Do you think the Cowboys are showing a little gamesmanship by being extra cautious with Dak going into the season opener with the Buccaneers? — DONALD LEWIS
David: You aren't the first person I've seen suggest this, but I don't buy it. Whatever advantage you gain by not giving Tampa Bay a good look at your quarterback, you're also losing in the sense that Dak isn't getting a chance to work on his game. I can't imagine anyone thinks of it as an advantage that Dak has lost more than a dozen valuable days of practice heading into the season. I do agree that NFL teams take gamesmanship to a crazy level, but I don't think that's happening here.
Rob: Remember, this is a pitching-type injury. Anybody who follows baseball knows teams are very careful with pitchers who suffer any type of strain to ensure that it doesn't resurface or linger during the season. They're not holding him out of team drills or preseason games because of gamesmanship. They're looking at the big picture here, even though he could play right now if he needed to.
Give me your best guess about some trades that could happen before this 53-man roster is set. — MIKE BOOKHAMER
David: It would be next-to-impossible to give you a specific name, but I wonder how closely the front office is going to be looking at defensive tackles next week. Neville Gallimore is going to be out for a while, and Trysten Hill isn't back from his injury yet. Whether it's with a minor trade or maybe a waiver claim, I wonder if they might try to bolster that position when the roster cuts start happening.
Rob: Dave brings up an interesting point. But if Osa Odighizuwa keeps playing at the level he's been at during camp, I don't know if defensive tackle is as much of a concern to them as we might think. The Cowboys like the depth at the position – they're just a little light on experience. I'm not quite sure how they feel about the backup quarterback and swing tackle competitions. Neither spot seems completely settled, so it wouldn't be a shock to see them explore options after preseason, whether it's free agency or otherwise. But those are also two of the toughest positions to significantly upgrade in late August/early September.
