Wednesday, May 6, 1998

Cowboys work on new shotgun offense

IRVING, Texas (AP) - Regardless of what Troy Aikman thinks about it, the Dallas Cowboys have started to install Chan Gailey's new shotgun offense at a veterans-only mini-camp.

By the sound of it, there were some misfires.

"It's looking about like you would expect the first time a shotgun goes in," Gailey said Tuesday after the first day of his second mini-camp as head coach.

"The guys are feeling their way through it. Every position is feeling their way through it. I wish it was perfect, but it's not. And you deal with it and get better with every practice."

Aikman has never regularly used the shotgun in the NFL but says his reputed dislike for the offense is a myth.

On the contrary, he said Tuesday, the shotgun will open up more possibilities for an offense that ranked 20th in the league last season and failed to score more than one offensive touchdown in 10 games.

Gailey's multiple-receiver sets will use up to five wideouts.

"Because of that, I get excited about it," Aikman said. "I get excited about doing some things differently and getting exposed to some different things."

The Cowboys had their first practice session with rookies about 10 days ago and installed about half the new offense. Gailey saved the shotgun and multiple-wideout sets for this mini-camp, which lasts through Thursday.

Aikman said things are coming along with the new schemes, but "it's going to take some time."

"It's dramatically different from what we've done in the past from a terminology standpoint," he said. "We've got a lot in right now. Chan's really been aggressive."

Center Clay Shiver is among those most affected by the switch.

"When you're in the 'gun there's no doubt to the defense what's coming," Shiver said. "You know they're going to get jacked up and come with their best pass rush, so the snap's a lot different. Hopefully, it's like riding a bike and I can get back on and start riding right away."