The Protege Becomes the Teacher

So it's only been one offseason of OTAs and two weeks of training camp and a veteran offensive lineman (Bernadeau) is asking for tips from a rookie center (Travis Frederic).  How good is Frederic going to be after a couple of years?!  See excerpt from "Cowboys Corner" from Star-Telegram below.

Right guard Mackenzy Bernadeau said he can be ready to play against Oakland with just two days of practice, and he wants to play because he wants to get to know center Travis Frederick on the field.
“Just being around Doug Free for a while, we kind of understand one another a little bit more,” Bernadeau said. “We’ll say, ‘Hey, heads up, look at this,’ and I’ll know what he’s thinking. You know where he’s going to be, and you have trust. You build trust in the guys around you. So that’s always good. Just being able to come back and play with Frederick, Free next to me, play with everybody and get the trust factor involved and the continuity is huge.”
Bernadeau, who returned to practice last week after a hamstring injury kept him from practicing the first two weeks of training camp, said he can tell from sitting next to Frederick in the film room that he is a smart player.
“I pick his brain a little bit, ask him what he’s thinking when he comes back to the sideline,” Bernadeau said. “He’s a smart player. Real smart player. He’s a strong guy. He’s stout. It’s going to be fun just playing next to him.”
Bernadeau evaluated Frederick’s play at guard and said he is good enough to play either guard spot.
“He’s got a little bit of technique stuff. That comes with just playing different positions, especially coming into the league and learning a different technique,” Bernadeau said. “But he’s stout. He’s stout in his stance. He’s stout with his punches. He’s a real strong guy, has good hands, and is a real smart guy. I feel like he can learn all three interior positions and play at a decent level.”

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