Unfortunately, some bad news has come from training camp in Oxnard. During a seven-on-seven drill Monday, wide receiver James Washington injured his right foot. This has clearly put the receiving corps in a compromising position. Since it is clearly known that the only man left with more experience in the group is CeeDee Lamb.
Going back to the specific action, cornerback Trevon Diggs is the one doing the coverage with Washington. After the play, the receiver left the field by means of a cart. And when it comes to these situations, it’s almost certainly something really serious.
Washington heading to the locker room pic.twitter.com/ORpyKvv6Po
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 1, 2022
With the passing of the hours after the incident, the diagnosis and the magnitude of the injury have been known. Thanks to the MRI that the offensive player had, it was a fracture in his right foot and he will be out for six to ten weeks. Consequently, he returned to Dallas to undergo surgery on Tuesday. So in short, it’s one more concern for the Cowboys, who didn’t count on this situation and in free agency there aren’t many options left to fill James’s job while he recovers.
Of course, Dallas has recent experience with this type of injury as defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence went through something similar in 2021. During practice leading up to the Chargers’ game, the defensive end broke his foot and was out for a total of ten matches. So in the organization they know very well that the picture does not look good at all.
During the first week of practice, Washington was doing his best to earn a spot in the rotation. The franchise’s goal when they signed the WR in March was to have someone with some experience after Amari Cooper left in a trade with the Browns. Now with his injury, they will have to sit down and evaluate a lot of options that could be on the table.
Part of the Cowboys’ philosophy is about the “next man up,” or having the next person in the rotation take the place of the player who can’t make an appearance. The detail is that in the case of Dallas, as already mentioned, Michael Gallup may not be available for the first few weeks and CeeDee Lamb is the only one really with extensive experience. Noah Brown and TJ Vasher are showing commitment in California, as is Simi Fehoko. But these players would have to be evaluated in preseason matchups to see if they have what it takes for a much bigger role in 2022. Jalen Tolbert is another one in the spotlight, but the rookie is thought to be able to start just fine. from week 1 onwards.
T. J. Vasher pic.twitter.com/qtUGBj1Y1v
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 1, 2022
After four seasons with the Steelers, Washington signed with the Lone Star team for one year. During his time in Pittsburgh, he had 114 receptions for 1,629 yards and 11 touchdowns in 60 games. For now, he will now have to wait to increase his numbers once he can get on the field with Dallas.
Either way, there is talk of the hypothetical case that they could bring in outside help through free agency. Dallas has more than 20 million in its salary cap, but it would be a decision of the offices. One of the biggest criticisms leveled at the free agency movement this offseason was its lack of hierarchy compared to other organizations. Letting go of the opportunity to bring in the likes of Bobby Wagner. Where the explanation is that things simply did not happen at the time of wanting to bring the linebacker.
With this misfortune, now the organization will have to evaluate what it has or make some emergency move in the market in order to solve this situation. What is certain is that if lucky, Washington could make it to the start of the regular season. But if not, the Cowboys will have to find solutions and fast. After all, the receiving corps needs to get more experience sooner rather than later.
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