For all of its ultramodernity, there's one retro touch that would have made JerryWorld a more enjoyable place to be on Saturday night. That little ambulance that used to come out to collect injured players in the old Sega Genesis Madden football games always brought a smile to people's faces, and smiles were in short supply as more Cowboys went down with injuries against the 49ers.
Safety Michael Hamlin broke his wrist and linebacker Jason Williams sprained his ankle during the game. The loss of two more rookies raises concerns about a curse on this year's draft class. On the plus side, the group came with a free Frogurt, but it seems that Jessica Simpson's visit with that witch is paying dividends after all.
Tackle Robert Brewster and linebacker Brandon Williams are already out for the season, and quarterback Stephen McGee and linebacker Stephen Hodge have also missed chunks of time with knee problems. That's six of the 12 players added via the draft, which might make it a good idea for the team to quarantine the remaining freshmen to ensure they reap some reward from the selection process.
Roy Williams' bruised shoulder has caught most of the attention, but the plethora of injured rookies points to a potentially more serious issue for the Cowboys going forward. Those six players, in addtion to the also banged-up Alan Ball and Marcus Dixon, were expected to provide depth for the team this season. Now the Cowboys have to be more concerned than usual about losing any starters, especially among the linebackers and defensive backs, because there just aren't many bodies to fill in if someone goes down.
In general, depth should be a big concern for the Cowboys this week. Even when they've been healthy, the reserves have not played up to snuff during the preseason. It's been more noticable on defense than on offense, but the Cowboys will have to keep a close eye on the players let go around the league as teams pare their rosters down to 53 men before next Sunday's deadline. It's not ideal to bring in new, unfamiliar blood so close to the start of the season but, then, it's not ideal to lose games because you don't plan for a rainy day.
