The Cowboys walked into Monday’s practice with one eye on Green Bay and another on a secondary that was suddenly stretched very thin.
Dallas is preparing for a Week 6 matchup with the Packers, but the mood around the team isn’t exactly buoyant after a disappointing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football. The injury picture in the defensive backfield only made the day look more uneasy.
DaRon Bland and Caelen Carson were both out after getting sent home because of illness, leaving Dallas short at cornerback. There’s at least a chance both are back by the weekend, but Monday still featured a crowded injury list in the secondary.
Ameer Speed and Shavon Revel Jr. were also not taking part in drills, while Cobie Durant, dealing with a hamstring issue, and P.J. Locke, who has a foot injury, were working with the rehab group. That’s a lot of moving parts for a unit that can’t afford many more setbacks.
There was one clear bit of good news: Joey Porter Jr. returned after missing Week 5 with an illness. His absence last week came as a surprise right before kickoff, but he was back on the field Monday and figures to be available against a Green Bay offense that brings plenty of talent.
Here’s how the Cowboys’ injury report looked on Monday:
OUT: DaRon Bland, CB (Illness); Caelan Carson, CB (Illness)
Limited: Shavon Revel Jr., CB; Ameer Speed, CB; P.J. Locke, S (Foot); Cobie Durant, CB (Hamstring); DeMarvion Overshown, LB (Hamstring)
Full Participant: Jaishawn Barham, LB (Shoulder); Joey Porter Jr., CB (Illness); Tyler Guyton, LT (Back)
The other name worth watching is DeMarvion Overshown. Dallas lost the starting linebacker to a hamstring injury in Week 1 against the New York Giants, and he still hasn’t made it back onto the field. On Monday, though, he sounded encouraged.
"I feel better than when I felt when the injury happened," Overshown said via Tommy Yarrish of the team's official website. "I'm running around, I'm doing everything you can as a football player.
These [hamstring injuries] are tricky. You can have six good days in a row and then out of nowhere, something happens.
Right now I'm feeling great. I'm feeling like I can run around and do everything I could before the injury.
At this point, it's just how practice goes throughout the week. How the [hamstring] handles all the stresses of a full 60 minutes of football."
Overshown has flashed as a playmaker when healthy, but injuries have kept him off the field for much of his career. If he can finally get back to full speed and stay there, that would give a defense in need of help a significant lift.
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