The Cowboys are limping into Week 4 with a secondary that’s been stretched thin and then stretched again. Some help may be on the way, though, and it starts with Malik Hooker.
Hooker was back on the practice field Wednesday for the first time since fracturing his forearm in Week 1. He had surgery, was given a multi-week recovery timeline, and did not travel with the team to Brazil, but the signs point toward a possible return Sunday against the Texans. He was wearing extra protection on the arm, which fits the kind of adjustments players make when they’re trying to get back on the field without risking another setback.
If Hooker can move well through the week and avoid any trouble, he should slide back into Dallas’ defensive backfield. That would matter a lot with Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke both out.
DeMarvion Overshown is not in the same spot yet. The linebacker worked with the rehab group again Wednesday as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. Brian Schottenheimer said he’s encouraged by the progress, but also made it clear that Hooker is “closer” to returning than Overshown.
That leaves Overshown with a narrow path to playing Sunday. He would need at least a limited practice by Friday to have a shot against Houston.
If he can’t go, Jaishawn Barham and Dee Winters would handle most of the linebacker work. Barham’s rise has been fast enough that Overshown may have a fight on his hands to get his MIKE job back once he’s healthy, while Winters has struggled enough that Overshown could make a case to take over at WILL.
Shavon Revel also got on the field Wednesday, though his situation is still unsettled. The second-year cornerback was hurt on an awkward play in the second half Sunday in Rio, when he landed hard after pushing a Ravens ball carrier out of bounds and appeared to hyperextend his right knee. Schottenheimer said Revel is dealing with both knee and ankle injuries.
There is at least some optimism there. Revel, who had lingering knee issues as a rookie, seems to have avoided a major injury.
Still, he’s not a lock to play this week. “I don't feel 100%,” he said, via Calvin Watkins.
“I'll find out tomorrow [and] will work my way into it.”
Todd Archer of ESPN added that Revel “wasn’t moving great,” and he ended up as a DNP on the first injury report of the week.
The Cowboys also made a pair of roster moves Wednesday, placing Jalen Thompson and Jonathan Bullard on injured reserve/designated to return. Both players left Sunday’s loss to Baltimore and will miss at least four weeks.
Thompson’s absence is especially painful because Dallas is already down two safeties on IR now, with P.J. Locke joining him.
Even with Hooker possibly returning, Alijah Clark and Markquese Bell are still going to be involved. Thompson had played the third-most defensive snaps on the team, with 167, trailing only DaRon Bland at 200 and Caleb Downs at 196, according to PFF.
Bullard’s loss is quieter, but it matters. He was averaging a little more than 20 snaps per game and played 23 against the Ravens, where he helped on one of Dallas’ fourth-down stops against Derrick Henry. He had a rough opener, like much of the defense, but over the last two games he had become a useful run defender.
There is some relief in the front seven. Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and Otito Ogbonnia were all strong in Week 3, which gives Dallas enough depth to survive without Bullard. Still, his absence opens the door for more work for fourth-round pick LT Overton, who has logged 48 snaps this season and is headed for a bigger role.
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