The Cowboys had some tangible proof during the first week of training camp.

There's still so much more for Kirk Cousins to learn about his new coaches Youth Justin Reid Jersey , teammates and playbook in Minnesota, a mere 2陆 months after the newest Vikings quarterback signed his record-setting contract to headline this year's NFL free agency frenzy.

With every full-swing fist pump after a completed pass in these non-contact practices, there's no question that the Vikings acquired a Pro Bowl-level enthusiasm along with Cousins and his skillset.

"I think as a seventh-year player, now you have a little freedom to just be yourself and to not take a back seat and to just be vocal within reason," Cousins said.

"Be a leader, step up, and let your voice be heard. To their credit, the guys have received it well, and it's been fun to just assimilate myself into the offense and into the program."

As Cousins was finishing an interview session with the Minnesota media on Wednesday afternoon during a visit to a local middle school, his teammates called him over to complete their interaction with the kids and pose for one last photo.

He dutifully sprinted across the gym so as not to disappoint or, perhaps, take the razzing. He's the face of this franchise, a responsibility he hasn't shied from, but he's also a carefully spoken and image-conscious player who can understand the importance of not overstepping his bounds.

"Anytime you're new to an organization, you feel your way around a little bit. He's doing that some, but he's leading. He's taking charge," coach Mike Zimmer said amid the pre-teen cacophony in the gym at Friendly Hills Middle School just across the freeway from the team's new headquarters. "He has a lot on his plate right now."

True to his nature as a relationship builder and a meticulous preparer http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-rasheem-green-jersey , Cousins hosted wide receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs at his Atlanta-area offseason home shortly after he joined the team.

"We did get some stuff on the field, learning what he likes, learning how he likes certain routes run, because every quarterback is a little different," Thielen said.

"But I think the biggest thing was just learning his personality, how fun he is to be around and his humor and things like that. It was really good to get a jump on that."

Cousins has also, like it or not, dived right into the extraordinary expectations surrounding the Vikings following their advancement to the NFC championship game last season. The junior-high kids were yet another reminder of this.

"Most of the questions revolved around, 'Will we go to the Super Bowl?' and 'Will we make the playoffs?' I just throw it back at them saying, 'Do you think we will?' and they say, 'Yes'. They're confident, and that's a good place to start."

As the Vikings worked through their fifth of nine formal spring practices labeled by NFL parlance as organized team activities, outside linebacker Anthony Barr was back on the field with the team after an absence last week he confirmed was related to his contract status.

Now playing the final season of his rookie contract at a fully guaranteed salary of slightly more than $12.3 million, Barr said he hoped to have a new deal in place before the on-field workouts began. That didn't happen, so he took out an insurance policy to protect his future earnings in case of injury in 2018.

The issue for Barr and his desire for longer-term security is the Vikings also have hefty paydays looming for wide receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive end Danielle Hunter, who are also playing this season on expiring contracts for a team that has plenty of expensive stars.

"My agent is doing a great job, and they're having conversations Darius Leonard Youth Jersey ," said Barr, who was the team's first-round draft pick in 2014. "I don't know too many details on that. My focus is here with the team and getting better."

Sounds a little like the quarterback, dealing with his challenge of taking over a championship-chasing team.

"Everything is new, so I'm just continuing to try to get to where the plays and the reads and the terminology are all instinctual without having to think," Cousins said. "That takes a long time, but every day you can take a step in that process."

Sean Lee responded with strong words to criticism from former teammate Dez Bryant.

Tyrone Crawford felt compelled to tell the team these Dallas Cowboys won't be in the business of dramas such as Bryant's Twitter-fed rant early in training camp over who he felt was responsible for his offseason release.

With tight end Jason Witten's sudden retirement after 15 years for a TV job, the Cowboys can't defer to the franchise leader in games, starts and catches on any number of topics. Crawford, a defensive lineman, doesn't think they can replace the 2012 NFL Man of the Year either.

"If you're being real with yourself, Jason Witten's one of the best ever to do it," Crawford said. "And if you knew him as a man, one of the best men you'll ever get to meet. To me, there's never going to be another Jason Witten that's going to be around me."

Still, the Cowboys have to figure out life without Witten's leadership. Ask around, the answers will vary.

Quarterback Dak Prescott is a natural choice, both through leadership skills he demonstrated before replacing Tony Romo and the fact that the 25-year-old is already going into this third season as the starter.

Lee Authentic Customized Lions Jerseys , now Dallas' only offensive or defensive player in his 30s (he's 31), always used to wait until the end of the week to address reporters in the locker room during the season. There's talk of him moving that up to be more visible, and the 2016 All-Pro has left no doubt he knows things are different without Witten.

Center Travis Frederick and Zack Martin, who just signed a contract making him the highest-paid guard in the NFL, come up as well. But Frederick stops short of the idea of leadership by committee.

"Committee makes it sound like it's a huge group of guys," said Frederick, who started all 80 games in his first five seasons. "Traditionally in a team like this, you have a group of captains that are a strong group of leaders, maybe five, six guys. I think you're going to find that here.

"But there's been a lot of guys in training. I think that Dak is one of the guys that's most naturally a leader that I've ever been around in my life."

Bryant shockingly called Lee a "snake" on Twitter while suggesting the ninth-year linebacker had a hand in the club's decision to move on from its career leader in touchdown receptions.

Equally shocking was Lee's response, acknowledging that he and Bryant had been at odds over Lee's feeling that Bryant wasn't always accountable. Lee even suggested Bryant still wasn't holding himself accountable. It was the first time Lee had been forced to defend himself on such terms, and he left no doubt how he felt.

"I've been in a leadership role for a long time now and I need to take it to that next level," Lee said. "But there's also, we have a core group of guys. We have a lot of guys where it's easy to be a leader on this football team because of how many great leaders we have, all the way through, from the top to bottom."

Crawford, a seventh-year player who has been growing into a leadership role over several seasons Braden Smith Color Rush Jersey , wasn't happy that the team found itself in the middle of an unexpected tiff.

"When it comes to things like that and getting focused, I get angry and I say what I want to say and that's what it is," Crawford said. "I feel like I need to say the right things at the right time and I do and that's it."

When Prescott became the starter because of a preseason back injury sustained by Romo two years ago, he spent half that season repeating that it was Romo's team. Somewhere in the middle of an 11-game winning streak, though, the conversation changed. The qualities to lead were already there.

"It's just about finding new ways to lead and it's going to continue to evolve each and every year 鈥?every year that I get more experience and I get older," Prescott said. "New ways I can come in contact with my teammates, motivate them or do whatever I have to do to get the best out of them."

Asked specifically about what Witten's departure meant for Lee's leadership role, coach Jason Garrett almost cut off the question.

"Witt was the guy who was out in front, the most veteran guy, incredibly well-respected guy," Garrett said. "But all these guys have been grasping that mantle for a long time. There's no one guy that can lead as a player. It just doesn't happen that way. You have to have it throughout your team."

The Cowboys had some tangible proof during the first week of training camp.

NOTES: Dallas placed rookie WR Cedrick Wilson, a sixth-round pick, on injured reserve with a shoulder injury and signed rookie Ricky Jeune out of Georgia Tech.

.