SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer
OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — Dallas Cowboys rookie defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence will miss at least two months after breaking his right foot in practice at training camp.
Coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday that Lawrence would return to Dallas for surgery and miss eight to 12 weeks. The surgery is set for Thursday.
Lawrence was in a one-on-one drill with Pro Bowl tackle Tyron Smith on Tuesday when his foot got caught as Smith pushed him to the ground.
Dallas could place Lawrence on the short-term injured list. He would miss the first six weeks of practice and the first eight games in the regular season.
The Cowboys moved to near the top of the second round to draft Lawrence out of Boise State after releasing franchise sacks leader DeMarcus Ware in a salary cap move in March.
The Ware move signaled an overhaul of the defensive front for Dallas. The Cowboys let tackle Jason Hatcher go to NFC East rival Washington in free agency after he led them with a career-high 11 sacks last year. Ware signed with Denver.
Lawrence was working with the second team behind veteran free agent Jeremy Mincey in camp, but would have been given every opportunity to become a starter.
“None of these things we’re going with our depth chart are etched in stone by any means,” Garrett said. “We have a number of defensive linemen, a lot of defensive ends in the mix right now. We’ll just move guys around.”
The Cowboys acknowledged overpaying by giving up their third-round pick in a trade with the Redskins to move up 13 spots to the 34th overall selection. They thought Lawrence was the last player on their board who had a chance to fill the void after Ware’s release.
“He was off to a good start,” Garrett said. “You feel good about drafting a guy and seeing the things you thought you were gonna see. But he’s got a really good mindset.”
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