7 Biggest Winners and Losers of Dallas Cowboys OTAs, So Far

Organized team activities represent a chance for coaches, pundits, fans and players to take a look at their team as it stands. Recently signed free agents as well as rookies get their first taste of the environment around Dallas and players become acclimated to new systems and new teammates.

For me, OTAs are a snapshot of what we already know and what we may expect. Eyes will be drawn to new backup quarterback Kyle Orton, rookie Morris Claiborne (injured) and a number of new players, veteran guys and aging stars.

So as a quick observation from the Cowboys OTAs, here are seven of the biggest winners and losers from this past week's organized team activities.

Winner—Kyle Orton, QB

Orton was one of the best finds for the Cowboys this offseason. Dallas needed a strong quarterback to back up Romo and they found one in Orton.

During seven-on-seven drills, Orton did well in the red zone and completed 13 of his 21 attempted passes. So far, he's looked pretty good. That is sure to bring a smile to team owner Jerry Jones' face.

Loser—Morris Claiborne, CB

Claiborne cannot really lose much ground here as he will probably start and we are just talking about OTAs. But he's still recovering from an injury and we have yet to see what he can do on the field.

Again, nothing against Claiborne besides the fact that we haven't seen him.

Winner—Tim Benford, WR

Benford is a rookie wide receiver just trying to make the practice squad. He caught a couple of touchdown passes in red-zone activity and was sure to impress the coaches.

I do not think that Benford will make the regular roster as a starting receiver, but there is a chance for him to make enough noise to warrant practice squad consideration or a special teams player.

Loser—Mike Jenkins, CB

I know that Jenkins isn't feeling wanted and believes that it is in his best interest to be traded. The Cowboys drafted Morris Claiborne and signed Brandon Carr, so where does that leave Mike?

Dallas has mandatory minicamp next week and Jenkins is expected to show. He's not healthy and probably won't make it to that point until training camp. But his silence and the Cowboys' unwillingness to trade him doesn't place him in the best light.

I really like Mike and I'm hopeful that he'll be a good soldier and return to make a difference. Until we get a peek at Mike and hear him talk, he's not winning with his situation.

Loser—Gerald Sensabaugh, SS

Sensabaugh serves as the Cowboys starting strong safety, so in essence, he is no loser. He is actually one of the better cover safeties in the NFC East and does a pretty job at, well, his job.

So the only reason he's listed as a "loser" here is because he did not participate due to a sore knee. We didn't get to see him practice, but we know all of what he's capable of doing.

Winner—Andre Holmes, WR

I continue to hear good things about Holmes. He caught a touchdown from Orton during OTAs and continues to impress coaches with his ability.

He's 6'4" and runs a 4.51 in the 40-yard dash. Holmes should be able to leverage his size and speed to gain a slight advantage in the race for the third receiver spot. It's just a matter of Holmes remaining consistent.

Winner—Jason Witten, TE

The Cowboys held a camp for kids at the end of OTAs and it was a big success. The kids were divided up into teams as it was Jason Witten's squad verse Doug Free's kids.

Witten won the competition (via ESPN) but in the end, it was the kids who prevailed.