Maybe having an extra week of training camp isn’t a good thing, after all.
During the first practice of the Cowboys’ 2013 training camp, which started two weeks to the day before the Hall of Fame game, defensive end Tyrone Crawford was carted off with a lower leg injury, according to multiple reports from the team’s training camp in Oxnard, California.
According to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com, Crawford “banged his fist to the ground” in frustration while receiving medical attention.
The specific nature or severity of the injury isn’t yet known. If Crawford, a third-round pick in 2012, misses significant time, it’ll hamper the team’s ability to shift from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3. Though roughly the same height as starters DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Specer, Crawford’s listed weight of 285 outweighs each of them by more than 20 pounds.
Crawford’s injury comes after defensive tackle Jay Ratliff strained a hamstring during a Sunday conditioning test. He’ll have an MRI, and he’ll remain on the physically unable to perform list until cleared to practice.
If Crawford’s injury is severe, the Cowboys likely will carry him on the 90-man roster until able to shift him to injured reserve without subjecting him to waivers.