Dallas Cowboys veteran tackle Chuma Edoga left the team's preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams on a walking boot after suffering what we now know to be a big toe injury.
According to ESPN's Todd Archer, it's a dislocated toe that won't require Edoga to undergo surgery but that should knock him out well into the regular season. How much exactly remains to be seen.
The news set up Tyler Guyton to be the unquestioned starter at left tackle moving forward, something that was already trending toward being the case with the rookie's strong start to training camp and the preseason: He finished Week 1 with the highest PFF grade among all rookie offensive tackles .
Meanwhile, Edoga's place on the team is looking blurry. The Cowboys could simply move on and bet on younger players already on the roster. However, it's clear the team likes the veteran enough to even have him be the "bridge" left tackle between the start of the offseason and whenever they thought Guyton was ready to start.
The Cowboys will likely use new Injured Reserve rule
With that in mind, the Cowboys could be one of many NFL teams to take advantage of a new rule in the league. Earlier in the offseason, the way Injured Reserve works received a significant amendment that will change the dynamics of cutdown day.
Before, in order to designate a player to return from IR, he had to be on the 53-man roster for at least one day. Now, that isn't the case. Instead, teams can place up to two players designated to return on IR during cutdown day. Per the CBA :
"To permit each club to place a maximum of two players who are placed on an applicable Reserve List on the business day of the final roster reduction to be designated for return. Such players will immediately count as two of the club’s total (8) designations."
It's important to note that in order for such a move to work, Edoga would need to be placed on IR during cutdown day and not at any point before that. In other words, if the Cowboys were to place Edoga on IR today, he'd be out for the remainder of the season.
Considering the Cowboys' lack of a clear-cut swing tackle on the depth chart, making the most out of this newly-adjusted rule is a likely path. Placing Edoga on IR would require the veteran to miss a minimum of four games but would give Dallas a lineman they trust down the road. Specially with Asim Richards focusing on playing guard and Earl Bostick struggling in the preseason opener allowing six pressures while Matt Waletzko allowed another five, this is a strategy that would make sense.
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