IRVING, Texas - Cowboys Pro Bowl corner Terence Newman has gone from returning to practice two weeks ago and appearing ready to assume his starting position on the left side to "questionable" just two days before the season opener.
Newman, apparently limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday because of the slight groin tear he suffered the first week of training camp, has been listed on Friday's official NFL injury report as "questionable," meaning he is no better than 50-50 to play in Sunday's season opener in Cleveland.
Chances are the Cowboys will make a game-day decision on Newman, who did not play in any of the team's four preseason games and again was listed as "limited" in practice on Friday.
"We'll see how he is," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said on Friday. "We'll start determining how much or if he plays."
The Cowboys might decide to ease Newman back onto the field by playing him solely on nickel downs, as they did last year when he initially returned from the slight tear to his plantar fascia. If that happens, or if the Cowboys decide to make Newman one of the eight inactives for the game, Adam "Pacman" Jones will start at left cornerback. Jones has not played in an NFL regular-season game since Dec. 31, 2006, missing the 2007 season after being suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for violation of the league's personal conduct policy.
Newman's potential absence will be far-reaching. If he doesn't play, that would mean the Cowboys would be going with two rookies on their dime defense. As it is, with Newman playing and moving into the slot, first-round draft choice Mike Jenkins takes over at left corner with Pacman Jones playing right corner. But if he doesn't play, and the Cowboys go to their dime with starting right corner Anthony Henry now also moving into the slot over the tight end, that would mean Pacman Jones shifting to right corner, Jenkins coming in at left corner and rookie Orlando Scandrick taking over in the slot, as he also would if the Cowboys bring in just one extra defensive back in Newman's absence.
The Cowboys seemingly feel good about Jones being ready to play, but would have liked the luxury of easing Jenkins and Scandrick onto the field in the season opener.
Newman seemingly practiced all last week and on Monday without any setbacks. And while he was listed as fully participating on Wednesday, he popped up on the "limited participation" list on Thursday, sending out an alarm, although Phillips said he wasn't properly listed on the participation chart Wednesday.
The timing of this potential setback is not good since Cleveland presents a problem in the passing game with tight end Kellen Winslow, who the Browns will utilize in their standard offense like a wide receiver, sometimes lining him up wide and sometimes in the slot. There is a chance the Cowboys will match up a cornerback on Winslow instead of a safety, possibly meaning they'll dip further into their cornerback depth to handle the wide receivers. And no one needs to remind the Cowboys that Cleveland's top receiver, Braylon Edwards, caught 16 touchdown passes last year.
The Cowboys also listed wide receiver Isaiah Stanback as questionable for Sunday's game, but he appears to be on the right side of the 50-50 proposition, Phillips sounding pretty confident the second-year receiver would serve as the team's third wideout in the game.
If the Cowboys decide they need a fourth receiver active Sunday for insurance, they likely will sign Mike Jefferson off the practice squad in time for the team's 2 p.m. charter flight departure to Cleveland.
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The Cleveland Browns are not without their own injury problems. Already they've been without third receiver Joe Jurevicius, placed on PUP, and noted pass-rusher Antwan Peek had season-ending surgery on Thursday to repair a torn patella tendon.
Then on Friday, the Browns listed six players as questionable, including starting running back Jamal Lewis (hamstring), starting guard Rex Hadnot (knee), his backup Ryan Tucker (hip), starting safety Brodney Pool (concussion), kicker returner/receiver Joshua Cribbs (ankle) and backup linebacker Beau Bell. Pool, Hadnot and Tucker did not practice on Friday while Cribbs, Jones, Bell and Lewis did on a limited basis.
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Mickey Spagnola - 
