"When second-year player John Phillips suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason opener, the Dallas Cowboys quickly signed another tight end to reduce the practice workload on perennial Pro Bowl pick Jason Witten.

Not that Witten minded the extra reps.

"I like getting them," he said. "It's pretty good, actually."

That's Witten: A true pro who welcomes any opportunity to hone his craft.

"The more work you can get, the more confidence you build in yourself and with your quarterbacks," said Witten, who had just finished an after-practice tutoring session with Phillips' replacement, DajLeon Farr.

With Pro Bowl appearances in six of his first seven seasons, Witten could easily dial back his intensity in practice without anybody objecting.

But just the opposite has been true this summer. He's more driven than ever.

"My mind-set is to be the best tight end I can be," Witten said. "Hopefully, that bar gets higher and higher each year. You don't look at it saying, 'I'm going to take less.' But in the same sense, you understand there's a lot more weapons being added to this team."

Indeed, quarterback Tony Romo has plenty of options after Miles Austin emerged as a Pro Bowl receiver last year and the club drafted Dez Bryant in the first round.

Still, Witten is likely to remain Romo's go-to guy after catching 94 passes last season for 1,030 yards."