Miles Austin not practicing
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin (19) along the sidelines prior to playing the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Cowboys defeated the Eagles 17-3. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
While Dallas Cowboys superstar WR Dez Bryant was able to get back on the practice field after getting a day of rest yesterday, Miles Austin was absent from practice today after being able to practice on a limited basis yesterday. Austin has had a history of hamstring issues in his career, and he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 3 against the St. Louis Rams that has been much worse than initially expected. It looked like a simple one-week injury at first glance, but Austin has been extremely ineffective since coming back from the injury after initially missing a couple of games.
In fact, Miles Austin hasn’t even recorded a reception since the injury, and it’s clear that this latest hamstring issue is really hurting his productivity. The Cowboys coaching staff is reportedly considering shutting down Austin altogether until he is fully healthy, and I wonder if they have already starting doing that. I mean, they have decided to hold him out of practice today after he was able to practice yesterday, and they have already been doing everything they can to manage his practice reps since the injury first occurred.
The incredible play of Baylor rookie and top deep threat Terrance Williams, as well as breakout slot WR Cole Beasley has rendered Miles Austin a luxury in the Cowboys offense. Austin was usually just a possession receiver on the outside for Tony Romo, but Romo now has an elite wideout in Bryant, two chain-movers between the numbers in Jason Witten and Beasley, and a speed demon in Williams. Austin will still have a role with the offense when he comes back, but it will be a diminished one; he’s not as important as he used to be due to his hamstring issues and the rise of two WRs. As Austin misses more games and as those two continue to succeed, the cries from Cowboys fans for a trade will continue to get louder.
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