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Cowboys will be all ends on deck with Randy Gregory out
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas – On Tuesday, Randy Gregory was in a walking boot on his way to the training room for treatment on his high ankle sprain.
The Dallas Cowboys hope their rookie defensive end misses only four games, but Gregory hopes he is a quick healer.
“I’ll be alright,” Gregory said. “I mean feels lot better than it did the day I got hurt. Woke up (Tuesday) morning, it was a little bit swollen but getting a lot of treatment and I’m about to get more treatment. Hopefully I’ll be back quicker.”
Gregory’s absence creates a void for the Cowboys’ pass rush. He might only be a rookie, but his absence combined with the suspension of Greg Hardy leaves the Cowboys shorthanded, starting with Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys will continue to start Jeremy Mincey and DeMarcus Lawrence at defensive end, but will have to use Jack Crawford and rookie Ryan Russell, who was inactive in the season opener. It’s possible linebacker Kyle Wilber will take some defensive end snaps as well.
“It changes a lot,” Mincey said of Gregory’s absence. “But we’ve got to just adjust the way we’ve been doing it.”
The pace at which the Eagles play affects the defensive line. It is harder to make substitutions. The rotation can get out of whack.
“just try to hold your breath, man,” Mincey said. “Hang in there as long as you can and go as hard as you can until you get to a point where you can sub in and out. That’s the nature of their game. That’s what coach Chip Kelly does. He’s up-tempo, but if you’re penetrating and disrupting it can change all of that. We just got to have that in our mind.”
Mincey said he expects the number of snaps he takes at defensive tackle in passing situations to decrease. Crawford spent training camp and the preseason playing defensive tackle before taking some turns in practice last week at end.
When Gregory got hurt against the New York Giants, he moved outside.
“It’s a different feel in terms of the run game and the passing game,” Crawford said. “I think the run game, it’s similar playing that end position. You have a little bit more space to make decisions and set the edge. But in the passing game it’s a little different. You’ve got more time and space between you and the tackle. I’m used to rushing inside so this week I’m just going to touch up on getting more end reps, but I’m not worried about playing end. I’m comfortable in that position.”
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas – On Tuesday, Randy Gregory was in a walking boot on his way to the training room for treatment on his high ankle sprain.
The Dallas Cowboys hope their rookie defensive end misses only four games, but Gregory hopes he is a quick healer.
“I’ll be alright,” Gregory said. “I mean feels lot better than it did the day I got hurt. Woke up (Tuesday) morning, it was a little bit swollen but getting a lot of treatment and I’m about to get more treatment. Hopefully I’ll be back quicker.”
Gregory’s absence creates a void for the Cowboys’ pass rush. He might only be a rookie, but his absence combined with the suspension of Greg Hardy leaves the Cowboys shorthanded, starting with Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys will continue to start Jeremy Mincey and DeMarcus Lawrence at defensive end, but will have to use Jack Crawford and rookie Ryan Russell, who was inactive in the season opener. It’s possible linebacker Kyle Wilber will take some defensive end snaps as well.
“It changes a lot,” Mincey said of Gregory’s absence. “But we’ve got to just adjust the way we’ve been doing it.”
The pace at which the Eagles play affects the defensive line. It is harder to make substitutions. The rotation can get out of whack.
“just try to hold your breath, man,” Mincey said. “Hang in there as long as you can and go as hard as you can until you get to a point where you can sub in and out. That’s the nature of their game. That’s what coach Chip Kelly does. He’s up-tempo, but if you’re penetrating and disrupting it can change all of that. We just got to have that in our mind.”
Mincey said he expects the number of snaps he takes at defensive tackle in passing situations to decrease. Crawford spent training camp and the preseason playing defensive tackle before taking some turns in practice last week at end.
When Gregory got hurt against the New York Giants, he moved outside.
“It’s a different feel in terms of the run game and the passing game,” Crawford said. “I think the run game, it’s similar playing that end position. You have a little bit more space to make decisions and set the edge. But in the passing game it’s a little different. You’ve got more time and space between you and the tackle. I’m used to rushing inside so this week I’m just going to touch up on getting more end reps, but I’m not worried about playing end. I’m comfortable in that position.”