Latest Cowboys injury news should alleviate Mike Zimmer's most complicated task vs Browns

Heading into Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has one of the most complicated jobs on the team: Start fifth-round rookie Caelen Carson against Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and the Cleveland Browns wide receiver room and get away with it.

Not an easy task, regardless of how Carson has looked early on in his arrival at the NFL. It appear to be even less so when the rookie popped up on Thursday's injury report with a knee injury. The good news? He has been a full participant both Thursday and Friday.

"Everything is okay," said Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy via The Athletic's Jon Machota. "He was a full participant today.”

As Carson gets ready for his regular season debut, it's important to remember he'll be helped out by Zimmer more than cornerbacks were under Dan Quinn's scheme simply from a schematic perspective. Quinn liked to run one-high safety coverages like Cover 1 or Cover 3, where cornerbacks are mostly left on an island with no safety over the top helping them out. With Zimmer taking over the defense , however, that will change as he's expected to implement more two-high defenses like quarters and Cover 2, which allow for cornerbacks to get some sort of relief.

Additionally, Zimmer's disguises on the field should help Carson have more room for error, as they'll force Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson to hold on to the ball while figuring out the post-snap picture the Cowboys will have to offer.

In other words, one of the biggest advantages to Zimmer taking over for Quinn, even though the latter led some great defenses in his time in Dallas, is that the Cowboys should have better adaptability and problem solving.

Carson starting outside should be a concern, but knowing he appears to be healthy and ready to go certainly helps Cowboys Nation feel much better about the entire situation.

Cowboys vs Browns Final Injury Report

The player to watch for Dallas all week long was second-year tight end John Stephens Jr., who was the only player to not practice Wednesday nor Thursday. On Friday, he was the only Cowboys player to carry a game status designation as he has been officially ruled out from the game.

For the Browns, only starting left tackle Jed Wills Jr. was ruled out.

Related: Cowboys' Micah Parsons might be forced to wait on what he wants the most from Mike Zimmer's defense