It's rather rare to get far into the offseason, although it's still May, and not have any of the first five draft picks on the practice field.
While it might be rare, at this point, it's also smart.
Getting these guys on the field for the start of training camp is the ultimate goal. Now if possible, having them there for the minicamp on June 12-14 would be an added bonus.
Here's a rundown of the first five draft picks and their injury/personal situations that have kept them from practicing as the Cowboys enter Week 2 of the OTA sessions.
CB Morris Claiborne – He's trying to get back out there but the Cowboys simply won't rush it with him. The injured wrist, which required surgery in March, has him wearing a splint-cast that can be removed. While he spent a good portion of Wednesday's practice doing just conditioning drills, he did start practice shadowing the right cornerbacks, to make sure he was on-point with the calls, and the pre-snap adjustments. He said he's still hoping for a return by the start of the minicamp.
DE Tyron Crawford – Still sidelined by a calf injury, Crawford said he's getting close to a return. The third-round pick from Boise State was able to do some work in the rookie minicamp earlier this month. This is another example of being overly cautious to a young player.
LB Kyle Wilber – The fourth-round pick from Wake Forest said the pins on his broken finger have been removed. He's hopeful to return to practice by the start of the minicamp, but like Claiborne, it'll likely be training camp before he is fully released to practice. Also like Claiborne, he should be able to get a head start on his conditioning work, since the injury is to a finger.
S Matt Johnson – The rookie safety is actually still in school at Eastern Washington. With EWU using the quarters system, classes don't end until mid June. Johnson is expected to miss all of the OTAs but should be here in time for the minicamp.
WR Danny Coale – In his second week after having surgery to repair a broken bone in his left foot, Coale is hopeful to be back on the field for the start of minicamp. That would likely be best-case scenario, especially since the first week of camp is strictly for rookies and quarterbacks. Coale is expected to compete for the third, fourth or fifth-receiver positions.
