What the Week 2 preseason injuries mean for Cowboys moving forward
The Dallas Cowboys lost their second preseason game to the Seattle Seahawks and were sluggish in defeat. They looked like a team ready to escape being away from home for essentially the last month.
However, during the exhibition season it’s much less about the team’s record and more about the development of the players. Evaluating roster positions and finding out who are the best 53 players while preparing for the regular season is the goal. It’s also about trying to escape these games without any major injuries to players who the Cowboys will count on come September. In that regard, it appears as though the team failed.
The wounded
(Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)
Dallas came into Week 2 of the preseason relatively free of any long-term injuries, but they weren’t as lucky against the Seahawks. Although there isn’t a status for any of the players who were hurt, it looks like the Cowboys have at least two big-time contributors who are expected to miss significant time.
Rookie LB DeMarvion Overshown went down on the second defensive series while making a tackle near the sideline. After he was slow to get up, Overshown eventually made his way to the sideline before being carted off to the locker room. The worst fears were confirmed Sunday when it was revealed he tore his left ACL.
Top swing tackle candidate Matt Waletzko was among the wounded as well, but appears to have escaped serious injury. The second-year offensive lineman hurt his shoulder and tried to play through the pain before leaving the game.
Just saw Waltezko's shoulder injury- couldn't keep up with Mafe and was shaking his arm out after allowing the QB hit.
Ran over on next play and holding shoulder in the huddle. Played 6 plays after the injury, then came out during challenge of Jalen Tolbert's "non" catch.
— KD Drummond (@KDDrummondNFL) August 20, 2023
Better news on OT Matt Waletzko, who suffered shoulder injury vs. Seattle. He should be OK and not the same shoulder or injury suffered last year that ended his rookie season
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) August 20, 2023
Waletzko appears to be day-to-day, which for the Cowboys’ shallow depth along the OL is a huge sigh of relief.
Tight end John Stephens was also hurt in the loss. The fast-rising TE had worked his way from an undrafted free agent to having an inside track on a roster spot before a knee injury knocked him out of the game against the Seahawks. He too is lost for the year with an ACL tear.
How the Cowboys will deal with the injuries
Two of the injuries came at positions where the Cowboys appear to be lacking depth.
The defense opened training camp short on quality linebackers, but that hasn’t necessarily been the case. Leighton Vander Esch and Damone Clark are dialed in as the starting LBs and Jabril Cox has returned to form a year further away from his ACL injury from 2021.
Last year’s rookie Devin Harper has shown improvement according to camp observers and looks like he’ll play a role on special teams.
Overshown was drafted in the third round to be a chess piece in Dan Quinn’s defense. The converted safety has come on in camp of late, played well in the first preseason game and it looks like he was being given more playing time. Overshown role was only growing when the injury occurred.
With him now being out for the year, do the Cowboys need to find another quality LB? The Cowboys had four linebackers in the mix behind their starters, and now that group is down to the aforementioned group and young journeyman Malik Jefferson who missed the game with his own injury, albeit short term.
Undrafted free agent Isaiah Land could possibly find a role, but he’s more of a pass-rushing linebacker while Overshown was looking to fill more of the hybrid safety/LB role that’s become popular in the league.
The answer isn’t simple on the offensive line, either, even with the more positive outlook. Dallas hasn’t found a quality swing tackle even with Waletzko leading the way at this point in the preseason. With the fragility of veteran LT Tyron Smith and RT Terence Steele returning from his own ACL injury, the Cowboys need better options on the offensive line.
Rookie Asim Richards, who has worked both on the interior and at tackle in training camp, might be the best answer. Richards has done an adequate job thus far and could be the leading candidate if Waletzko isn’t ready to go by the start of the season.
However, asking a rookie to play both sides at tackle, as well as working on the inside of the line might be too much to ask for. If Waletzko is hampered, the team might have no choice but to choose a place for Richards play and deal with the growing pains.
The offensive line for the Cowboys does appear to have more options on the interior with Matt Farniok, Brock Hoffman, undrafted free agent T.J. Bass and the converted tackle Josh Ball, to move Richards. Veteran Chuma Edoga could move outside when he returns from his injury, and another undrafted free agent, Earl Bostick, has opened some eyes at tackle as well.
The team must decide the best course of action among their options, or if they need to go outside the organization for help. It’s not a pretty picture for the Cowboys.
At TE, the Cowboys do have a strong group of young and talented options. Stephens had an uphill climb, but with him lost for the season, the team will be in the previously expected hands of Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Peyton Hendershot and Sean McKeon.
Where the Cowboys stand
This is why teams like to bubble wrap their best players in the preseason, it isn’t worth the risk to play in games that essentially don’t count. The injuries to Overshown, Stephens and Waletzko hurt, but the Cowboys are still in good shape health wise. It stinks to lose young players who are expected to contribute, and rookies who are now losing their developmental years, but this happens in a violent game.
No one will feel sorry for the Cowboys and the season will move forward; it’s best the team prepare to do the same.
