of practice where Steele settled in and found some wins."
Young was named to the Pro Bowl last season after notching 12.0 sacks and 64 pressures. There's no shame in losing a rep against him. But it sounded like Young gave Steele the work for the majority of team drills.
Steele's inconsistencies in pass pro are well documented, and he did nothing to ease those concerns. The next time we see Steele play against another team might be Week 1 against the NY Giants, who have Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux waiting to test him.
Jaydon Blue, RB
One explosive play from Blue against the Rams would have sent the hype to a fever pitch. Unfortunately, it was a tough day for Cowboys running backs not named Javonte Williams, who wiggled free for a couple of nice gains.
Blue added insult to injury by losing a fumble in team drills. He was getting plenty of run with the starting offense early on, but his workload faded quickly after the turnover.
By all accounts, Blue has had a nice camp, but if he can't protect the football, the Cowboys won't bother playing him in the regular season. Ball security was a big knock on him coming out of Texas, and Tuesday was proof he still has work to do to remedy it.
Joe Milton, QB
It has to be frustrating for Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams that the backup quarterback competition has no more clarity than it did when camp started two and a half weeks ago. Tuesday's joint practice was just confirmation that preseason will determine the winner.
It was another opportunity for Milton to distance himself from Sam Howell, and he couldn't get it done. While he completed some mid-level passes, which have given him trouble in the past, he also threw an interception while rolling to his left, per The Athletic's Jon Machota.
Machota noted that the defender made a leaping grab, but Milton ultimately put the ball in harm's way. The 26-year-old gunslinger seems to have a slight edge on Howell, but you would have liked to see him create more separation before the preseason given his experience in the system.
DaRon Bland, CB
After a rocky start, the Cowboys' secondary bounced back in a big way, led by Shavon Revel. The second-year corner finished the day with multiple pass breakups and a forced fumble.
By no means did DaRon Bland have a bad day in coverage, but he was responsible for at least one long touchdown, getting turned around on a route from Davante Adams. Matthew Stafford and Adams almost got Bland again, but Stafford sailed the pass out of Adams' reach.
Nick Harris noted that Bland executed his zone assignments, keeping everything in front of him, but the former All-Pro wasn't able to get his hands on anything.
Not a terrible day by any stretch -- there's certainly no shame in getting beat by a future Hall of Fame receiver --but it would have been nice to see Bland be a part of a really encouraging afternoon from Christian Parker's defense.
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