Tag: 2022 training camp

Jourdan Lewis injures hamstring, could miss remainder of Cowboys camp

The sixth-year CB limped away from Wednesday’s practice, but expressed hope that he’ll be ready to go Week 1 versus Tom Brady and the Bucs. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Many Cowboys fans have been eager for Kelvin Joseph and rookie DaRon Bland to see more significant playing time at cornerback.

They may get their wish over the next few weeks.

Sixth-year veteran Jourdan Lewis suffered a hamstring injury Wednesday, limping off the field toward the end of the Cowboys’ joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers. He did not return.

The 2017 third-round draft pick out of Michigan is scheduled for an MRI on Thursday, with the team joining the Chargers for another scrimmage.

Reports indicate that Lewis could miss the rest of training camp, but the player himself told reporters that he is hopeful he’ll be good to go for the Week 1 opener versus Tampa Bay in Dallas.

“I should be back for the first game,” Lewis said, according the Dallas Morning News.

Anthony Brown slid over to cover for Lewis for a game last season, but the team also has several young corners it has been collecting over the past few seasons to provide depth at the position. Joseph is in his third year and looking to make an impression that goes beyond his off-the-field troubles. Nahshon Wright came to Dallas in the same draft class as Joseph but is still learning how to use his impressive size at the pro level. Bland was a fifth-round selection this past spring and has created some buzz this offseason. Fellow rookies Isaac Taylor-Stuart and Quandre Mosely were signed as undrafted free agents.

The Cowboys have already cut one cornerback from the camp roster. Kyron Brown was waived last week with an injury designation.

How the team now proceeds at cornerback with Lewis shelved will be of particular interest, as the looming 2022 season opener brings 15-time Pro Bowl passer Tom Brady to town, with last year’s Super Bowl runner-up Joe Burrow to follow.

[listicle id=700525]

[listicle id=700512]

[listicle id=700509]

[lawrence-newsletter]

‘Foot issue’ holds Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb out of Wednesday practice with Chargers

The third-year receiver was seen in sweatpants as practice got underway, but Cowboys coaches say ‘”injury” is too strong a term. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was a surprise non-participant in Wednesday’s joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers, but the team says it’s not cause for alarm.

The third-year wideout was seen in sweatpants as things got underway in Costa Mesa for the first of back-to-back days of scrimmages between the two teams.

It was reported by media members in attendance that Lamb had a foot injury of some sort, but word quickly spread that perhaps that may have been an overstatement.

“Foot issue is not considered serious for Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb,” Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweeted. “Not structural, person familiar with issue said. The term ‘injury’ may even be too strong. No long-term concern.”

Later reports hinted that Lamb suffered a small cut on his toe that required a stitch.

 

Head coach Mike McCarthy previously announced that he would use Wednesday and Thursday’s practice sessions for Cowboys starters, leaving Saturday’s preseason tilt against the Chargers for backups and rookies whenever possible.

Lamb has had the occasional “rest day” already this offseason as coaches manage his workload heading into his first campaign as the offense’s undisputed WR1.

[pickup_prop id=”24912″]

[listicle id=700512]

[listicle id=700509]

[listicle id=700505]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Report: Cowboys rookie OL Matt Waletzko could delay surgery, play in 2022

The rookie tackle has responded well to rest and rehab. He could start the season on IR, which would make him eligible to play this season. | From @ToddBrock24f7

When they selected him in the fifth round of the most recent draft, the Cowboys put plenty of expectations on the shoulders of 22-year-old Matt Waletzko.

Now there’s a great deal of hope resting on just one of the tackle’s sizable shoulders, the one with the dislocated joint that will require surgery.

But Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports that the 6-foot-8-inch rookie may be able to postpone that operation until the offseason and find his way back to the field during the 2022 schedule.

The paper cites “two people familiar with his progress” with the update.

Waletzko suffered the injury- termed a subluxation- during his senior year at North Dakota, causing him to miss the final game of the season. Still, he was named first-team all-conference and impressed at both the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.

But the injury resurfaced in just the Cowboys’ second practice, on July 28. He was escorted off the field by trainers and has been out ever since.

Reports suggest that rest and rehab work since then has been good for the Minnesota native, and while surgery on the shoulder is a matter of when– not if– for Waletzko, further progress could make him available sometime this season and delay the procedure until afterward.

Assuming Waletzko makes the final 53-man roster on Aug. 30, the team could place him on injured reserve. He would be available to return after four missed games.

The swing tackle position is of significant interest for the Cowboys offensive line, with Tyron Smith already limping this preseason and Terence Steele now officially the permanent starter after the departure of La’el Collins.

Second-year man Josh Ball took over at swing following Waletzko’s injury and saw heavy playing time against Denver in the team’s first preseason game. It was his first game action in 20 months, and it showed.

Waletzko’s availability for the regular season could be the deciding factor in whether the club pursues outside veteran help at the position.

[listicle id=700509]

[listicle id=700505]

[listicle id=700395]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Bears’ Teven Jenkins has opportunity to crack starting lineup at right guard

It wasn’t long ago that people were writing off Bears OL Teven Jenkins. Now, Jenkins now has an opportunity to earn a starting job at RG.

Just a couple of weeks ago, many were writing off Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins. After missing seven consecutive practices with an undisclosed injury and reports about him being on the trade block, Jenkins now has an opportunity to earn a starting job.

This week, Jenkins started getting reps at right guard rather than right tackle, where he’d been working all offseason. But on Tuesday, he got all of the reps at right guard with the first-team offense.

“We kicked him inside and he’s been there for a couple days and he’s doing a good job,” Eberflus said. “And we’re excited where he goes from this forward.”

Most of the offensive line looks to be settled with left tackle Braxton Jones, left guard Cody Whitehair and center Lucas Patrick. But the door has been opened for Jenkins to win the starting right guard job over Michael Schofield, who had a rough outing in last week’s preseason opener.

“I think he’s done a good job of staying the course, trying to find ways to help this team,” Whitehair said of Jenkins. “It’s never easy to have to move different positions, but I think he’s handled it well and I’m happy with where he’s at.”

Offensive line coach Chris Morgan believes Jenkins has the skillset to thrive at guard in this offensive scheme.

“He’s got great size; he’s got good strength,” Morgan said. “He’s a smart football player. Those are all things you want inside, that translate inside. Things move fast inside.”

Bears starters will be limited in Thursday’s preseason game against the Seahawks given the short turnaround this week. But Jenkins should see plenty of reps as he gets more experience at right guard.

“If you’re not an experienced guy at your position, we’re going to try to get you a little bit more, and that’s really at any position,” Eberflus said. “We’re going to try to get that. Those guys really don’t have a limitation. Some guys are capped at 20 (plays). And some guys don’t have a limitation. They could play as much as we want them to or need them to.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=none image=https://bearswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[vertical-gallery id=513839]

[listicle id=513739]

Bears’ updated 85-man roster following first round of cuts

The Bears have trimmed their roster to 85 players. Here’s a look at the updated roster following the first round of cuts.

The Chicago Bears have trimmed their roster to 85 players following the first round of roster cuts.

Chicago made several moves, waiving defensive end Carson Taylor, safety Michael Joseph, cornerback Jayson Stanley, linebacker Javin White, tight end Rysen John and linebacker Noah Dawkins. They also signed offensive lineman Corey Dublin and safety Jon Alexander.

With that in mind, here is the Bears’ updated 85-man roster, by jersey number, following the first round of roster cuts:

[pickup_prop id=”20681″]

WATCH: Bears press conferences from 15th training camp practice

The Bears returned to Halas Hall for their 15th practice of training camp, where Matt Eberflus, Cole Kmet and more met with the media.

The Chicago Bears returned to Halas Hall for a padded practice on Tuesday, which comes just a couple of days before their preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks.

It was an eventful day during the closed practice, with the biggest storyline being Teven Jenkins getting first-team reps at right guard. Larry Borom was also starting at right tackle. So it’s safe to say that things are getting interesting along the offensive line.

Here’s a look at the press conferences following Tuesday’s practice, which featured head coach Matt Eberflus, tight end Cole Kmet, left guard Cody Whitehair and linebacker Nicholas Morrow.

HC Matt Eberflus

TE Cole Kmet

OL Cody Whitehair

LB Nicholas Morrow

[listicle id=513826]

[listicle id=513739]

Bears announce first round of cuts, trim roster to 85

The Bears have trimmed their roster to 85 players. Here’s a look at their first round of cuts:

The Chicago Bears have announced their first round of roster cuts, where they’ve parted ways with six players, placed one on injured reserve and signed two players.

Chicago waived undrafted rookie defensive end Carson Taylor on Monday before announcing their final cuts at Tuesday’s deadline.

These moves brings the Bears’ current roster down to 85 players, with two more cut deadlines on the way. Chicago will need to trim the roster to 80 players next Tuesday before the final cutdown to 53 players on Aug. 30.

Here’s a look at the five players who have been waived:

McCarthy reveals rinse-and-repeat plan for Cowboys starters vs Chargers

Like last week in Denver, McCarthy will use starters in joint practices this week, but save Saturday’s game snaps for rookies and backups. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys will be living out of their suitcases for one more week as they lay their heads in several different cities over the course of just a few days.

They returned to training camp following their preseason loss in Denver. After the final couple of days in Oxnard, they’ll head two hours down the California coast for joint practices with the Los Angeles Chargers on Wednesday and Thursday. And it all wraps up with their second preseason game, at SoFi Stadium on Saturday night, before players and coaches finally head back home to the Metroplex.

Despite the rapid-fire change of scenery around them, the team will be on a rinse-and-repeat plan when it comes to what happens on the gridiron.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has confirmed that he expects most of his starters to get the bulk of the work in closely-controlled scrimmages with the Chargers, reserving Saturday night’s game snaps primarily for backups and rookies.

“We want to work the first group as much as we can Wednesday and Thursday,” McCarthy told media members this week.

Last week’s joint session with the Broncos starters was marred by a half-dozen scuffles; it will be interesting to see what transpires over the course of consecutive practice days between the two squads.

While fans may have been ultimately underwhelmed by the Cowboys’ performance- and especially their 17 penalties- in Saturday’s 17-7 loss to the Broncos, the coach is choosing instead to focus on some of the positives he saw as things continue to ramp up toward the regular season.

“Tackling as a whole, as a fundamental, we were plus-double-digits as far as missed tackles compared to broken tackles. Anytime you’re double digits as a team, that’s a good day,” McCarthy explained. “I don’t know if I ever recall only having two missed tackles in the first preseason game. Lot of positive components of the game that we can build off of.”

As far as personnel, backup quarterback Will Grier is progressing toward being ready to participate in both the practices and Saturday night’s game after a groin injury kept him sidelined in Denver. He was taking snaps in Tuesday’s final Oxnard walkthrough.

Newly-signed linebacker Anthony Barr should take part in his first individual drills since joining the Cowboys earlier this month. The coaching staff took a careful approach to ease the four-time Pro Bowler back into action after a torn pectoral muscle prematurely ended his 2021 season in Minnesota eleven months ago.

McCarthy said that safety Jayron Kearse, who is nursing a sore back, is not expected to play at all this week. Left tackle Tyron Smith, who came away from the Denver game with a limp, should be back at work on Wednesday.

The meetings with the Chargers will be of critical importance for players who are fighting for a spot on the team. After the roster was trimmed by five names Monday, another five cuts are due Aug. 23. That’s the same day that the Cowboys hold their first public practice of the summer at their home facility in Frisco.

[pickup_prop id=”20683″]

[listicle id=700489]

[listicle id=700463]

[listicle id=700395]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Report: Bears are worried rookie Doug Kramer suffered Lisfranc injury

According to Brad Biggs, the Bears are concerned that rookie Doug Kramer suffered what would likely be a season-ending Lisfranc injury.

Bears rookie center Doug Kramer has been sidelined for the last few days, and it doesn’t sound like good news.

Head coach Matt Eberflus told the media that Kramer has a lower leg injury and there’s no timetable for his return. But according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears are concerned that Kramer suffered a Lisfranc injury, which would likely end his season.

The Bears are now down two centers with Lucas Patrick sidelined with a broken thumb, although he’s expected to be back for the Week 1 opener.

This would be a brutal blow for the hometown rookie, who made an impression during the spring and summer.

Kramer started training camp as Patrick’s backup center, and he saw reps with the first-team after Patrick was sidelined by an injury. Since then, Sam Mustipher has taken over starting duties at center.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=none image=https://bearswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=513730]

[listicle id=513739]

Bears’ Teven Jenkins practiced with starters at right guard

Don’t look now, but Teven Jenkins is making a comeback. Jenkins worked with the Bears starters at right guard on Tuesday.

Don’t look now, but Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins is making a comeback.

Jenkins was practicing with the starters at right guard during Tuesday’s practice, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Michael Schofield was working with the second-team.

While Jenkins has seen time at both left and right tackle since joining the Bears, he started working at right guard for the first time during Monday’s practice. But that was with the second- and third-teams.

Following a rough outing by Schofield in the preseason opener, it looks like the door has been left open for Jenkins to possibly crack the starting lineup at right guard.

“We’re excited to see where this goes forward,” said head coach Matt Eberflus.

Biggs also noted that Larry Borom saw time with the starters at right tackle, which could indicate Riley Reiff, who’s expected to be the starter come Week 1, might not be playing in Thursday’s preseason game against the Seahawks. Or it could be an indication that Borom has impressed enough to garner a look as the starting right tackle.

Jenkins should get plenty of opportunities in that second preseason game to make a case for the starting right guard job.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=none image=https://bearswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=513730]

[listicle id=513739]