The Dallas Cowboys have been accomplished in largely by accidents to their offense final season, however their protection didn’t do them any favors. It was a unit that completed twenty third in yards allowed and twenty eighth in factors allowed, in addition to twenty third in defensive effectivity, as measured by Soccer Outsiders’ DVOA. 

One of many main areas of weak point was the crew’s defensive sort out play. The Cowboys signed Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe within the offseason, solely to see McCoy undergo a season-ending harm throughout camp and Poe wrestle so badly that he was launched early within the yr. Of their place, veterans Antwaun Woods and Tyrone Crawford (who additionally performed finish) bought the vast majority of the snaps, adopted by second-year man Trysten Hill (till his personal harm) and rookie Neville Gallimore. 

Gallimore confirmed some flashes in his 9 begins, although he solely completed with 0.5 sacks, 4 tackles for loss, and 4 quarterback hits. The Cowboys didn’t make any main upgrades to the defensive sort out group this offseason, opting as an alternative to signal gamers like Brent City and Carlos Watkins, and draft Osa Odighizuwa within the third spherical and Quinton Bohanna within the sixth. 

Gallimore has seemingly been in line for a beginning function, however on Friday evening, he suffered his second coaching camp harm. Gallimore beforehand tweaked his ankle throughout the crew’s joint observe towards the Los Angeles Rams, and he left the Cowboys’ 19-16 preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals with what coach Mike McCarthy is asking a “vital” elbow harm. 

Gallimore was rapidly declared out for the sport, which is usually not a great signal. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport later reported that Gallimore suffered a hyperextended elbow, and can have an MRI on Saturday. 

The Cowboys can not actually afford to lose any contributors alongside the line of defense — particularly anticipated starters like Gallimore — contemplating the relative weak point of their protection. If Gallimore has to overlook prolonged time, it will be clever for Dallas to check out the obtainable free brokers in the marketplace.