Wide receiver Dez Bryant is expected to see just a little bit of playing time in Monday’s preseason opener against the Raiders. Coach Jason Garrett said before kickoff that Bryant would get “a few snaps” despite suffering a minor hamstring tweak that forced him out of Saturday’s practice.
Bryant has been on the field in warm-ups, and he said he would play -- but it’s not his call to make.
Bryant has been injury-prone in the first two years of his career, missing five games as a rookie and then one last year. He was one of two game-time decisions for the Cowboys Monday night. First-round pick Morris Claiborne is not expected to play because of knee injury that has limited him during the last week.
Left at home: Aside from the game-time decisions, the Cowboys had 15 players that never made the trip to Oakland, staying back in Oxnard, Calif., to rest injuries.
Those players include WR Miles Austin (hamstring) OLB Anthony Spencer (hamstring), DE Jason Hatcher (hamstring), C Phil Costa (back), CB Mike Jenkins (shoulder), DT Jay Ratliff (foot), G Nate Livings (hamstring), TE John Phillips (ankle) and RB Phillip Tanner (hand).
Familiar faces: The Cowboys will square off against three former players on the Raiders’ roster, including two who were in training camp with the Cowboys last year. CB Bryan McCann actually played in the opener for the Cowboys before being released and picked up by Oakland. RB Lonyae Miller was expected to make the team last year but faded toward the end of the preseason. And snapper Jon Condo played for the Cowboys in 2005 before being cut and picked up by Oakland.
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