IRVING, Texas - There is a level of disappointment. There is a sense of annoyance. And there is complete frustration.
And then there is whatever Isaiah Stanback is feeling.
The third-year wide receiver knows how important this off-season was, not only for his development as a wide receiver, but his chances of making the team again this year. Stanback knows how beneficial it would've been to get a full off-season of practices, especially now in the post-Terrell Owens era when the Cowboys' plan is to give their young receivers every shot to compete.
If that wasn't enough, Miles Austin and Sam Hurd missed nearly all of the practices due to nagging injuries and no other young receiver really stepped up and rose to the challenge.
This was supposed to be Stanback's time to shine. He knows where he stands on the depth chart and is aware of the fact that he's entering his third NFL year and has just two receptions in two injury-plagued seasons.
Frustration? Yeah, and then some.
"Oh man, it's pretty high," Stanback said when asked to rate his frustration level from 1-10. "I don't know, probably an 11 or 12 maybe."
But with that comment, also comes Stanback's trademark smile, which has arguably been his most consistent feature the last two years.
Stanback has managed to stay positive, despite a string of injuries, which included a knee surgery in late May just two days into the team's first OTA practice in Carrollton. Stanback underwent a procedure to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee.
Stanback, who came to the Cowboys in 2007 with a Lis Franc foot injury that kept him out the entire off-season and most of training camp as a rookie, has since battled constant shoulder injuries. Stanback had surgery on his left shoulder at the end of both the 2007 and 2008 campaigns. He had to play last season with a harness on his left shoulder before the surgery at the end of the year.
"I can only control what I can control," Stanback said while rehabbing during the final mini-camp practice two weeks ago. "Unfortunately, I've had bad luck the last three years of my life. It's for a reason, though. All I can do is do what I can, get back and go hard like I always do."
But with all of the setbacks he's endured, Stanback said he will do his best to block out the past.
"I don't worry about it. God controls everything. I can only deal with what I'm presented," he said. "All I can do is get healthy and then ball out when I get here."
But while he's yet to stay healthy for a long period of time, Stanback hasn't always shined when healthy either. Since arriving on the scene as a mobile quarterback from the University of Washington, Stanback described his switch to wide receiver as anything but smooth.
"It's been a work in progress but I think it's coming along pretty good," he said. "It's hard to maintain all the things you've worked on when you keep having setbacks. It's not anything I can control. But hopefully I can get out there and really put it all together."
After having the surgery in late May, Stanback said he might have been able to push himself to get back to practice for the final week of mini-camp. However, like many other players who suffered injuries over the last month, the most important thing was to get healthy for the start of camp, now one month away in San Antonio.
"Yeah, I'll be ready by the end of (June)," Stanback said. "So I'll be ready for camp. Obviously we want to take the safe smart approach and get guys ready for camp. This isn't the season. Camp is the time to get ready for the season."
And even though he missed on what would've been a golden opportunity for plenty of offensive reps with players like Miles Austin, Sam Hurd and Travis Wilson all banged up, Stanback isn't worried about catching up when camp opens.
"There're reps for everyone. I think there is enough to go around to get a good evaluation of everyone," he said. "Camp is where you really get the real work done, so that's why I'm not too worried about missing right now. I wish I was out there, but training camp is much more important and that's why I'm excited to be out there."
And who knows, Stanback's importance might go a little further than just wide receiver. With the Cowboys implementing the new "Razorback" offense, the former college quarterback is figured to be in the mix, considering his experience in the shotgun formation and his ability to throw the ball. Many people forget that Stanback was a projected late-round pick in 2007 as a quarterback for many teams, although the Cowboys took him in the fourth round to play receiver.
In two seasons, Stanback has played in just 10 games and has only two receptions. He has 13 career kick returns, including 10 last season for 218 yards (21.8 yard average).
But if the Cowboys decide to use Stanback as the triggerman for the "Razorback" offense, it won't be the first time. All week leading up to last season's road game against the Giants, Stanback practiced the formation and was expected to play that week. However, a last-minute roster change kept him in street clothes for the game.
The Cowboys never used that formation again.
"I can do it . . . I've done it before," Stanback said of the "Razorback" formation. "Right now, I just want to get out there. If it's running that, or playing receiver or returning kicks, it doesn't really matter to me. I just want to contribute any way I can to help us win games. This is my third year in the league. Nothing else really matters but finding a way to stay healthy and help us win."
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Nick Eatman - 
