CARROLLTON, Texas - Whether he's shouting praise or constructive criticism, the Cowboys' defensive backs are used to hearing Dave Campo's gravelly voice after each snap.
On Tuesday the secondary coach hollered persistent approval as his younger guys, particularly third-year veterans Alan Ball and Courtney Brown, made plays all over the field during team drills.
"Saying your name a lot today - that's good!" Campo said to Brown as the Cowboys finished their next-to-last OTA (organized team activity) practice at Standridge Field.
Versatility and takeaways seem to be the main objectives for a talented secondary that produced only seven combined interceptions last year. Second-year cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick will have larger roles and free-agent addition Gerald Sensabaugh will take over at strong safety.
Backups like Brown and Ball are out to prove they can play both positions if the defense's depth is tested again.
The Cowboys are asking Brown, a safety his first two seasons, to sharpen his skills at corner, his college position. Ball, a corner his first two years, is working at free safety and has run with the first team this week while starter Ken Hamlin deals with a personal matter.
"If somebody gets hurt it's a good thing for sure," said cornerback Terence Newman, who returned to practice after sitting out with a sore quadriceps muscle. "They understand all three positions and they can step in."
Both were effective in Tuesday's non-contact workout. Brown made a couple of nice pass breakups, including a diving deflection on a deep ball intended for Roy Williams. Ball knocked down a pass and intercepted a tipped ball.
Safeties Pat Watkins (interception) and DeAngelo Smith (pass breakup) and corner Michael Hawkins (pass breakup) also got their hands on passes.
Campo, assistant secondary coach Brett Maxie and Cowboys head coach/defensive coordinator Wade Phillips want ball-hawking defensive backs that can cause turnovers. The entire group looked aggressive in a competitive, albeit light practice.
"We have a lot of playmakers," Brown said. "We had them last year, just they were in roles where they were underneath and didn't get to show their skills a lot. We lost some guys this off-season and the guys from last year are stepping up."
Phillips thought the physical nature at safety might have been a difficult transition for Brown in the past, but he feels Brown has natural corner skills. Ball (6-1, 186) also carries a slender frame, but Phillips said his instincts and assertive play might be a good fit at safety.
"He's going to compete," Phillips said. "We threw him in against Tampa Bay last year and he played and competed, he and Courtney Brown both. We played one of our best games because those guys competed well. But Alan's got a knack, I think, at safety."
Ball said he played safety in high school and his freshman year at Illinois before moving to corner, the position the Cowboys initially drafted him to play.
"You've got to know everything on the defense at the free safety position," he said. "You've got to know the defense really well and you've got to know what everybody else is doing around you, not just you. At corner, you know your role and you can focus on that. But at safety you have to know where everyone else is going."
WR Injuries Deplete Offense
While the defense looked mostly sharp and aggressive with various blitz packages Tuesday, the offense seemed out of sync at times without five of its receivers - Miles Austin (hamstring), Sam Hurd (quad), Isaiah Stanback (knee), Travis Wilson (knee) and Mike Jefferson.
The Cowboys are remaining cautious with Austin and Hurd during these light workouts. Stanback is recovering from arthroscopic surgery and Phillips said Wilson, a practice squad player last year, might need surgery as well.
Starter Roy Williams, who did make a dazzling one-handed grab over the middle, said overall the receiving corps was "sloppy."
"Yeah, there's five of us (practicing) and three of them are rookies," he said. "It's tough on me and Patrick (Crayton). We want to help them with the twos and threes (second- and third-team), but we really don't. But those guys have to be prepared mentally. They need to get that Ipod on, get in the playbook and learn this stuff."
Phillips, who has stressed the importance of getting things "exactly right" in practice this off-season, said mental mistakes were an issue as well.
"We had some off-sides from veteran players," he said. "We had our snap count with fumbles on the snap a couple times. Those are the kinds of things we need to clean up."
More Injuries
Starting defensive end Igor Olshansky (back) sat out but is expected to return Wednesday. Stephen Bowen took his place in the first-team defense.
The Cowboys also held out rookies Brandon Williams (shoulder) and Stephen Hodge (calf).
Others who did not practice included defensive end Jason Hatcher (knee), guard Kyle Kosier (foot), kicker Nick Folk (hip), tight end Rodney Hannah (broken finger) defensive tackle Tim Anderson (toe) and linebacker Justin Rogers.
Razorback "Choice"
Last week the Cowboys experimented with the single-wing "Razorback" (or "Wildcat") formation with wide receiver Patrick Crayton taking a couple of snaps from center, running back Felix Jones moving in motion and Romo splitting wide.
Tuesday was Tashard Choice's turn. The second-year running back said he directed a similar formation at Georgia Tech and once threw a touchdown pass against North Carolina.
"I did that most of the time when I ran the football," he said. "Actually we ran it on the split backs and I had another running back in the backfield instead of out wide with me and my quarterback outside."
Phillips reiterated after practice that the Cowboys are simply experimenting at this stage of the off-season, and the "Razorback" reps also help the defense prepare for that type of play.
"They're just looking at it to see how they like it," Choice said. "But you've got to have somebody who can run it when they're at the 'Wildcat' position. Most of the time it's a running back who can throw and run the football."
Behm Visits
Cowboys scouting assistant Rich Behm, who was paralyzed below the waist in the May 2 practice facility collapse, stopped by Valley Ranch on Tuesday.
Behm, 33, was released from Baylor University Medical Center last Friday and continues his rehabilitation as he prepares to return to work in the future.
On Thursday, the Dallas Cowboys Women's Association will hold a fundraiser to benefit the Rich Behm Family Trust Fund at RA Sushi Bar Restaurant in The Shops At Legacy in Plano, Texas. Cowboys players Bobby Carpenter, Kyle Kosier, Jason Witten, Pat McQuistan, Doug Free, Cory Procter and Mat McBriar are scheduled to join the Women's Association as RA Sushi Celebrity Waiters.
As part of their partnership with the Women's Association, RA Sushi Bar Restaurant will donate 100 percent of all food and beverage proceeds generated between 6 and 8 p.m. to the Rich Behm Family Trust.
Short Shots
Given the team's injuries, albeit mostly minor ones, there's a strong chance the Cowboys will sign another player in time for next week's mini-camp . . . Scandrick and Jenkins again took first-team reps at right corner opposite Newman . . . Montrae Holland continued working at first-team left guard in place of Kosier, with Cory Procter at second-team center.
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Rob Phillips - 
