Bill Nagy Goes Down, Leaving Phil Costa As Only Healthy Center

Nagy suffered a high ankle sprain on Monday and could miss the rest of camp

Cowboys’ head coach Jason Garrett is a big proponent of creating a competitive atmosphere in practice and certainly in training camp, but where the center position is concerned, the team is having a rough time achieving this goal--because Bill Nagy, the only real competition for 2011 starter Phil Costa going into camp, went down on Monday with a high ankle sprain that may keep him out for the rest of camp.

The reason that Nagy entered camp as Costa’s only real competition at center is that Kevin Kowalski has been out all offseason with an ankle injury of his own--a bruised ankle to be specific--and remains on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

For now Garrett believes that, despite a lack of competition at his position, Costa isn’t exactly having an easy camp, as he faces fierce competition from his teammates on the opposite side of the ball--but as Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas points out, even this is a little easier for Costa than it would be under normal circumstances, as All-Pro nose tackle Jay Ratliff is out with a foot injury.

“You try to create competition certainly for a spot on a team--a guy trying to make a team, have a spot on the team, have a role or be a starter on a team,” Garrett said. “You try to do that as best you can, but for Phil Costa, it’s pretty competitive for him every time he breaks the huddle and has to go against our defensive linemen. That’s a competitive environment we’re similarly trying to create.”

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