The Cowboys got through their eighth practice of training camp on Sunday without adding any fresh injuries on the field, but the report still had a few moving parts.
The biggest positive came from safety Jalen Thompson, who was back out there again after returning to practice on Saturday. Thompson has now taken part in two straight sessions, and this was his first time working in pads since the injury.
He originally went down with a hip flexor during the first padded practice of camp and had been working his way back ever since. Now he’s finally back in the mix, and Dallas has an important piece of its defense moving in the right direction.
There was also encouraging movement from linebacker Jaishawn Barham, cornerback Devin Moore and defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard. All three are dealing with groin injuries, but they were outside with the rehab group on Sunday, according to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Harris also noted that Barham is expected back at practice soon.
Barham has been one of the more interesting stories in camp. He was supposed to open his career as the LB3, but before the injury, he was making a push to knock Dee Winters out of a starting role.
Moore’s path is less dramatic, but his spot is still important. At best, he projects as CB4, and more likely CB5 behind DaRon Bland, Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel and Caelen Carson.
Valdes-Scantling is the newest name on the injury list, though it doesn’t sound like a major concern. He was also with the rehab group on Sunday. MVS is fighting for what could be only one roster spot at receiver, with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin already locked in.
One player without an update Sunday was Childress, who has now missed several straight practices with a hamstring injury. That’s a rough development for someone who was already staring at a steep climb to make the roster.
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Across the league, though, there is already a temptation for teams to look elsewhere when a name pops up on the wire, and Dallas has to be careful not to chase every opportunity. The better move may be to keep sorting through its own group and, if a change is truly needed, look toward a more proven veteran rather than disrupt a battle that is still giving the Cowboys useful information about what they have in-house. [Read more 🡒]
