While many NFL teams are making cuts to get down to tomorrow's 75-player limit, so far the Cowboys have just made one such move. Today, the team released offensive tackle Andre Douglas. This leaves the Dallas roster at 76. Whether the team releases an additional player or creates room by moving an injured player remains to be seen. Stay tuned.
With six of the twelve draft picks having become the injury bug's target this preseason, the depth chart is getting a little thin behind the starters on defense. The secondary and linebacker positions have taken the biggest hits. Strong safety Mike Hamlin (broken wrist) and inside linebacker Jason Williams (high ankle sprain) are the latest two we can expect to see on the injured list. Both players are expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
Hamlin, a fifth-round choice, broke his right wrist while covering a kickoff in the third quarter. Williams, a third-round pick, sprained his left ankle during 49ers running back Kory Sheets' touchdown run in the third. Hamlin is expected to miss six weeks. X-rays on Williams' ankle were negative.
More VRR after the jump.
It was a scary moment at Cowboys Stadium when FS Alan Ball remained down on the field Saturday night. Fortunately, he popped up and left the game with what is being labeled a neck strain. If he is to miss some action, the team will surely be thin in the secondary. Hopefully, he can make it back soon.
The Cowboys were already short at inside linebacker going into Saturday's game with rookie Stephen Hodge still recovering from an off-season knee scope. Fourth-year veteran Bobby Carpenter is the immediate backup to starters Bradie James and Keith Brooking. With Hodge and Williams out, journeyman linebacker Matt Stewart would be the only remaining healthy body at the position.
As for safety and cornerback, Ball was running with the second team at both positions, and with Hamlin out, his absence would vault rookie Mike Mickens to second-team cornerback and would also leave fellow rookie DeAngelo Smith as a second-team safety. Mickens has struggled since training camp, and Smith is new to the safety position.
Which ILB will lead the team in tackles? A little friendly competition between vets, Bradie James and Keith Brooking, may be brewing.
"Everybody who comes in tries to compete with me," James said. "I’m sure it’s an unspoken competition. I think it’s just us being productive. If I was a coach, it’s not a bad problem to have: two guys being very active and being productive, always getting to the ball. That’s what he [Brooking] does.
"He’s more active than I thought. I’ve only seen him play a couple of times. At that position on the field, it’s the playmaking position, and he fits that mode."
LBs coach Reggie Herring on Big D's two middle men:
"They’re both good players and have their own way of doing things," Cowboys linebackers coach Reggie Herring said. "They both possess good instincts and a nose for the ball. They’re both great competitors. Those are the similarities.
"But Keith has the ability to play fundamentally sound more plays, longer than any guy I’ve ever been around. He’s really efficient, high production, great instincts.
"I think the biggest thing that separates them is that he runs a little bit faster, and he has better capabilities to shed blocks and make blocks as opposed to Zach being more of a run-hit guy. He’s just bigger."
Randy Galloway sees the Cowboys' preseason as "full of positives".
On the flip side of that, Jaime Aron calls the Cowboys "sloppy".
Yahoo!Sports ranks the Cowboys at #9 (fantasy-wise) in their Juggernaut Index.
The NFL Network could always use just a tad more Cowboys' bias, right? Well, now it has it. Michael Irvin will be the new Sunday morning regular on NFL Gameday.
Irvin has already voiced his opinion on whether there will be a quarterback controversy in Philadelphia.
Vick still isn't eligible to play in the regular season, but commissioner Roger Goodell has pledged to review his staus by Week 6. Said Irvin of the potential for a quarterback controversy if Vick returns by then, "I'm not sure you're going to have to wait that long."