On top of suggesting that Cowboys rookies need to be more like Jason Witten and play through injuries, on Friday, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones touched on several other interesting Cowboys-related topics.
While talking about changes he sees in the team, Jones referenced the Cowboys blowing a 24-point, third-quarter lead to the Lions last October.
"It's about winning," he told the Elf & Slater Show on 105.3 [KRLD-FM]. "You can't let a chance slip by. You can't let a Detroit Lions game happen. Ever. You go ahead, you get the lead and you finish them. We have to do that."
Jones says the Cowboys must have the mentality that even down 12 in the fourth quarter that there's still time to rally.
"We got to have that mentality," he said. "Unfortunately, I think we've had a little bit of the opposite. 'Hey, what are we going to do to screw this up? Somehow, we'll let it get away.' We can't have that any more. And I sense it on the practice field and I sense it with our leadership that that culture is changing."
Standout players in training camp, another hamstring injury for Miles Austin and the No. 3 receiver battle were also discussed.
Which players have caught Jones' eye? Answer: DeMarco Murray, DeMarcus Ware and Brandon Carr.
"You start with DeMarco Murray," Jones said. "We expected a lot but it even looks better than advertised. I think he's at a peak level. He's rolling. He's showing leadership."
On Ware: "The guy's already going to the Hall of Fame, but no let-up. It's 110 percent. They can't block him out there. He sets the tone."
On Carr: "When we write a check like we wrote and then see the performance and the work ethic that he has and the plays he's making out there, that makes you feel good."
What does Jones think of the No. 3 wide receiver battle going on between Kevin Ogletree, Andre Holmes, Dwayne Harris, Raymond Radway, Cole Beasley and Danny Coale?
"We need one of these third receivers to take the bull by the horns," he said. "There's four or five of them and they all make plays in their own way but at some point, one guy has got to take it over. So far we haven't seen that. Hopefully we will."
One last nugget involved Jones' thoughts on Austin, who missed six games last season with hamstring injuries and is currently missing time during training camp because of a tweaked hamstring.
"We're going to be very careful with it because we got to peak against the Giants," Jones said. "He's one that certainly knows what he's doing. He's hard working. At this point, I'm not concerned. But obviously at some point, they got to get back on the field and get going."
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