Earlier this evening, Cowboys defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford went down with an injury and had to be carted off the practice field. He appeared to roll his ankle while tackling Ezekiel Elliott and was in a lot of pain.
The play and the aftermath were captured on video by Mike Leslie of WFAA:
Video of Tyrone Crawford's ankle injury, and his emotional reaction afterward (at 1:35 mark of the video).#CowboysCamp #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/8Oj0xlXXNN
The severity of the injury is difficult to determine. As anyone who's sprained an ankle will tell you, it can generate a lot of immediate pain but then be gone within a few weeks. The difference between a high or low ankle sprain also can have a major impact on recovery time. Obviously, any sort of fracture or other more serious issue will depend on x-rays and other diagnostic steps we're still waiting on.
The good news for Tyrone Crawford is that it's still about four-and-a-half weeks until the Cowboys regular season opener on September 10th. If it is just a sprain, even high ankle, he could be fine to play the Giants or at least not miss more than the first few games.
The Cowboys certainly need Crawford's help this year, and especially to start the season. They will be without defensive linemen David Irving (four games) and Damontre Moore (two games) due to suspensions. Tyrone's ability to play either defensive end or tackle was sure to get him plenty of snaps during those absences.
Crawford is the highest-paid defensive player in Dallas and now one of its veteran leaders as the roster becomes increasingly younger. His presence will be missed, but hopefully not for too long.
