Cowboys Injury Report & Roster Moves: Tyron Smith, Malik Hooker and New LB Practice
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys have good linebackers.
But at the moment, they don’t have enough linebackers.
There were, entering Wednesday's workout at The Star here in Frisco, four guys healthy and ready to go Sunday as the 11-4 NFC East champs prepare to play host to the Arizona Cardinals.
Micah Parsons, Leighton Vander Esch, Keanu Neal and Luke Gifford? Good to go.
But backup and special-teams helper Francis Bernard presently has the double whammy as he is dealing with both COVID-19 and a groin injury sustained in last weeks blowout win over Washington.
“We're definitely looking at guys,” revealed Dallas coach Mike McCarthy, “and may have a prospect here showing up real quickly."
That prospect is Devante Bond - and he is on the practice field today at The Star, wearing No. 51. Bond, 6-1 and 236, is a 28-year-old product of Oklahoma who played for Tampa Bay (he was their 2016 sixth-round pick) and Chicago and could fill in well in a special-teams role.
Other Dallas practice notes via the pool report:
*Practice was outdoors and all players on the active roster were on the practice field. That included Tyron Smith (ankle) participating in individual drills. Dallas is "fired up'' about him playing Sunday.
*Tony Pollard spent the first 15 minutes of practice off to the side, on the cords with trainer Britt Brown, rehabbing his foot injury. He is expected to play.
*Activated from the COVID list: Malik Hooker, Trysten Hill, Jaquan Hardy and Brandon Smith.
*Noah Brown (groin) is practicing, having been moved to Reserve/Designated for Return, opening his 21-day window, thus joining T.J. Vasher and Josh Ball on the 21-day list.
The Dallas defense has emerged as one of the NFL’s best, pushing the playoff-bound Cowboys to four straight wins as the stellar rookie Parsons and company wait on the Cardinals and QB Kyler Murray, a star prep athlete in DFW who also attended the University of Oklahoma.
Dallas’ special teams under coordinator Bones Fassel have also been productive, including in the win over the WFT in which all three units - offense, defense, and on a blocked punt, special teams, each got in on the TD avalanche.
Maybe Bond can help the special teams. Maybe Hooker can help the defense. But most of all, maybe Tyron can help the Dallas offense.
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