IRVING, Texas – Defensive end Ben Bass was just a few days away from starting the season as a regular contributor on the defensive line.
Now, Bass' 2013 season is over before it even started.
The Cowboys placed Bass on injured reserve Saturday, just two days after he suffered a dislocated left shoulder late in Thursday's practice. Bass was expected to enter the season as a key rotational player on the line, giving depth at tackle and end.
While the initial prognosis was just a 2-4 week setback, Bass did have an MRI on Friday. However, the decision to put Bass on IR comes down to needing his roster spot now. The Cowboys signed Jerome Long, another end with versatility to play tackle. Long was with the team in camp and released in the final cut-down to 53. [embedded_ad]
One option the Cowboys had with Bass was to put him on the eight-week IR, making him eligible to return after the eighth game. However, NFL rules only allow teams to designate one player per year to that list. The Cowboys are certainly wanting to keep that option open in case a starter suffers a multiple-week injury.
Bass becomes the second end/tackle player to go on IR, joining Tyrone Crawford, who tore his Achilles in the first practice of training camp.
