Managing to beat the Steelers regardless of lacking their high 4 defensive ends, the Cowboys additionally acquired phrase the newest of these accidents — to rookie Marshawn Kneeland — is just not as extreme as preliminary fears indicated.
Carted off early in Dallas’ Sunday-night win, Kneeland didn’t maintain an ACL tear. The second-round choose is predicted to return later this season, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Kneeland will miss time, nonetheless, as he suffered {a partially} torn lateral meniscus. A surgical procedure is on faucet, however this harm is not going to re-route the promising participant on the extent an ACL tear would have.
Kneeland is just not present process a full meniscus restore, Rapoport adds, as that might sideline the Western Michigan alum for the season’s the rest. Fairly, it is a meniscus trim. An IR transfer should still be within the playing cards, however it will be of the IR-return selection. IR in all probability would be the course the Cowboys take, as ESPN.com’s Todd Archer notes this process will result in a four- to six-week restoration timetable.
The Cowboys have DeMarcus Lawrence on IR, although he’s anticipated again whereas Sam Williams is out for the season because of the ACL tear he sustained this summer. Micah Parsons is week to week along with his excessive ankle sprain, creating vital points for Mike Zimmer‘s unit.
Down Parsons and Lawrence for the Pittsburgh matchup, Dallas opted for a low-key reinforcement technique. The group added K.J. Henry off the Bengals’ practice squad. Chauncey Golston began reverse Kneeland, whereas Tyrus Wheat and Carl Lawson performed frequently following Kneeland’s harm. Parsons has not been dominated out for Week 6, however with Dallas’ bye coming in Week 7, the group choosing warning concerning its finest participant would make sense.
Anticipated to combine in behind Parsons, Lawrence and Williams, Kneeland got here to Dallas after meeting with roughly half the NFL on “30” visits. Tallying low sack totals at Western Michigan (fewer than 5 in every of his 4 seasons on the MAC program), Kneeland nonetheless impressed on the pre-draft circuit. He tallied 26 tackles for loss from 2021-23 and have become a extra distinguished Cowboys piece following Williams’ harm.
It is going to be attention-grabbing to see how the Cowboys go about changing their newest injured D-end cog, however Kneeland and Lawrence’s return home windows are comparable. A Lisfranc harm will sideline Lawrence between four and eight weeks. It’s attainable Parsons may have each his sidekicks again sooner or later in November. Absent a Parsons return in Week 6, the Cowboys might want to get by — absent a higher-profile acquisition — with a skeleton crew towards the Lions.