Terminix, anyone?

(Credit, as always, to the Cowboys’ official site and others that provide up-to-date hands-on practice info that I, hours away, can’t right now.)

The injury bug has really been biting recently, and it’s becoming quite the pest.

T.O. is the most recent guy to hit the sidelines. Owens hasn’t practiced in the last two days due to a stiff back. It’s not serious, as shown by an MRI, but he may well not play on Thursday against the Colts. Both he and reserve cornerback/kick returner Quincy Butler haven’t been in action in the last couple of days.

Thankfully, while one corner has been put on the sidelines, another has returned. Rookie Alan Ball sprained his knee Saturday, but an MRI came out negative, so he was able to return to limited action today. Like I’ve mentioned before, corner is one of the positions where depth is most important, so it’s good that Ball is back quickly.

Receiver seems to be the most affected position right now, and that might have quite the effect on the lineup on Thursday. Terry Glenn is already out, and now T.O. might not play, while WR/KR Jamaica Rector has been out since Tuesday, and rookie Isaiah Stanback still hasn’t gotten started.

If anything, the recent injuries are affecting the return game. Rector, Butler, and Stanback all figure into the depth chart as returners, so the options are getting thinner and thinner. Right now, it looks like Jerheme Urban will return punts, but if he happens to get hurt (knock on wood), then Wade Phillips might be in a situation he doesn’t want to be in, by having to use some of the more significant players to handle return duties. And, frankly, you don’t want to have Terence Newman or Patrick Crayton returning punts right now, not only because it’s early in the preseason, but also because the depth chart is thin at their positions right now. Newman is a starter, and Crayton is the #1 guy while Glenn and Owens are out, and while both returned kicks last season, that idea is a last resort right now.

There’s a picture at the top of the Dallas Morning News’ online sports page of corner Anthony Henry catching passes, and if things get any worse, he might have to start lining up with the recievers instead of across from them. It might be a joke right now, but right now, you can’t rule anything out.

To compound all of the injury issues, a little virus has apparently been going around camp, so that’s limited a few more of the players.

As is, practice is going to be a little lighter in the meantime so that no more guys get put out of commission, and to let some of the guys returning from injury work back into action. The intensity has been nice the first few weeks and hopefully it keeps up, but this is a time when it’s not a bad thing to slow things down for a bit.

Let’s just hope all of these issues are manifesting themselves right now and will be all over and done with further on down the road, when you can’t afford to lose anyone, starter or otherwise.