The most important thing a team can accomplish in the preseason is staying. Making it to week one of the regular season with your starters and top role players intact is priority number one.
That’s why, the most disappointing thing that happened in the Dallas Cowboys 19-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals was the injury to Neville Gallimore. The presumed starter at 3-technique defensive tackle suffered a hyper extension of his left elbow in the first quarter of last night’s game and was immediately removed.
He’ll have an MRI today according to Ian Rapoport, but it’s likely that the Cowboys second-year defensive tackle will be forced to miss some time. How much time? That still remains to be seen. In his post game press conference, Head Coach Mike McCarthy indicated that the injury was “significant.”
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It leaves the Cowboys with a gaping hole along the defensive line as they were already thin on proven assets on the interior. A new opportunity presents itself for guys like Carlos Watkins, Brent Urban, and Osa Odighizuwa, but that group is lacking some pass rush oomph.
This may force the Cowboys to go hunting in the free agent market to add some depth to the interior defensive line.
With Trysten Hill still working his way back, the Cowboys don’t really have a player that can rush the passer from the 3-tech spot when it’s not an obvious passing situation. In obvious passing situations, the Cowboys can use DeMarcus Lawrence, Tarell Basham, or even Dorance Armstrong from the inside to rush. But when it’s first and 10, second and five, or third and three or less, situations where a team could throw or run, the Cowboys don’t have a player who is adequate against the run and the pass.
Hopefully, the prognosis turns out to be better than initially reported and Gallimore is back sooner rather than later. Already thin at defensive tackle, the Cowboys can’t afford a loss at the position for a significant period of time.
