Sean Lee responded with strong words to criticism from former teammate Dez Bryant.

Tyrone Crawford felt compelled to tell the team these Dallas Cowboys won't be in the business of dramas such as Bryant's Twitter-fed rant early in training camp over who he felt was responsible for his offseason release.

With tight end Jason Witten's sudden retirement after 15 years for a TV job Trey Hopkins Jersey , the Cowboys can't defer to the franchise leader in games, starts and catches on any number of topics. Crawford, a defensive lineman, doesn't think they can replace the 2012 NFL Man of the Year either.

"If you're being real with yourself, Jason Witten's one of the best ever to do it," Crawford said. "And if you knew him as a man, one of the best men you'll ever get to meet. To me, there's never going to be another Jason Witten that's going to be around me."

Still, the Cowboys have to figure out life without Witten's leadership. Ask around, the answers will vary.

Quarterback Dak Prescott is a natural choice, both through leadership skills he demonstrated before replacing Tony Romo and the fact that the 25-year-old is already going into this third season as the starter.

Lee, now Dallas' only offensive or defensive player in his 30s (he's 31), always used to wait until the end of the week to address reporters in the locker room during the season. There's talk of him moving that up to be more visible, and the 2016 All-Pro has left no doubt he knows things are different without Witten.

Center Travis Frederick and Zack Martin, who just signed a contract making him the highest-paid guard in the NFL, come up as well. But Frederick stops short of the idea of leadership by committee.

"Committee makes it sound like it's a huge group of guys Tyrod Taylor Jersey ," said Frederick, who started all 80 games in his first five seasons. "Traditionally in a team like this, you have a group of captains that are a strong group of leaders, maybe five, six guys. I think you're going to find that here.

"But there's been a lot of guys in training. I think that Dak is one of the guys that's most naturally a leader that I've ever been around in my life."

Bryant shockingly called Lee a "snake" on Twitter while suggesting the ninth-year linebacker had a hand in the club's decision to move on from its career leader in touchdown receptions.

Equally shocking was Lee's response, acknowledging that he and Bryant had been at odds over Lee's feeling that Bryant wasn't always accountable. Lee even suggested Bryant still wasn't holding himself accountable. It was the first time Lee had been forced to defend himself on such terms, and he left no doubt how he felt.

"I've been in a leadership role for a long time now and I need to take it to that next level," Lee said. "But there's also, we have a core group of guys. We have a lot of guys where it's easy to be a leader on this football team because of how many great leaders we have, all the way through, from the top to bottom."

Crawford, a seventh-year player who has been growing into a leadership role over several seasons, wasn't happy that the team found itself in the middle of an unexpected tiff.

"When it comes to things like that and getting focused, I get angry and I say what I want to say and that's what it is," Crawford said. "I feel like I need to say the right things at the right time and I do and that's it."

When Prescott became the starter because of a preseason back injury sustained by Romo two years ago, he spent half that season repeating that it was Romo's team. Somewhere in the middle of an 11-game winning streak Wes Horton Jersey , though, the conversation changed. The qualities to lead were already there.

"It's just about finding new ways to lead and it's going to continue to evolve each and every year 鈥?every year that I get more experience and I get older," Prescott said. "New ways I can come in contact with my teammates, motivate them or do whatever I have to do to get the best out of them."

Asked specifically about what Witten's departure meant for Lee's leadership role, coach Jason Garrett almost cut off the question.

"Witt was the guy who was out in front, the most veteran guy, incredibly well-respected guy," Garrett said. "But all these guys have been grasping that mantle for a long time. There's no one guy that can lead as a player. It just doesn't happen that way. You have to have it throughout your team."

The Cowboys had some tangible proof during the first week of training camp.

NOTES: Dallas placed rookie WR Cedrick Wilson, a sixth-round pick, on injured reserve with a shoulder injury and signed rookie Ricky Jeune out of Georgia Tech.
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon recently likened Javier Baez to one of the Beatles because of the young second baseman’s growing star power.

Baez put on a performance fitting the comparison and his All-Star status, scoring the go-ahead run on a stolen base and consecutive errors in the 10th inning to help the Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 5-4.

”Javy did his Javy thing again. Pretty impressive,” Maddon said.

As for the Beatles comparison, ”If he grew his hair, he’d look more like George, I think, or would it be Ringo?” the manager quipped.

”Listen Jack Mewhort Jersey , it’s a really good time for him as a young baseball player,” Maddon said. ”It’s a good time for us. If you’re able to hear him in the dugout, the guy’s definitely alive and he’s definitely there for everybody else. It’s pretty cool to observe and listen to at the same time.

”I think he’s a very humble young man so I think this has a solid chance to continue and as he works even better at-bats, that’s really when you’re going to see how good he can be.”

Baez, voted the starter at second base for the NL, got his chance after Anthony Rizzo hit a tying double with two outs in the ninth inning against All-Star closer Brad Hand.

After Pedro Strop (4-1) struck out the side in the ninth, Baez reached on an infield single to third base with one out against Adam Cimber (3-5). Baez stole second, took third when catcher Austin Hedges‘ throw sailed into center field and raced home when Manuel Margot bobbled the ball.

After Baez got on, Maddon knew he’d be doing something.

”And he’s welcome to. I just try to stay out of his way.”

Rizzo said the Cubs figured Baez would score once he got on.

”At this point it really is not even surprising to us. It’s crazy to say that but it’s fun,” Rizzo said. ”His baseball instincts are taking over the whole game and people are noticing it more than ever. It’s fun because that’s who he is and he’ll continue to get better.”

As for Margot’s error that allowed Baez to score, ”My guess is he’s looking up to see if he’s got a shot at Baez at third base instead of watching the ball all the way in the glove,” Padres manager Andy Green said.

Hand was one out away from his 25th save when Rizzo doubled into the gap in left-center to bring in pinch-runner Jason Heyward. Hand had retired Ben Zobrist and Ian Happ before hitting pinch-hitter Victor Caratini. Caratini was replaced by Heyward.

Rizzo said Hand ”left a slider up just a tick.”

Said Green: ”He just put it in the perfect spot, right in that gap there.”

Brandon Morrow pitched the 10th for his 21st save.

Hedges had given the Padres a 4-3 lead on a single with two outs in the eighth. It was his third single. With Manuel Margot aboard on a double, Hedges took Carl Edwards Jr. the opposite way for the go-ahead run, with his soft liner landing in front of right fielder Zobrist.

Kris Bryant, activated from the disabled list Wednesday Ronnie Harrison Jersey , tied it at 3 with one out in the fifth when he smoked a grounder just inside first base that rolled into right field for an RBI double. It scored Albert Almora Jr., who reached on a fielder’s choice and was awarded second on shortstop Freddy Galvis‘ errant throw.

Travis Jankowski had given the Padres a 3-2 lead with a two-run home run to right-center, his second, with two outs in the second off Tyler Chatwood. Padres starter Clayton Richard was aboard on a single to center.

San Diego took a 1-0 lead on Eric Hosmer’s RBI grounder in the first, and the Cubs jumped ahead on Happ’s two-run single after Richard struggled through the second. Baez hit a fly ball leading off the inning that appeared to clear the fence and bounce back onto the field. He pulled up at second and the umpires called for a review, ruling that a fan interfered with the ball and leaving Baez at second. Richard loaded the bases with one-out walks to Addison Russell and Zobrist. Happ then singled to center to bring in Baez and Russell.

Neither starter was sharp. Richard allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits in six innings while walking five and striking out four. Chatwood went five innings, allowing three runs and five hits, with three walks and two strikeouts.

”It’s a tough game,” Green said. ”There isn’t another way to describe it.”

UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (5-8, 3.93) is scheduled to start Saturday night. He’s coming off his best start of the season, when he allowed just an unearned run on five hits in in 8 1/3 innings. He didn’t factor into the decision as the Cubs lost 2-1 in 11 innings.

Padres: RHP Luis Perdomo (1-3, 7.09) is scheduled to make his third start since being recalled from Triple-A El Paso.

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