OXNARD, Calif. — Making the Pro Bowl last season should have wiped out any notion that Leonard Davis is an underachiever.

That was the rap on Davis after his six years with the Arizona Cardinals. Maybe he was playing out of position at left tackle. Maybe he was just playing for the Cardinals.

A change of scenery, a club-record $16-million signing bonus and a shift to right guard worked wonders for Davis in his first year with the Cowboys. A former Cowboy, who also played guard, believes Davis could be one of the league's top interior linemen for years to come.

"I think the best thing that ever happened to him was get away from the Cardinals," said Nate Newton, who made six Pro Bowls with the Cowboys during the 1990s.

"This kid won at Texas. He was the No. 2 pick in the (2001) draft. They put him out at left tackle. He didn't do a great job, but he did a nice job. Because of his No. 2 pick status, he never got credit for just doing a nice, solid job."

Still, to this day, it gnaws at Davis that he was labeled, as he said, "a quote-unquote underachiever." Don't be fooled by Davis' huge smile and down-home demeanor. It's clear that what happened in Arizona motivates him.

"Me personally, I don't really understand how I underachieved," Davis said. "I could understand that if I was getting the quarterback hit all the time and missing blocks and all of that. It was just a lot of unrealistic expectations."

By moving inside, Davis was no longer responsible for the open space on the perimeter. He can simply mash people inside with his 6-6, 350-pound frame. Even going half-speed, it's hard to stop Davis against his own teammates during 11-on-11 drills.

"He really doesn't want to hurt our guys," coach Wade Phillips said. "He knocks them back, but you can see him pull off some when an opponent is going to have a hard time."

Davis is entering his eighth NFL season. There's a wealth of information he can still learn.

Newton said he spent one off-season working on his hands, because he sometimes grabbed too much with his left. The next off-season, Newton worked on staying cool under pressure. These are subtle tweaks, but it could mean a world of difference.

Offensive line coach Hudson Houck said Davis can sometimes be overanxious. He'll fire off so hard on a passing play that he might miss the defender.

"But we're nit-picking here," Houck said. "Really what we want to work on him with is playing in balance."

Proper footwork and hand techniques are important. But Newton said Davis also has the biggest skill set required.

"He's got natural aggression," Newton said. "Some guys have the ability to dominate. He has the ability to dominate. As long as he keeps his drive, he'll be all right."