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Dallas Cowboys Training Camp: Comparing This Year's Injuries To Last Year

One day after the Blue/White scrimmage we compare Dallas Cowboys injury reports versus the same time last year.

Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

The Blue/White scrimmage on Sunday ended without any major injuries for the Cowboys. Currently, 14 players are sidelined for various reasons.

Because the league doesn't release injury reports during training camp that could serve as a frame of reference, there's no way of saying whether that number is particularly high or low.

Thankfully, Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News faithfully chronicled the Cowboys injury status in camp last year, so we know that on the day after the Blue/White scrimmage in 2012, the Cowboys had 18 players on their injury report. 18 to 14 doesn't sound like a big drop but a closer look at the injury reports from both years shows that the difference between the two years is less about the quantity of injuries and more about the severity of the injuries:

2012 2013
SEVERITY POS PLAYER INJURY POS PLAYER INJURY
Day-to-day CB Teddy Williams Concussion TE James Hanna Hamstring
DE Jason Hatcher Groin WR Cole Beasley Quadriceps
OLB Anthony Spencer Hamstring WR Dez Bryant Hip/Quadriceps
RB Lance Dunbar Hamstring WR Danny Coale Knee
S Matt Johnson Hamstring G Mackenzy Bernadeau Hamstring
TE John Phillips Ankle G Ron Leary Calf
DE Marcus Spears Concussion LS L.P. Ladouceur Calf
OL Ryan Cook Back
DT Ikponmwosa Igbinosun Lower leg
Out 1-2 weeks WR Danny Coale Foot RT Jermey Parnell Hamstring
WR Miles Austin Hamstring DT Jay Ratliff Hamstring
CB Morris Claiborne Knee
G/C Bill Nagy Ankle
WR Saalim Hakim Finger
Out Indefinitely RB Phillip Tanner Hand DE Anthony Spencer* Knee
G Nate Livings Hamstring DL Tyrone Crawford*** Achilles
G Mackenzy Bernadeau Hip, Knee
NT Jay Ratliff Foot
CB Mike Jenkins** Shoulder
G/C Kevin Kowalski** Ankle
Other OT Demetress Bell Conditioning test
* Out 2-4 weeks, ** PUP, ***Out for Season

Couple of observations:

  • Tyrone Crawford's season-ending injury is by far the biggest injury the Cowboys have suffered this year, and by this time last season, no player had had a season ending injury yet. So in that category, the 2013 is worse off.
  • But as you look at the amount serious injuries (marked here in red) 2012 has a big lead over 2013. Ratliff and Jenkins missed significant playing time last year and Kowalski didn't see a single snap.
  • Similarly, the amount of injuries where a player was out for one to two weeks (marked in yellow) was higher in 2012 than it is in 2013.
  • When you compare the injuries where a player missed significant training camp time (red & yellow) 2012 leads 2013 by 11-4, and that is a significant improvement for 2013.
  • Conversely, the amount of minor injuries with a day-to-day status (the green cells) is slightly higher in 2013 than it was in 2012.
  • The Demetress Bell situation is beginning to get a little embarrassing. For comparison, Brodney Pool also failed the conditioning test last year, passed it sometime before the Blue/White scrimmage and was released on the Tuesday after the scrimmage. The Cowboys must really have high hopes for Bell to hold onto him for so long.
  • Note also that Miles Austin and Matt Johnson do not show up on this year's list. At the same time, Anthony Spencer, Jay Ratliff, Mackenzy Bernadeau, and Danny Coale are missing time in camp due to injury for the second straight year, though all for different reasons than last year.
  • Football is a violent sport in which injuries happen. The Cowboys were hit particularly hard last year, but overall have been fortunate so far this year.

What's your take on these numbers?

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