Injury Report: Dez Bryant Wants To Return Against Seahawks
By Shawn S. Lealos
There are two players that the Dallas Cowboys desperately need to get back from off the injury report. The first in Tony Romo, who isn't actually listed on the injury report, as he is on the temporary disabled list. The second is Dez Bryant, who has been out since the first game of the season, but is actually listed as questionable this week.
The good news is that Bryant says he will play Sunday if it is up to him. Bryant actually said that he will play against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, but also said that the final decision is that of his coaches and the medical staff. Right now, it sounds like he will play, but expect him to get limited reps and to work slowly back from his broken foot.
However, with the return of Dez Bryant, the Cowboys will play without starting running back Joseph Randle. This isn't as big of a loss, although the lack of depth will hurt Dallas this weekend. Randle hurt his back on a nice run on Sunday, but Darren McFadden came in and ran for over 150 yards in his best game in years. This weekend, Randle is out, and Jason Garrett said it is due to injuries. However, Randle also met with the NFL this week about his arrest in the offseason, and even though he was cleared of the charges, the NFL is likely to try to suspend him anyway. There is a strong chance that Randle has completely lost his starting job in Dallas to McFadden. This also means that Christine Michael will see more action as the primary backup. Rod Smith moves up to the third string running back.
The other offensive players will play this week. Brice Butler and James Hanna are both listed and probable and both played last week. Butler will drop down to fourth or fifth on the depth chart with Bryant returning. Hanna is a huge return based on his run blocking skills.
On the defensive side of the ball, Barry Church is dealing with an ankle injury and his status won't be known until Sunday. Expect rookie Byron Jones to get a lot of snaps whether Church plays or not. Fellow rookie Randy Gregory made his return last week and was not listed on the injury report at all this week. DeMarcus Lawrence, another defensive end, is listed as probable with back problems. Finally, Morris Claiborne is listed as probable with an illness.
Probable:
Brice Butler, WR (hamstring)
James Hanna, TE (ankle)
DeMarcus Lawrence, DE (back)
Morris Claiborne, CB (Illness)
Questionable:
Dez Bryant, WR (foot)
Barry Church, S (ankle)
Doubtful:
None
Out:
Joseph Randle, RB (back)
Shawn S. Lealos is a freelance writer who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He writes for a variety of national publications and has over 15 years of sports journalism experience. Follow Shawn on Twitter @sslealos. Examiner.com.