GOING ON PUP, MISSING FIRST 6 GAMES A POSSIBILITY FOR RATLIFF
Posted 1 hour ago
IRVING, Texas – All summer long and especially into training camp, the Cowboys have been rather vague about
Jay Ratliff’s injury. Still, it always seemed he would be ready for the Sept. 8 opener against the Giants.
However, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.
In fact, when the Cowboys trim the roster down to 75 players by Tuesday afternoon before the 3 p.m. (CST) deadline, Ratliff could very well be placed on Reserve/PUP (Physically Unable to Perform). That move would prevent Ratliff from returning to the team until the seventh game of the season, when the Cowboys face the Eagles in Philly.
The Cowboys must get down from 87 to 75 players. While about 10 players are expected to be cut, the team can also place
Tyrone Crawford (torn Achilles) on injured reserve. That frees up a spot, as would moving Ratliff to PUP.
The rules of PUP state players must sit out at least six games before being place on the active roster. However, players who aren’t quite ready to return can at least practice for three weeks before the team must decide whether to activate him, put him on IR for the rest of the season or outright release him.
Ratliff initially suffered a hamstring strain during the conditioning test on July 20, the day after the Cowboys arrived in Oxnard, Calif. However, the four-time Pro Bowler is apparently dealing with more than the hamstring. The groin injury that eventually required sports hernia surgery last December seems to be a factor once again.
When asked about Ratliff’s injuries, head coach Jason Garrett has been generic in his answers, stating Ratliff is “day-to-day” and “continues to get better.” Team owner/GM Jerry Jones said after Saturday’s game with the Bengals that Ratliff indeed has more than the hamstring injury and made it seem like the rehab work will overflow into the regular season.
“We’re not ready, and he’s not ready, at this juncture to get out there,’’ Jones said Saturday night of Ratliff. “We are having to really feel our way. We’ve got to keep an eye on his strength as far as coming out too early.’’
Now that PUP is an option, it’s becoming clear the Cowboys can’t afford to count on Ratliff until close to the midway point in the season.
In the four preseason games, veteran
Nick Hayden has started inside at defensive tackle, next to
Jason Hatcher. Hayden’s play has been impressive enough for him to leapfrog
Sean Lissemore on the depth chart. As it stands now, Hayden and Hatcher will likely start against the Giants on Sept. 8, with Lissemore and
Ben Bass providing depth in the middle.
It has been a tumultuous 12-months for Ratliff, who battled through foot injuries last year in camp before a high-ankle sprain sidelined him the first four games of the 2012 season. After he played games, Ratliff then had the sports hernia injury and missed the last six games. After one of those games, Ratliff and Jerry Jones reportedly had a heated exchange of words in the locker room.
In January, Ratliff was arrested on DWI charges. Just last week his hearing date was pushed back to next February, likely ensuring he won’t face any team or league suspensions this season.
But as it appears now, there is a good chance Ratliff will be off the field for injury reasons.
nikkas.
