Cowboys OTA's start today

For the first time since the 2013 season ended with a 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys will be able to practice football against each other. 

It won’t be real football, but it will be the closest thing they will have until training camp begins in July in Oxnard, California. 

The Cowboys start three weeks of organized team activities (OTAs) today at Valley Ranch, kicking off Phase 3 of the NFL offseason. Players will be in helmets, but the pads have to wait until training camp. 

It’s the first time the offense and defense will get to go against each other in drills. In Phase 2 of the offseason, the offense and defense cannot compete against each other. The Cowboys will hold OTAs Tuesday-Thursday, June 2, June 4-5 and June 9-12. 

They close out the offseason with a mandatory minicamp on June 17-19. 

The Cowboys’ rookies went through a minicamp after the draft and were part of Phase 2 of the program and took part in the conditioning program as well. 

The OTAs, however, are a step up. 

“It’s good to see those guys out there getting themselves acclimated to some things,” coach Jason Garrett said during the rookie camp. “Mentally as much as anything else we’re trying to put some pressure on them, give them some instillation, see if they can handle it and practice at a certain tempo and pace. We’ve got to get those guys used to that as well. When the veterans come out here it’s much faster than it’s been (in the rookie camp.)”