The Dallas Cowboys held their final minicamp practice on Thursday and things got a little chippy, ESPN Dallas reports.
According to Calvin Watkins, defensive end Jason Hatcherwanted to fight the whole offense after a goal line stop, though that was probably more of Hatcher woofing at the offense than anything. Still, when you get guys on the field in a competitive situation, things can escalate. Not long after the Watkins tweet, Todd Archer noted that Hatcher and running back DeMarco Murrayengaged in some chippy play, which prompted head coach Jason Garrett to call the entire team together.
Garrett may have been looking to calm things down a bit, as cameras are rolling and the NFL and NFLPA have already shown a willingness to discipline teams for having too much contact during these practices. The Seattle Seahawksforfeited two days of OTAs after having too much contact at a practice, which may have stemmed from media reports of some fisticuffs between defensive backs and wide receivers.
Any violations of the rules regarding contact during minicamp practices could result in the cancellation of OTA dates the following offseason, so Garrett, who would also be subject to a six-figure fine along with any team penalties, was wise to play the role of "cooler" during today's practice. In addition to injuries, the last thing teams want coming of these workouts are reduced practices next offseason.
