IRVING, Texas – While the final two regular-season games are now just a chance to build for the future, the Cowboys will have to do so without tight end Gavin Escobar.
And now he'll have a tough offseason just to get ready for next year.
Escobar suffered a torn Achilles injury on the final drive of Saturday night's loss to the Jets. He limped off the field in obvious pain, and it wasn't long before the Cowboys' medical team diagnosed the injury. Head coach Jason Garrett even announced it in his postgame press conference.
While he'll definitely miss the next two games, Escobar might be hard-pressed to get back in time for training camp and maybe the start of the regular season.
All injuries and rehabs are different, the Achilles tear is typically a nine-month rehabilitation, if not a little longer. Even if Escobar is on that schedule, he could wind up missing the first part of the regular season, and likely all of training camp.
Two years ago, defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford tore his Achilles tendon on the first day of training camp in Oxnard, Calif., in late July. He was able to get back by some of the OTA practices the following May and started camp the next year.
"It's a tough injury. I hate that for him," Crawford said of Escobar.
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For these final two games, the Cowboys will likely move up rookie Geoff Swaim, a seventh-round pick from the University of Texas. Swaim has been active for two games this year, and even started against New England when James Hanna was inactive and the Cowboys opened in a three-tight end set.
With Dallas being eliminated from playoff contention, it's likely the Cowboys will use these games to evaluate younger players for the future and Swaim is probably in the mix.
