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.”
Cowboys DT Neville Gallimore’s left elbow injury is considered “significant,” coach Mike McCarthy said. But not sure yet of exact timeline. Will be evaluated further in Dallas.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 14, 2021
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.
That looked like a lot more than a hyperextension. When MMA fighters get their arm bent like that in an arm bar, it usually results in a break and multiple tears in there. I wouldn’t expect him back until very late in the season, if at all.
This might have saved Trysten Hill from getting cut, if he can even get healthy in time.
Right now, I expect them to roll with:
Brent Urban – starting 3-tech DT/5-tech DE
Carlos Watkins – starting 1-techDT/5-tech DE
Justin Hamilton – starting NT/backup 1-tech DT
Osa Odighizuwa – backup 3-tech DT/backup 5-tech DE
Quinton Bohanna – backup NT/3rd string 1-tech DT
Trysten Hill – 3rd string 3-tech DT/backup 5-tech DE
That’s 6 interior linemen. I doubt they keep more than that. They probably won’t even keep that many with the position flex of Urban, Lawrence, Gholston, and Odighizuwa.
More than likely, they roll with a DL of:
DeMarcus Lawrence
Brent Urban
Carlos Watkins
Randy Gregory
Backups:
Dorance Armstrong
Osa Odighizuwa
Justin Hamilton
Chauncey Golston
Quinton Bohanna
That’s 9 DL. Hill might still not make it. Basham may even knock Golston off the roster if he doesn’t get healthy and prove he’s worth a spot.
Tough break losing Gallimore, but looks like he may only miss a few games. I’m encouraged by what I see on defense. The offense is basically a known commodity but still alot of questions to be answered on defense. Armstrong, Cox, Kearse, Bohanna, Wright, Osa and of course war daddy Parsons are just a few that have looked good in live action.
Not to state the obvious, but it will come down to health. The recent injuries may prompt the cowboys to severely curtail playing time for all the starters leading up to the home opener. Limiting playing time to avoid injuries vs working on continuity and going into the season sharper and more on point is a dilemma every team wrestles with.
The word is 6-8 weeks, so best case he misses about 4 RS games. Tough luck, but I guess it could have been a lot worse. Hope for a speedy recovery.
Very impressed with J Cox in that AZ game. Think they got a real 4th round draft steal. Great tackle to save a kickoff return TD. With Parsons, we upgraded our needy LB position significantly.