Bledsoe finding Parcells treats vets differently

IRVING, Texas - Drew Bledsoe is finding there's a difference between playing for Bill Parcells fresh out of college as the No. 1 overall draft pick and as a 12-year veteran quarterback.

On their first day back on the field together in eight years, Parcells on Friday was content mostly watching Bledsoe from a distance during the start of the Dallas Cowboys' only veteran minicamp before training camp.

"A lot of times when I was young, he would stand right behind me when I'd drop back to throw. He was yelling in my ear," Bledsoe said. "It was to the point that I couldn't wait until Sunday so I could get out on the field and get away from him."

Parcells said the 33-year-old Bledsoe is a lot more mature now.

"Obviously, he's been through a lot as a player," he said. "So we'll just see. I just want to see him round into shape and get his timing."

It's the second year in a row the Cowboys have a new veteran starting quarterback who's played for Parcells before.

Bledsoe is eight years younger than Vinny Testaverde, the starter for 15 games last season when the Cowboys were 6-10.

Bledsoe was the top overall pick in 1993 for New England, when Parcells was there. He was the starter as a rookie, and three years later the Patriots reached the Super Bowl.

After Bledsoe was released by Buffalo in February, he reunited with Parcells, signing a three-year contract in Dallas.

He quickly was proclaimed the Cowboys starter, the eighth since three-time Super Bowl winner Troy Aikman's career ended four years ago.

The expectations for Bledsoe are different than they were during his rookie season for the Patriots 12 years ago. Or when he went to Buffalo in 2002, after losing his starting job to Tom Brady in New England while injured.

"I'm coming into a situation where right now, immediately, there's an expectation for this team to go out and compete for a championship," Bledsoe said. "When I went to Buffalo, it was a team that was in a bit of a rebuilding situation."

With Parcells and Bledsoe both on the backside of their careers, they don't want to waste any time.

"He's not a young guy anymore," Parcells said. "I think we both would like to do the same thing."

Buffalo, which came one win short of the playoffs last season with Bledsoe, handed over the starting job to youngster J.P. Losman without an on-field competition.

Bledsoe is driven to prove the Bills made the wrong decision, and also reward the faith Parcells has in him.

"I like his leadership," Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten said. "He has a little bit of swagger about him, confidence.... He's got something to prove. He's hungry."

Nobody was taking shots at Testaverde, a team leader last year despite not being as outgoing as Bledsoe. Testaverde had an offense plagued by injuries to running back Julius Jones, tight end Dan Campbell, receiver Terry Glenn and others.

Jones, Campbell and Glenn are now healthy and back on the field. And Dallas has added Pro Bowl offensive lineman Marco Rivera to its lineup, though he's being held out of the minicamp for precautionary reasons. He strained his back while running on a treadmill in March, soon after signing a $20 million, five-year deal that included a $9 million signing bonus.