DE DeMarcus Lawrence among Dallas Cowboys to show up for COVID-19 testing to open camp
Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was among the veteran players, including quarterback Dak Prescott, who reported to the Star in Frisco on Tuesday for the first of three COVID-19 tests to open training camp.
Lawrence has said he was considering opting out because his wife is pregnant. Players have until Aug. 4 to take the voluntary opt out, and two Cowboys — cornerback Maurice Canady and receiver Stephen Guidry — already have done that.
Otherwise, it was a quiet but unusual official start to training camp for the Cowboys.
Per a source, veterans began arriving starting at 6:30 a.m. They took their first round of COVID-19 tests in the testing station outside of the building and left. It was completed before 9 a.m.
The players will repeat that process twice more and, if all three tests are negative, they will be able to step foot in the building and be issued equipment on the first day of physicals, which would be Saturday.
The rookies and vets rehabbing injuries, who had their initial rounds of testing and physicals last week, had their daily COVID-19 tests Tuesday morning, then continued their integration into a normal day of work in the team process.
It began with meals, meetings, and strength and conditioning work from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Meetings from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Afternoon meetings from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Dinner from 4 to 6 p.m.
The Cowboys placed defensive linemen Tyrone Crawford and Dontari Poe on the physically unable to perform list Tuesday.
Crawford is coming off double hip surgery and played only four games last season, with two starts.
Poe, who signed with the Cowboys as a free agent after playing last season with the Carolina Panthers, still rehabbing from quadriceps surgery.
Both will have to pass physicals before they can get removed from the PUP list.
Nose tackle Antwaun Woods, an exclusive rights free agent, used the first day of testing to finally sign his tender offer for 2020. Woods has started 25 games at defensive tackle over the last two seasons, including 10 in 2019.
The Cowboys also waived running back Jordan Chunn and defensive tackle Garrett Marino with a non-football injury designation.
This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 5:05 PM.
