Cowboys news: Injuries may force Dallas to sign players outside of The Star

The latest news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys.

Science Lab: Cowboys’ free agency options after injury to Micah & D-Law – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com

Surely losing two starters would prompt Dallas to look at some free agents, right?

Yeah, sure, I hear you. Despite the loss of four-time Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence to injured reserve with a foot sprain and a high ankle sprain relegating all-world edge rusher Micah Parsons to a week-to-week status, the Dallas Cowboys are standing somewhat firmly on how they’ll “likely” refrain from seeking meaningful assistance from outside of the building.

Well, seeing as likely is not, by definition, a guarantee — hear me out, Jerry and Stephen — because a depth chart without depth is literally just a chart.

Shaq Lawson, DE. Age: 30. Height: 6’3”. Weight: 265 lbs

It’s purely coincidental that after having signed one Lawson a few weeks ago that I’m here hoping for a look at another and, more specifically, one that has had an eerily comparable NFL career to this point.

Hell, they’re almost the same age as well, and both are roughly 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds. It’s eerie, right? That’s not a bad thing though, because it means you’d be adding another proven and prototypical defensive end to the mix — one who was a former 19th-overall pick who, at times, has been more impactful than the other Lawson that’s already on the roster.

Myjai Sanders, OLB. Age: 26. Height: 6’5”. Weight: 247 lbs

Getting back to the younger side of the scale, Sanders intrigues me enough for some good ole fashioned kicking of some lightly used tires. Another true outside linebacker, though with a bit more mass and height than Haynes, I could view him as a tweener who could provide some versatility as a 3-technique, at times, but don’t make that a habit.

As far as experience goes, Sanders isn’t devoid of it, despite being just 26 years old, and it’s in part due to the fact he’s a former top-100 draft pick.

Position battleground (offense): Cowboys vs Steelers head-to-head breakdown – Mike Poland, BloggingTheBoys.com

Neither offenses facing off on Sunday night are necessarily “world-beaters.”

The Dallas Cowboys are back on the road, this time it’s off to Pennsylvania to face Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium. The last time these two teams met on Steelers turf the Cowboys came away with the win. The team will be hoping to replicate the same result. So how do these two offenses stack up against each other?

QUARTERBACK

Dak Prescott maintained his composure amidst the tumult surrounding him during last week’s game. The most crippling aspect for the offense last week was the penalties. The Cowboys’ offense drew seven penalties, which is typically a recipe for disaster.

Dak managed to keep the offense on track as much as possible, completing 22 of 27 passes, with one incompletion being a throwaway. He did not commit any turnovers, threw for two touchdowns, and ended the game with an impressive passer rating of 125.5. However, it is important to note that these accomplishments came against a struggling New York Giants team, currently positioned last in the NFC East.

Justin Fields was traded during the offseason and joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. While at Ohio State, he demonstrated significant potential as a young quarterback; however, his transition to the NFL has seen many of his skills remain untapped.

Conclusion: Dak is currently positioned third in the NFL for total passing yards, while his six passing touchdowns ranks him fourth overall. He is achieving these statistics despite facing significant pressure from a faltering defense, which forces him to play catch up. Conversely, Fields is performing to a degree, yet his defense is providing him with a simplified game environment. By restraining the opposing offense, Fields is afforded the opportunity to utilize his strengths in a ball-control offense. Successfully containing Fields and applying pressure on him will be crucial for securing a victory. Win: Cowboys

Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks out vs. Steelers due to knee infection after minor surgery – Ryan Young, Yahoo! Sports

Brandin Cooks’ knee issues will keep Dallas WR2 off the field this week.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks will miss at least one game after he developed an infection in his right knee after undergoing a minor procedure, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer.

Cooks, who has been battling a knee issue since training camp, underwent a knee procedure after their 20-15 win over the New York Giants last Thursday. Cooks had the procedure done in New York, and then he developed symptoms after returning to Texas. Cooks has since undergone a second procedure to clean out the infection in his knee.

It’s unclear how long Cooks will be sidelined, but he will miss at least Sunday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Specifics of the initial knee procedure aren’t known, but Cooks underwent a procedure during training camp and did not experience any infection issues as a result.

The Cowboys will now have to lean even more on star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb with Cooks out. Lamb, who signed a new deal with the team after holding out during training camp, has 316 yards and two touchdowns through four games.

The Cowboys will take on the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Sunday night. The Steelers, behind backup quarterback Justin Fields, are 3-1 so far this season and are coming off a 27-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The Cowboys will host the Lions on Oct. 13 before their bye week, which could give Cooks extra time to recover should he miss more than just a single game. Dallas is also dealing with injuries to star defensive players Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, who went on injured reserve this week due to a foot injury.

On Davante Adams, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy says he’s “comfortable” with his receivers – Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk

Despite Cooks’ ailments, Dallas still plans for the “next man up” mentality, instead of a trade.

Beyond the fact that the Cowboys don’t have a strong No. 2 to CeeDee Lamb is the fact that the team’s head coach was Adams’s first NFL head coach, in Green Bay.

Via Clarence E. Hill, Jr. of ALLDLLS.com, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy was asked about the possibility of trading for Adams on Wednesday. McCarthy said he’s comfortable with his current receivers.

While some have interpreted the Hill tweet as meaning that the Cowboys have no interest in Adams, that’s an incorrect characterization. Adams is under contract with the Raiders. If McCarthy publicly expresses interest in trading for Adams, McCarthy would be walking into a tampering rap.

It’s possible that McCarthy is interested, but that he deflected the question because that’s all he could really do.

Still, it’s hard to imagine the Cowboys doing what it would take to get Adams. From his prorated $16.89 million salary to the trade compensation, if the Cowboys were too cheap to pursue running back Derrick Henry, they won’t be ponying up for Davante Adams.

If they want to become more serious contenders in the NFC, they’d at least explore it.

Here is the latest injury report for the Dallas Cowboys.