The Dallas Cowboys are preparing for their third and final preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on Friday. And about 48 hours after that, they’ll have to make the final roster cutdown. Unfortunately, they are dealing with a wave of injuries as the deadline for the 53-man roster gets closer, and the training room was void of five players on Wednesday. 

“Michael Trigg (toe), DJ Rogers (knee) and Ajani Cornelius (unknown), Jonathan Bullard (groin/abs), Julius Wood (concussion) not practicing today for the Cowboys,” Dallas-based reporter Calvin Watkins wrote on X.

Jonathan Bullard has been out of practice due to a groin and abdomen issue. The defensive tackle opted for a second opinion, and it turned out to be a case of tendonitis. Typically, tendonitis lasts about two to three weeks in mild cases. Hence, we can expect Bullard to bounce back into action by the time the regular season begins.

“We’re very optimistic as we close in at the end of training camp that you’ll see him in the near future, hopefully,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said about Bullard’s return last week. “Maybe not early next week or late next week, but we feel really good about what we’ve kind of figured out.” 

Meanwhile, the secondary took a hit when Julius Wood left Saturday’s preseason matchup against the Arizona Cardinals to be evaluated for a concussion. He will have to successfully clear the league’s mandatory five-step concussion protocol to be available for Friday’s preseason finale. 

The absences of DJ Rogers and Michael Trigg created additional problems for the tight end room during practice.

As an undrafted free agent out of TCU, Rogers has been fighting for a spot on the roster. Of course, he faced long odds to crack the final roster because Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford, and Luke Schoonmaker locked down the top three spots. And Trigg might be on the injured reserve list at the beginning of the regular season. It’s worth noting that there isn’t much long-term concern around Trigg’s toe injury or Rogers’ knee. 

Watkins also shed some light on Ajani Cornelius’ absence. In a separate X post, he noted that the tackle was out of practice due to soreness in his knee. But as the others continued through training, quarterback Dak Prescott almost gave the front office a scare. 

On the second play of a team period, Prescott tripped over his own feet as he attempted a handoff to running back Malik Davis. He fell on the turf after losing his balance, making the crowd at Ford Center gasp. Thankfully, he dusted himself off and jumped back to practice.

But to battle the roster cuts amidst injuries, the Cowboys have a plan ready.

Brian Schottenheimer Reveals “Easy” Way to Manage Cowboys Roster Cuts

As the Dallas Cowboys navigate the final chaotic days of training camp, their crowded injury report is forcing the coaching staff to make difficult evaluations with limited healthy bodies. But Brian Schottenheimer has a clear solution.

“The easy answer is special teams,” Schottenheimer said. “When you get into really roster spot 45 through 53, those are usually guys that are not starters or premium players. So, you have to find guys that have the versatility to play special teams. Then, quite honestly, when you’re going to game-day activations and inactives, that’s the other thing. Make no mistakes.”

The Cowboys weren’t particularly impressive on the special teams front last season, with coordinator Nick Sorensen witnessing many mistakes. Schottenheimer noted that that trend seemed to continue into this preseason.

“We were not good enough on special teams last year,” the Cowboys HC said. “It’s been a big emphasis. Last week wasn’t great. Seattle, I’m talking about. So, if you want to help yourself, you spend a lot of time with [coaches] Nick Sorensen and Carlos Polk, and you dive into the details of being a part of the big four (kickoffs, kickoff returns, punts, and punt returns).” 

To stabilize the depleted tight end unit, the Cowboys also brought in Mitch Van Vooren. And to make room for the new signing, the Cowboys had to remove defensive tackle Kelvin Gilliam. With Spann-Ford, Trigg, and Rogers all dealing with injuries, the Cowboys are currently relying on Schoonmaker and Zack Kuntz as the only fully available tight ends, slotting Van Mooren in as the immediate backup. 

Linebacker Jaishawn Barham, along with cornerbacks Devin Moore and Zion Childress, returned to action after previously missing practice time. Furthermore, running backs Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah, and Israel Abanikanda were all cleared to play after dealing with various nagging injuries following last week’s game.

None of the injuries seem to be a dealbreaker for the Cowboys. But if more are added to the list, Schottenheimer will have a task on his hands.