Mike McCarthy: La’el Collins won’t practice on Friday, Terence Steele and Ty Nsekhe ready in case

The Dallas Cowboys are now less than a week away from their season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs are the defending world champions and will provide a measuring stick for the Cowboys and the expectations that we have for them this season. Needless to say, the Cowboys will need to play well which is obviously easier when all of their star players are healthy.

Thankfully all is well with the likes of Dak Prescott and Tyron Smith, a pair who missed an enormous amount of time last year. The status of La’el Collins, who missed the entire 2020 season, remains a bit in question. Mike McCarthy noted during his press conference that Collins would not practice on Friday.

It is possible that the Cowboys are simply being as cautious as possible with Collins and holding him out from things that aren’t totally and completely necessary. Considering that we are now in actual practices for the regular season one would argue that we are at that point, though.

McCarthy talking about Ty Nsekhe and Terence Steele as options to play at right tackle if La’el Collins can’t hardly soothes the concerns of Cowboys fans as a whole. Steele barely survived last season on the outside and Nsekhe didn’t exactly impress during the preseason.

During an emergency in Seattle last year the Cowboys had to kick Zack Martin out to right tackle. Many have noted that this is a more favorable answer in a Collins-less world, one that Mike McCarthy was not fond of during press conferences last year. He went as far as saying that this isn’t “fantasy football” and that you can’t just slide players around. Martin went on to play extremely well at right tackle when he was called upon, though.

Whether or not he is being forthcoming in his media sessions is a bit unknown, but as of now it doesn’t seem like McCarthy sees that as an option now.

It obviously isn’t ideal to move anybody along the offensive line, but the best version of the Cowboys offensive line might have to involve Zack Martin at right tackle. Hopefully this doesn’t end up being necessary and La’el Collins is able to play.

McCarthy also noted on Friday that guard Connor Williams is no longer in the COVID-19 protocol. He said that pending a fitness test that he is eligible to re-join the active roster.