IRVING, Texas - There was good and bad news to the injury report the Cowboys turned into the NFL on Wednesday.
The bad part was the simple fact the list now goes 10 players deep and it includes seven starters. The good part was the right side of the list that says "full participation" next to every player. For a Wednesday, that's usually a good sign the players will be ready to play on Sunday.
But the Cowboys added two more big-name players to the list Wednesday, including running back Marion Barber, whose nagging thumb injury he sustained against the Chiefs has now been diagnosed as a fracture. Barber is expected to play Sunday against the Falcons despite wearing a cast on his left hand.
"We can cast it and he can play with that," head coach Wade Phillips said of Barber. "I expect him to play."
The same goes for DeMarcus Ware, who has a stress fracture in his foot, but it hasn't limited him from the practice field in the last two weeks.
"He's had some foot problems and we did the MRI and saw it was a stress fracture," Phillips said. "We think it's something that will get better with time. We don't expect that to be a problem. He had two sacks in the last ballgame. I think he's going to be fine. "
Other injuries include running back Felix Jones, who practiced Wednesday with a brace on his knee, safety Gerald Sensabaugh (broken thumb) and offensive linemen Marc Colombo (ankle), Andre Gurode (knee) and Leonard Davis (thumb).
High Praise
Falcons head coach Mike Smith, who worked with Joe DeCamillis when the two were in Jacksonville, had nothing but great things to say about the current Cowboys special teams coach.
"I don't think you're going to find a better coach," Smith said. "He is an outstanding special teams coach and in my mind special teams coaches are probably the most important guy you want to have on your staff, because they interact with the most players. The offensive coordinator and the defensive coordinator, they just interact with their side of the ball.
"I think Joe has a great feel for evaluating not only talent, but when I worked with him, he had a great feel of the room when I say how the locker room was, because he interacts with so many of them. But I really admire what Joe has done and I really enjoyed the one season I worked with him."
Smith said that DeCamillis actually helped him get the head coaching job in Atlanta. When that news was relayed back to the Cowboys' coach on Wednesday, DeCamillis jokingly responded.
"Well, where's my cut?"
Jerry on Roy
This time last year, the Cowboys traded multiple draft picks, including a 2008 first-rounder, for wide receiver Roy Williams. In 14 games since the trade, Williams has 30 catches for 412 yards and two touchdowns.
Asked if he's disappointed in Williams' production, team owner Jerry Jones said no.
He expects Williams, who signed a five-year, $45 million extension last year, to be a critical part of the offense for years to come.
"What's disappointing was last year," Jones said of the team's 9-7 record without a playoff berth. "That was last year. I'm talking about as far as the team, and certainly Roy is a part of the team.
"What is very positive is that we're sitting here and Roy Williams was a player that is in the prime of his career. We've got him under contract for several years, we've got someone that we've thought highly of from the time he was in college and then we've got the right mix coming with him, I think, in Miles Austin, some of the veterans, now more seasoned receivers. . . . So if I'm sitting here right today and we're drafting, I feel good today, I feel good about where we are at receiver.
I'm pleased with the trade and the reason I'm pleased is because he's everything that you want him to be, work-ethic wise, and what he's doing as a teammate and what he's doing as far as his coachability. The thing that we all know is that he has really top talent and I think we'll get the benefit of that, certainly can enhance it if Miles Austin can continue to be a threat speed-wise on the other side."
-Rob Phillips
Site Adjustments
Inclement weather has forced the Cowboys to change practice sites several times since the team's May 2 indoor facility collapse. On Tuesday, they practiced outdoors on nearby Standridge Stadium's turf field.
Jones said the organization has had discussions about building a new structure, but nothing definitive yet.
"It's something we've thought about. It's not something we've made a decision on relative to when - I think that's where we are," Jones said. "It's a little unfortunate we've had as much rain as we've had, but we've had years when we've had this kind of weather and practiced outside and done very well. So I don't think it's material relative to preparing our team."
Cowboys Stadium isn't much of an option during the week because workers are planning for stadium events. "Star Wars in Concert" is scheduled for Friday.
-Rob Phillips
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