Dallas Cowboys not taking any risk with guard Mackenzy Bernadeau’s injury – NFL News
With the team’s rookie minicamp in progress, Dallas Cowboys have decided against taking any risk with the newly-signed guard, Mackenzy Bernadeau’s injury and head coach, Jason Garrett, has made it clear that the management will not bring the player on the
field unless he recovers completely from the injury.
According to the details present on the team’s official website, Garrett said of the player:
“We want to make sure he’s healthy before we put him out there.”
Bernadeau, 26, joined the Cowboys in March this year after parting ways with the Carolina Panthers for whom he played four National Football League (NFL) seasons after starting his professional career in 2008.
Bernadeau has been recovering from a hip injury and he will not participate in the team’s offseason activities. He might not be able to join the offseason workout programmes, but he is expected to join the team in its training camp before the start of the
preseason games.
Cowboys gave Bernadeau a four-year, $11 million contract and the player is expected to get the starting role next season.
Cowboys’ offensive line coach, Bill Callahan, who is aware of the player’s recovery process, has said that Bernadeau is recovering fast and Callahan is apparently not bothered by the player’s absence at the moment.
Callahan said that Bernadeau was working well and further commented:
“Unfortunately he is on the shelf a little bit, he's been hurt somewhat, and he's been out. But he's getting himself rehabbed. He's going to be prepared,
I think, to go into OTAs. We'll have to follow that closely."
Apart from playing as offensive tackle, Bernadeau could also play at centre; something Cowboys might want him to do.
Callahan also commented on this possibility and said that the player is capable of being versatile.
The coach said:
“He’s been exposed to that spot. He’s got that position flexibility so that’s a real positive. Yeah, he has that in him. I haven’t seen it as of late, but he did serve as a backup centre in emergency situations, so he has taken snaps from what we’ve had
in our conversations with him.”
Cowboys are also dealing with the injury of their first-round draft pick, Morris Claiborne. He is expected to join the team after more than a couple of weeks.
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