Getty La'el Collins
A pair of Dallas Cowboys offensive linemen are mending injuries less than a month from the regular-season opener.
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy revealed Saturday that starting right tackle La’el Collins will miss “some time,” although McCarthy — who declined to get into specifics — termed the issue as “nothing serious.”
The Athletic’s Jon Machota noted Collins took part in individual drills Friday as the team held its first on-field practice of the offseason.
Dallas’ starting right tackle since 2016, Collins is an integral component of the league’s top-ranked offense in yards per game and fifth-best ground attack. He appeared in 15 games last season, drawing plus marks in pass- and run-blocking from Pro Football Focus.
Collins’ lone backup is 2019 undrafted free agent Brandon Knight, who also dressed for but did not practice. He joined Collins off to the side, working with the athletic trainers.
This forced fellow 2019 UDFA Mitch Hyatt, a reserve behind left tackle Tyron Smith, into action on the right side for first-team reps. And Hyatt only got the nod because veteran swing tackle Cameron Erving, too, is dealing with what McCarthy termed an “ailment.”
“I don’t think it will be anything long term,” McCarthy said Saturday, declining again to divulge further details.
The Cowboys’ highly-touted offensive line has been in flux following Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick’s March retirement. The stunning turn of events forced Joe Looney to the pivot, leaving Connor Williams as the left guard. The team drafted fourth-round C Tyler Biadasz and has 2019 third-round interior OL Connor McGovern to compete with Looney and Williams, respectively.
Reading between the lines, it appears Collins and Fleming are not in danger of being sidelined Week 1. If things remain unchanged, the Cowboys’ starting five against the Los Angeles Rams will be Smith, Williams, Looney, Zack Martin, and Collins.
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Williams Sporting ‘Sizable’ Brace
Although a talented prospect, Williams is considered the weak link on arguably the sport’s most imposing OL and last year set out to shed that label. He was performing solidly until a knee injury — and subsequent arthroscopic surgery — derailed his campaign. He returned from the procedure after only one week but sustained a torn ACL in Dallas’ Week 13 loss to Buffalo.
McCarthy expected Williams to be limited upon returning from the procedure. He indeed was treated with kid gloves Friday, eased into reps while donning a “sizable” left knee brace.
“The coaching staff limited him during the one-on-one portion of practice, but he was able to get some reps during the full-team period,” the Cowboys’ official website reported.
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