OXNARD, Calif. -- The Dallas Cowboys will conclude the first week of training camp with a Blue-White scrimmage today.
Fans are encouraged to check their programs, because the number of possible participants has been dwindling daily.Wide receiver Miles Austin (hamstring), running back Lance Dunbar (hamstring), tight end John Phillips (ankle) and defensive end Marcus Spears (head) went down in practice Saturday. None of these injuries are considered serious, although Phillips could be out the longest.Considering Austin's injury history -- he missed six games last season with hamstring issues -- the Cowboys pulled him out of practice after he felt his leg tighten up.In other injury news, cornerback and No. 6 overall draft pick Morris Claiborne will miss at least a week with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, running back Phillip Tanner will head back to Dallas for surgery on his broken right hand, defensive end Jason Hatcher will be sidelined for a few days with a groin strain and receiver Saalim Hakim will be out an extended period with a dislocated finger. An MRI exam performed Saturday on Claiborne found no structural damage.And this was one day after receiver Cole Beasley quit the team because he decided he didn't have the passion to play football anymore. He was placed on the reserve/left squad list, while tight end John Nalbone, who had been gone for two days for personal reasons, was released.Those moves gave the Cowboys room to add guards Derrick Dockery and Daniel Loper to shore up the injury-depleted offensive line.Vice president Stephen Jones said scouting staff was on the phone Saturday looking to bring in more players, a running back and possibly two receivers to help bolster depth at those positions."I wouldn't say dropping like flies," Jones said, "but we've got some work to do and we'll probably start looking at bringing in some guys. It's not been anything that's catastrophic that we're concerned for the long haul, but this is training camp. We go through this every year."Add in guards Mackenzy Bernadeau (hip), Nate Livings (hamstring), centers Bill Nagy (ankle) and Kevin Kowalski (ankle), cornerback Mike Jenkins (shoulder), safety Matt Johnson (hamstring), receiver Danny Coale (foot) and nose tackle Jay Ratliff (foot) and the Cowboys have 16 players on the roster on who didn't participate in the afternoon practice Saturday and who will not participate in today's scrimmage.Coale and Bernadeau, who had been on the physically unable to perform list, passed their physicals and will be worked back into practice in the next three days.Jenkins is expected to visit Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham on Monday to see whether his shoulder is healed enough for him to start practicing.Last chance?By putting Cole Beasley on the reserve/left squad list instead of cutting him, the Cowboys are leaving the door open -- briefly -- for the receiver to rejoin the team."We are going to evaluate it for a day or so and continue to look at it and see what the next best decision is," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said.Clarence E Hill Jr.817-390-7760Twitter: @clarencehilljr
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