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Dunbar did so well in rehab that the Cowboys had to be disciplined in bringing him back
By Kate Hairopoulos
FRISCO -- Lance Dunbar is known as a running back the Cowboys can bring in when they need a change of pace.
So it was fitting that he returned to practice Sunday when Dallas held its first practice at The Star, the team's new headquarters and training facility.
Dunbar expects to work back into practice by doing individual drills after spending the first chunk of training camp on the physically unable to perform list.
Dunbar tore his anterior cruciate ligament and his patellar tendon last October on a kickoff return against New Orleans, ending his season and requiring surgery. He was leading the Cowboys in receiving at the time.
With Dunbar activated off the PUP list and first-round draft pick Ezekiel Elliott (sore hamstring) slated for a full practice Sunday, the Cowboys are finally starting to see that glut of running backs that has been so discussed.
There was scant evidence of it just last Friday in the second preseason game against Miami, when even linebacker-turned-fullback Keith Smith got three carries.
But the Cowboys will eventually have roster decisions to make among a running backs corps that includes Elliott, Dunbar and Alfred Morris, the free-agency addition who impressed by rushing for 85 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries in last week's game.
And that's without even mentioning Darren McFadden, last season's leading rusherwho continues to work his way back from a fractured elbow and remains on the non-football injury list.
Also, 2016 sixth-round draft pick Darius Jackson had 14 carries for 43 yards Friday.
Dunbar spent most of the three weeks of training camp in Oxnard, Calif., rehabbing alongside McFadden as practice unfolded without them.
"It's been real tough," Dunbar said. "It was painful at times. But I knew it would get better over time."
It was once thought Dunbar could start the season on PUP and miss the first six games, but head coach Jason Garrett said the Cowboys actually exercised patience in waiting as long as they did to bring the fifth-year player out of North Texas back.
"Lance has been doing such a good job," Garrett said, "to the point where we had to have discipline to say, 'Let's keep him on PUP here for a little while longer' because he was doing so well in his rehab.
"It was a serious injury he had, and he's worked very hard to come back. We had to be very deliberate in saying, 'Let's keep him out.' Now we feel like it's the right time to bring him back. ...We're excited to have him back. He's an awfully good football player."
By Kate Hairopoulos
FRISCO -- Lance Dunbar is known as a running back the Cowboys can bring in when they need a change of pace.
So it was fitting that he returned to practice Sunday when Dallas held its first practice at The Star, the team's new headquarters and training facility.
Dunbar expects to work back into practice by doing individual drills after spending the first chunk of training camp on the physically unable to perform list.
Dunbar tore his anterior cruciate ligament and his patellar tendon last October on a kickoff return against New Orleans, ending his season and requiring surgery. He was leading the Cowboys in receiving at the time.
With Dunbar activated off the PUP list and first-round draft pick Ezekiel Elliott (sore hamstring) slated for a full practice Sunday, the Cowboys are finally starting to see that glut of running backs that has been so discussed.
There was scant evidence of it just last Friday in the second preseason game against Miami, when even linebacker-turned-fullback Keith Smith got three carries.
But the Cowboys will eventually have roster decisions to make among a running backs corps that includes Elliott, Dunbar and Alfred Morris, the free-agency addition who impressed by rushing for 85 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries in last week's game.
And that's without even mentioning Darren McFadden, last season's leading rusherwho continues to work his way back from a fractured elbow and remains on the non-football injury list.
Also, 2016 sixth-round draft pick Darius Jackson had 14 carries for 43 yards Friday.
Dunbar spent most of the three weeks of training camp in Oxnard, Calif., rehabbing alongside McFadden as practice unfolded without them.
"It's been real tough," Dunbar said. "It was painful at times. But I knew it would get better over time."
It was once thought Dunbar could start the season on PUP and miss the first six games, but head coach Jason Garrett said the Cowboys actually exercised patience in waiting as long as they did to bring the fifth-year player out of North Texas back.
"Lance has been doing such a good job," Garrett said, "to the point where we had to have discipline to say, 'Let's keep him on PUP here for a little while longer' because he was doing so well in his rehab.
"It was a serious injury he had, and he's worked very hard to come back. We had to be very deliberate in saying, 'Let's keep him out.' Now we feel like it's the right time to bring him back. ...We're excited to have him back. He's an awfully good football player."
