Cowboys are getting reinforcements at the perfect time
The Dallas Cowboys have as big of a test as any team in the first round of the playoffs, facing Tom Brady on the road, and they have suffered several injuries as of late. But, much to the Cowboys' delight, the calvary is on its way. Nose tackle Jonathan Hankins, who was acquired via trade […]
The Dallas Cowboys have as big of a test as any team in the first round of the playoffs, facing Tom Brady on the road, and they have suffered several injuries as of late. But, much to the Cowboys' delight, the calvary is on its way.
Nose tackle Jonathan Hankins, who was acquired via trade with the Las Vegas Raiders in October, has had his 21-day practice window opened. Also, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and center Tyler Biadasz will return to practice on Wednesday.
Hankins suffered a pectoral strain against the Houston Texans in Week 14. The 320-pound behemoth was a big reason the Cowboys' defense held running backs Dalvin Cook, Jonathan Taylor, and Dameon Peirce down during the team's four-game winning streak from late November to around mid-December.
The Cowboys need Hankins to secure the middle against the run and make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers one-dimensional on offense, giving their defense the best chance to get off the field quickly.
Vander Esch played just five snaps against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15 before the former first-round pick left the game with a neck issue. Of course, due to Vander Esch's history with neck problems, a slight panic came over Cowboys fans. Thankfully, it wasn't deemed to be serious, but the Cowboys took the precautious approach and reserved Vander Esch for the playoffs.
The 2022 season was a contract year for Vander Esch, and he responded greatly. Vander Esch's 90 tackles are his most since his rookie campaign in 2018 and that total still finished second on the Cowboys for the season despite the games he missed.
Vander Esch has shown that his ability to make plays sideline to sideline is still there when he's healthy, and he's made a strong case to return to Dallas in 2023.
Biadasz missed the Cowboys' season finale against the Washington Commanders. However, he's shown significant improvement since last season and he logged 100% of the Cowboys' offensive snaps in 13 of the 16 games he's played in.
With the Cowboys' struggles in the run game lately, getting Biadasz will be a welcomed boost.
Feature image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
