The Dallas Cowboys announced on Wednesday that many of their players currently dealing with injuries will not travel from Oxnard to Canton for tomorrow’s Hall of Fame game. Of the players that do travel it remains to be seen who will actually take the field, but we know the Cowboys will be without Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, Bradlee Anae, Josh Ball, Francis Bernard, Chauncey Golston, C.J. Goodwin, Trysten Hill, Malik Hooker, Blake Jarwin, DeMarcus Lawrence, Jourdan Lewis, Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, T.J. Vasher, and Greg Zuerlein.
The Cowboys are still being cautious with Prescott’s throwing shoulder, along with rehab for Cooper and Lawrence – who was just activated off PUP on Tuesday. Getting through the Hall of Fame game can feel like a chore for players that know three preseason games remain ahead of a 17 game regular season schedule. Other penned-in starters that gain an extra beach day in Oxnard include Tyron Smith and Zack Martin. The absence of two starting linemen may not be what QBs Garrett Gilbert and Cooper Rush want to see, but there is a possibility La’el Collins makes his return at RT.
Other players that could have done well beginning their fight for roster spots and playing time include Anae, Ball, Bernard, Golston, and Vasher. Newly-signed safety Malik Hooker has yet to begin fully practicing with the team, which explains his inability to suit up against the Steelers.
The intensity of Cowboys training camp will pick up immediately after tomorrow’s game, as a joint practice with the LA Rams is scheduled for Saturday. The Cowboys will have four quarters of live football to base this practice on, and given the names that won’t even be on the sideline, there should be plenty of players eager to put the pads back on and prove themselves.
