For rookie DeMarco Murray, it will be his first NFL practice of any sort.
The third-round pick from Oklahoma has passed his physical and will be ready to practice with the Cowboys as early as Tuesday. Murray suffered a hamstring injury before the start of training camp in mid-July and has been working daily with the athletic trainers and strength coaches in an attempt to return to action.
Murray's absence has been even more significant considering the Cowboys have been without Tashard Choice since the first day of camp when he suffered a calf injury. Choice is also expected to return to practice at some point this week.
In the meantime, Felix Jones has carried the load as the starter, including an impressive 56-yard effort on seven carries. Lonyae Miller had a good camp but has been overshadowed by rookie free agent Phillip Tanner in the two preseason games. Tanner had 31 yards on four attempts against the Chargers Sunday night. His most memorable play so far doesn't even count on the stat sheet but Tanner certainly caught the attention of fans, media and most importantly, his coaches and teammates when he kept running after his helmet came off and found the end zone for a would-be touchdown. New NFL rules state the play is over once the ball-carrier loses his helmet and a motion penalty negated the play as well.
But with Miller and Tanner fighting out for a possible final roster spot, you wonder how many reps they will now receive with Murray and possibly Choice joining the mix.
