Tag: 21-day practice window

Cowboys open 21-day practice window for pair of starters

From @ToddBrock24f7: Brandin Cooks developed a knee infection after Week 4’s win; Marshawn Kneeland went down in Week 5. Both should resume practicing Wednesday.

Reinforcements could be coming on both the offense and defense ahead of the Cowboys’ annual Thanksgiving gauntlet, even though it may be too late to salvage the greater 2024 season by the time they actually re-enter the lineup.

Wide receiver Brandin Cooks and rookie defensive end Marshawn Kneeland had their 21-day practice windows opened by the team on Wednesday. The Cowboys have three weeks to evaluate both players in a practice setting as they return from injury; that’s the deadline for either moving them back to the active roster or placing them on season-ending injured reserve.

Head coach Mike McCarthy had identified both players as being close to a return during a Tuesday press conference.

Cooks has been sidelined since just after the Cowboys’ Week 4 win over the Giants. Following the 20-15 win in which he caught just one pass for 16 yards, the 11th-year veteran, who had been dealing with a knee issue since training camp, underwent a meniscus procedure while in New York. The Cowboys’ WR2 option- behind CeeDee Lamb- developed an infection after that procedure, which led to him being placed on IR.

Cooks, 31, has 19 targets on the year, with nine receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown.

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Kneeland, the team’s second-round draft pick out of Western Michigan, exited Week 5’s win over Pittsburgh with a non-contact knee injury after just four snaps. While an MRI showed the ACL to be intact, arthroscopic surgery was required to repair the tear.

That injury proved especially costly for a team that was already perilously thin at defensive end well before mid-October; primary options Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence had gone down by that point, and Sam Williams was lost for the entire season during the summer.

Kneeland had registered 10 tackles, three QB hits, a defended pass, and a tackle for loss before his injury.

Both players are expected to resume practicing with the team on Wednesday, and both could be re-activated to the 53-man roster before Sunday’s divisional showdown with the Commanders. Someone else would need to be moved off the roster for that to happen.

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Cowboys open 21-day practice window for injured defensive lineman

From @ToddBrock24f7: Jordan Phillips played sparingly over 2 games and was then placed on IR under confusing circumstances. He has 3 weeks to be activated.

The Cowboys had hoped to use their bye week to get healthy, bringing several injured players back to action for the difficult 11-game gauntlet that will comprise the remainder of the 2024 season.

On Wednesday, one veteran took a big step closer to a return to the field, though how much difference it will make is a matter of opinion.

Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, who was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 18 under somewhat confusing circumstances, has had his 21-day practice window opened by the club. The Cowboys now have three weeks to evaluate the 32-year-old and decide if they want to move him to the active roster or end his season.

Phillips, originally a second-round draft pick by the Dolphins in 2015 and also a former Bill and Cardinal, was traded to Dallas in the middle of August after he spent the summer with the Giants.

But the 330-pounder played only sparingly once the Cowboys’ season got underway. He logged 15 defensive snaps in Week 1 versus Cleveland and played just 19 more the following week against New Orleans.

It was after that game that the Cowboys placed Phillips on IR. Team owner Jerry Jones said the lineman had been “favoring his wrist,” even though the Oklahoma product claimed at the time that he knew nothing about it and said his wrist was fine when asked.

At the time, his PFF grade stood at 29.6, among the lowest in the league for a defensive lineman.

Phillips had indeed undergone surgery the year prior to repair a dislocated wrist, but based on his own comments, many wondered if the Cowboys were really making the move in order to give Phillips a four-week window to perhaps improve his conditioning and better acclimate himself to Mike Zimmer’s defense.

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After six games, the Cowboys are giving up an average of 143.2 rushing yards per game, the sixth-worst mark of all defenses leaguewide. They have allowed 10 rushing touchdowns, a total surpassed only by Carolina.

The Dallas defense has also been without Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Kneeland, Eric Kendricks, and Caelen Carson at various points this season. Sam Williams and DaRon Bland have not played at all in the Cowboys’ six games.

The Cowboys’ next five opponents all currently rank in the top half of the NFL in rushing yards per contest. Three of them- San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Washington- are in the top seven, so reinforcements along the defensive line will be most welcome.

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Cowboys activate 21-day practice window for TE Peyton Hendershot

From @ToddBrock24f7: The second-year tight end injured an ankle in a late September practice. He could join the active roster in time for this Sunday’s game.

The tight end position in Dallas has become a bit of a one-man show this season in Dallas, with Jake Ferguson stepping into the leading-man role. The second-year security blanket out of Wisconsin is currently second on the team in receptions and receiving yards and he’s tied with CeeDee Lamb for the most touchdowns.

But his co-star is expected to make his comeback to the big stage soon.

Peyton Hendershot was designated to return by the Cowboys on Wednesday. He’s resumed practicing and could be moved back to the active roster at any point in the next 21 days- possibly even this week, before the team’s trip to Carolina to face the Panthers.

Hendershot hurt his ankle during practice on Sept. 29. It sidelined him for two games before it was decided that the injury had “not progressed as hoped.” That’s when the club opted to place him on injured reserve, a move that mandated another four-game absence at minimum.

But according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, the 2022 undrafted free agent out of Indiana “feels fresh” and was “eager to move around” on the practice field once again.

The 6-foot-4-inch Hendershot has just one catch on two targets for three yards thus far this season. He dropped a sure touchdown pass in Week 1 and was stuffed on a goal-line rush in Week 2.

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Rookie Luke Schoonmaker was expected to pick up some of the slack after Hendershot was placed on IR, but the team’s second-round draft pick has not been terribly impressive, at least as a receiver. He’s caught just three balls for 14 yards, and while he did score his first NFL touchdown in Week 2, he’s likely more familiar to Cowboys fans for his multiple drops over his first nine games as a pro.

Hendershot was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice session.

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Cowboys activate Nahshon Wright’s 21-day practice window

From @ToddBrock24f7: Nahshon Wright has been out since a preseason ankle injury; his return could aid the Cowboys secondary as well as special teams.

Nahshon Wright is creeping ever closer to making his 2023 debut.

The Cowboys cornerback was designated to return from injured reserve on Thursday, allowing him to practice for the first time since suffering a high ankle sprain in the team’s Aug. 12 preseason game versus Jacksonville.

Dallas now has 21 days to evaluate the the 2021 third-round draft pick and either sign him to the active roster or place him on season-ending IR.

The Oregon State product practiced in full on Thursday.

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Apart from the depth he provides at the cornerback position, Wright’s return could be a tremendous help to Dallas’s special teams squad, which saw standouts C.J. Goodwin and KaVontae Turpin hurt in Week 5’s loss to the 49ers.

Wright played on over a quarter of the Cowboys’ total special teams snaps in 2022.

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Cowboys open 21-day window for Fehoko, Harper; add CB to practice squad

The WR and LB had been on injured reserve since October and can now practice with the team. Sheldrick Redwine has been signed as a DB. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Even if they keep winning playoff games, the Cowboys are running out of days in what will constitute their 2022 season. But a trio of young players is looking to make the most of the late opportunity, perhaps even getting into some postseason action.

The Cowboys on Thursday opened the 21-day practice windows for wide receiver Simi Fehoko and linebacker Devin Harper, allowing them to return to work with the team and possibly be added to the 53-man roster within the next three weeks.

Fehoko, in his second year out of Stanford, recorded three catches in five game appearances this season before suffering a shoulder injury in practice just before the Week 6 contest at Philadelphia. He’s been on injured reserve since then.

Harper is in his rookie campaign, a sixth-round draft pick out of Oklahoma State. He saw special teams snaps over the Cowboys’ first three games of 2022 as he tried to work his way into the team’s talented linebacker corps. He was placed on IR in late October after dealing with an Achilles issue.

The Cowboys also welcomed a new man to the practice squad, signing defensive back Sheldrick Redwine on Thursday. A fourth-round pick of the Browns in the 2019 draft, the former safety out of the University of Miami then had stints with the Jets, Panthers, Dolphins, and Colts, mostly on those clubs’ practice squads.

He has eight NFL starts over 33 games, with an interception recorded in 2020.

To make room for Redwine, cornerback Mackensie Alexander was moved to the practice squad’s injured list. The veteran had been signed in December and saw just a handful of defensive snaps against the Eagles in Week 16.

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Cowboys activate practice window for Johnathan Hankins ahead of wild card round

The big DT says he feels ready to go after a pec injury held him out for 4 weeks; he’ll look to keep the Bucs’ run game grounded on Monday. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Johnathan Hankins was missed.

Granted, it’s hard not to miss a 6-foot-3-inch, 340-pound man when he’s suddenly not where he’s supposed to be. But when Hankins went down with a pectoral injury against Houston in Week 14, the big man’s absence was felt.

The Cowboys activated the defensive tackle’s 21-day practice window on Wednesday, clearing the way for him to work with the team and perhaps even be back on the field Monday night for the first round of the playoffs.

“I feel good,” Hankins told Patrik Walker of the team website. “I feel like I could’ve been back out sooner, but with the [injured reserve] rules, I had to be out four weeks. But I’m not mad about it; it just gives me more time to get my body right and ready for the playoffs. The time is now.”

Hankins came to the Cowboys in late October after a trade with Las Vegas and hasn’t logged more than 33 defensive snaps in a game since he joined the team. But he proved quite effective in late November and early December, helping to hold Dalvin Cook, Jonathan Taylor, and Dameon Pierce to 72, 82, and 78 rushing yards, respectively, in his last three outings.

“I thought the first couple weeks with John, we were getting him ready to go,” Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said this week. “Then I thought it just clicked: his space and how to fit in and how we play. … I’m definitely looking forward to having the big fella back inside. However a team wants to play, you have to have the big guys, have to have the rushers who cover. That’s the chess match on defense. Make sure: Do you want to go wide open? You’ve got to have the guys to do that. Want to close them down, get bigger? Have to have enough to do that. That’s the game within the game and having guys like [linebacker] Leighton [Vander Esch] and Hankins back will make that job a lot easier.”

In the Cowboys’ first game after Hankins’s injury, Jacksonville’s Travis Etienne ripped off 103 yards as the Jaguars totaled nearly 200 on the ground in their overtime win.

If he is, in fact, active for Monday’s tilt, Hankins will look to help sink a Tampa Bay rushing attack that’s already been stuck in the harbor for much of the season.

The Buccaneers rank dead last in the NFL in rushing attempts, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and yards per carry.

After gashing Dallas in the season opener for 127 yards on the ground, Leonard Fournette hasn’t come within 50 yards of that in any contest since. He ranks 40th leaguewide in rushing yards and is averaging just 41.8 yards per game.

Rookie Rachaad White could be more of a problem. The third-round draft pick out of Arizona State logged just six carries for 14 yards back in Week 1, but he’s amassed 771 yards from scrimmage over the course of the season and has been listed as the team’s starting running back since Week 10.

Tampa Bay leads the league in passing attempts, and Tom Brady may well continue with that approach.

But having Johnathan Hankins back on the Cowboys’ interior defensive line could go a long way in making sure that the Bucs’ running game, which has hit triple digits just three times all year as a team, remains missing in action Monday night.

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McCarthy: Cowboys OL Matt Farniok to have 21-day practice window activated Wednesday

The guard/center suffered a hamstring injury vs Detroit, but could provide OL depth and versatility during the postseason. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys have seemingly patched together their offensive line lately with chewing gum, duct tape, and a few multitasking Pro Bowlers. They even survived an in-game injury to center Tyler Biadasz by switching out three-fifths of the unit in Week 17’s victory over Tennessee.

But word out of Frisco is that reinforcements are coming.

Matt Farniok’s 21-day practice window is set to be opened on Wednesday, according to Mike McCarthy. The head coach made the revelation to media members during a Monday press conference.

The guard suffered a torn hamstring in the team’s 24-6 win over Detroit on Oct. 23. At the time, it was thought that the injury would hold the second-year man out “about six weeks.” It’s turned into nine.

Farniok is listed as a guard, but he has also served as the backup center and even been a lead blocker out of the fullback slot. His availability for the postseason would offer some depth, versatility, and peace of mind for a Cowboys line that’s already asking several players to do double-duty at backup positions.

After Biadasz’s injury against the Titans, Connor McGovern slid over from left guard to handle snaps. Rookie Tyler Smith moved from left tackle to take over at guard, and veteran Jason Peters came in at left tackle. Tyron Smith had already made a move to the right side of the line, playing at tackle after the loss of Terence Steele.

Farniok was a seventh-round draft pick out of Nebraska in 2021. He played in 75% or more offensive snaps in each of the Cowboys’ first three games after seeing very limited action as a rookie.

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Cowboys activate Tyron Smith’s 21-day practice window: ‘He’s definitely ready to go’

The 8-time Pro Bowler could see action as early as this Sunday vs. Houston, but a return for Week 15’s game in Jacksonville is more likely. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Tyron Smith is back on the practice field after 105 days.

The Cowboys have activated the eight-time Pro Bowler’s 21-day window, clearing the road for him to return to the active roster at any point in the next three weeks. Theoretically, the left tackle could be promoted to the gameday lineup in time for Sunday’s contest against Houston.

“Anytime Tyron’s on the field, it’s a good day for the Dallas Cowboys,” head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Wednesday.

“He’s definitely ready to go and it’ll be great to have him back out there.”

Smith, who will turn 32 on Monday, suffered a torn hamstring tendon with an avulsion fracture of the knee on Aug. 24, shortly before the start of the regular season. That means the hamstring tore away from the bone and pulled a piece of bone with it.

Despite the gruesome-sounding nature of the injury, the team expressed optimism after Smith’s Aug. 26 surgery that the former first-round draft pick would be able to return at some point during the 2022 season.

Smith has not played a full season’s worth of games since 2015 and has appeared in just 13 contests during McCarthy’s 45-game tenure as Cowboys coach.

“When you watch these players go through injury rehab, it’s so personal,” McCarthy explained. “It’s such a long process coming back. I just give him and the staff so much credit. You see him in there every morning. It’s exciting on a personal level because you know what they’ve gone through to get back out there.”

Rookie Tyler Smith has started all 12 games this season in the veteran’s absence after spending all of training camp learning to play at left guard, where he was expected to be alongside Tyron.

The Cowboys have done some shuffling on the left side of the offensive line this season in response. Connor McGovern has played extensively at guard, while free agent signee Jason Peters has put in time at both left tackle and guard. Tyler Smith also took snaps at left guard during Week 13’s 54-19 win over the Colts, ostensibly with an eye toward playing there upon Tyron’s return.

If Tyron Smith doesn’t see time Sunday versus the Texans, he’ll likely make his season debut Dec. 18 when the Cowboys visit Jacksonville. Important matchups against division-leading Philadelphia and AFC contender Tennessee are on the slate within the 11 days that follow.

The Cowboys will have to make up their minds about Tyron before that Dec. 29 outing; if he is not placed on the active roster by then, he will return to injured reserve, officially ending his 2022 season.

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Cowboys activate practice window for WR James Washington

Washington has missed 17 weeks after being expected to miss 6-10. The Cowboys will have 21 days to decide if he plays in 2022. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The Cowboys may soon have some late-season help at wide receiver.

But no, it’s not Odell Beckham Jr.

The team has officially activated the 21-day practice window for James Washington, as first previewed by NFL insider Ian Rapoport. Washington suffered a foot fracture on Aug. 1, during in the first week of training camp and less than four months after first signing with Dallas in free agency.

Washington had surgery to repair the break; the expected timeline then for his recovery was six to ten weeks. Instead, it’s been 17.

When asked about his readiness, team owner Jerry Jones told a radio audience on Tuesday that Washington has a “good chance to be joining us here real soon.”

Designating Washington for return from injured reserve gives the Cowboys three full weeks to evaluate the 26-year-old’s progress in a practice setting. They can promote him to the active roster at any point during that span and set him up for his Cowboys debut.

Of course, it also gives the front office time to see how a planned meeting with the aforementioned three-time Pro Bowler Beckham goes. The Cowboys could add one, both, or neither player to their passing attack as they prep for a run toward the postseason.

A former second-round pick out of Oklahoma State, Washington caught 114 passes for 1,629 yards and 11 touchdowns in four season with Pittsburgh.

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Cowboys activate DE Tarell Basham’s 21-day practice window after Week 1 quad injury

The six-year veteran injured a quad in Week 1. He’ll now look to find his place among a DE group that’s currently leading the NFL sacks. | From @ToddBrock24f7

There is about to be one more able body angling for playing time among the Cowboys’ loaded defensive end group.

Tarell Basham’s 21-day practice window has been activated, as per head coach Mike McCarthy on Wednesday; the 28-year-old could be returned to the active roster at any time over the next three weeks and could even play as early as this Sunday afternoon versus Detroit.

Basham suffered a quad injury on opening night against Tampa Bay. He was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 17, one of two moves the club made in order to sign Cooper Rush and Brett Maher to the full-time roster. (Rookie defensive tackle John Ridgeway was waived with hopes of re-signing him to the practice squad, but Washington snatched him up.)

The Ohio University product, who signed with Dallas last year as a free agent after stints with the Colts and Jets, is on the final year of his two-year contract. He did not log any stats during his 18 defensive snaps in Week 1, but amassed 3.5 sacks- tying his career-best mark- last season.

He’ll now look to rejoin a Cowboys unit that currently leads the NFL with 24 sacks, but Basham may find it hard to get back on the field. DeMarcus Lawrence and a surging Dorance Armstrong are solidly bookending the Dallas defensive line; Dante Fowler and Chauncey Golston have been subbing in nicely, rookie Sam Williams has shown flashes of promise, and linebacker sensation Micah Parsons continues to moonlight quite often at end.

Given the squad’s depth at the position, Basham’s name came up recently in an ESPN story about potential trade candidates. While the network’s Jeremy Fowler wrote that the team was “willing to part” with Basham in order to upgrade at another position, another report claimed that the Cowboys have fielded no calls about the six-year veteran.

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