Garrett undecided on Elliott for Raiders; Gathers out and Green hurt again

Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said no decision has been made on suspended running back Ezekiel Elliott’s status for Saturday’s game against the Oakland Raiders.

Elliott has yet to play in the preseason, although he is eligible to continue to practice and play with the team until his suspension starts Sept. 2, barring a reversal on appeal Aug. 29.

Garrett said the indecision has nothing to do with Elliott’s suspension.

“Again, we just haven’t had those discussions with him,” Garrett said. “Typically, the running backs in this league don’t play that much in the preseason. Years ago, Emmitt Smith rarely played in the preseason. Those guys just seem to have a feel, they can get a feel for what they need to do in practice if the practice is competitive and you’re practicing in the right environment – which we believe we do. I do think Zeke playing in the game last year against Seattle was good for him and good for our team. I think he played eight, 10, 12 plays in the game. So if he plays, he’ll play in a similar fashion.”

Here are three other Cowboys issues of importance this week:

1. Tight end Rico Gathers continues to be sidelined with a concussion. He did not play against the Indianapolis Colts and will not play against the Raiders on Saturday.

2. Rookie cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis remain sidelined with hamstring issues. Garrett said Awuzie is closer to returning than Lewis and could so something in practice this week. He ruled Lewis out of the Raiders game. Lewis has participated in only two practices since the start of training camp and has yet to play in the preseason.

“The positive thing about those guys, is with the opportunities they’ve gotten – when we’ve seen them practice, they’ve done a good job,” Garrett said. “We like what we’ve seen from them. Unfortunately they’ve been hurt and they’re rookies. Again, the reps are valuable for everybody, but they’re particularly valuable for rookies – practice reps and game reps. They’re certainly behind and doing everything they can to catch up, with their rehab but also their time with the coaches, doing things they’re able to do. It is what it is when players are hurt, and you have to maximize the opportunities you do have and get back as quickly as you can.”

3. Offensive lineman Chaz Green just can’t seem to stay healthy. After missing the first two preseason games with a shoulder injury, he returned to play against the Colts last week. The Cowboys hoped to re-inject him into the battle with Jonathan Cooper for the starting spot at left guard. But that was before Green limped off the field in practice on Tuesday with a trainer, an all too familiar sight for the Cowboys.

Injuries and the team’s inability to count on him is the main reason Green was moved from right tackle to left guard in the offseason. Green was the top swing tackle last year. But La’el Collins was moved from guard to right tackle to replace the retiring Doug Free because the Cowboys couldn’t count on Green to stay healthy.

He has played only four games the previous two seasons. He missed his entire rookie season because of a hip injury and then was sidelined after four games, including two starts, in 2016 because of foot and back injuries.

“I think the biggest thing for Chaz is he hasn’t been able to play on a consistent basis,” Garrett said Tuesday morning before the injury. “And that’s been part of his history so far in his career. When he’s played, he’s played well. And he’s healthy now and we’re going to give him plenty of chances to be our left guard, plenty of chances to show what he can do at tackle. I think the biggest thing for him is just somehow, some way being durable enough to come out day after day after day, week after week after week, because he gets better and better with every opportunity that he gets.”

This story was originally published August 22, 2017 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Garrett undecided on Elliott for Raiders; Gathers out and Green hurt again."