Injuries limited Julius Jones to eight games last season but he still rushed for 819 yards and scored seven touchdowns. Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
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OXNARD, Calif. -- Mark Mulvoy, the former Sports Illustrated managing editor who hired me to work at the magazine in 1989, always had this philosophy about covering the NFL: When in doubt, write about the Cowboys. People love the Cowboys. Or people hate the Cowboys. God, Mulvoy loved putting the Cowboys on the cover.

They've obliged over the years by being good copy. I always think when I'm making my training-camp itinerary that a trip to Oxnard -- or San Antonio, or Wichita Falls, or wherever the Cowboys are practicing -- is a must, even if I'm not scheduled to write about Dallas for the preview issue. And so it was last Friday, when I saw the Cowboys here. Lots of things going on. I'll pick out 10.

1. Lawrence Taylor's going to be tutoring Demarcus Ware. Taylor will be at Dallas practices either this week or next to teach  the Cowboys' first-round pick from Troy (Is it Troy? Or Troy State? I've seen it both ways.) more than how to rush the passer. Bill Parcells already had Jim Burt and Carl Banks work with the defensive linemen and linebackers, respectively, and he's eager to have Taylor mentor Ware. Parcells thinks Ware has a great first step, like Taylor did, but the jury's definitely out on Ware's competitiveness and heart, two things Taylor led the league in. Parcells wants some of Taylor's intestinal fortitude to cross over to Ware. Now this is how old I'm getting: Ware just turned 23, and he told me he never really watched Taylor play; he knows him more from video games. I guess that makes sense. Ware would have been 4 when the Giants won their first Super Bowl, 8 when they won their second.

2. Parcells hasn't changed much. Get a load of this scene: On the south side of the practice field last Friday morning were, set up from left to right: five spin bikes, a seated upper body exercise machine and an elliptical trainer. On the bikes: rookie defensive lineman Marcus Spears, guard Marco Rivera, tight end Sean Ryan, fullback Darian Barnes, and one empty. On the upper-body machine: tackle Jacob Rogers. On the elliptical: rookie safety Justin Beriault. They're all working like mad. After maybe a half-hour, they get down and start throwing the heavy medicine balls to each other. Then they do crunches. Then they're back on the machines. Amazing. They work for the entire two-hour practice. At other camps, the players not practicing might do some cardio work, but often they're just standing behind their position groups, watching and learning. Not here. It's a warm morning of maybe 74 degrees, the sun is out, but it's not oppressively hot. But these guys are sweating like dogs. Spears' long-sleeved T-shirt was light gray when the workout started. Now it's very dark gray, totally sweat-soaked. And that's the Parcells idea: If you're not practicing, you're going to be a lot more tired by the end of practice than you'd be had you actually been on the field. I mention this to Parcells, and he gives me an amazed look. "When it's time to practice, football players practice,'' he says. He does not believe in being injured. Silly, of course. But it's funny to listen to his players. They are petrified about being hurt. Always have been. The malingerer factor is way down here.

3. There's always a guy who comes from nowhere, and this year's guy is Tyson Thompson. Free agent from San Jose State. Not much of a college player because he drifted from campus to campus. But he has wowed the Dallas brass and is going to make the roster. At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, he's a willing blocker and gets outside with speed and power. What's notable about Thompson is that he's from Irving, Texas -- home of Texas Stadium -- and had a 523-yard rushing game in high school. Fourth-round pick Marion Barber's looking good too. Both will have roles in the regular offense in relief of Julius Jones. Which brings me to ...

4. Julius Jones is going to have a monster year. Take my word for it. If you have a fantasy team, take him very high. He'll be one of the top five backs in the league this year. Parcells is going to feature Jones big-time. After toughening Jones up last summer, the Cowboys believe he's strong enough and jukey enough -- you should see him cut, and you should see his arms, which look to be made out of marble -- to be a great and durable back. Jones told me he really admires Curtis Martin, which is a good thing, because Martin may be Parcells' favorite player of all time.