Cowboys OL Cam Erving missed practice Friday with a medical issue

The Dallas Cowboys were without their starting right tackle on Friday

As we’ve seen in recent years, the Dallas Cowboys’ main strength is their offense. But the success of quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott hinges on the stability on the offensive line. With training camp underway, the Cowboys were short a hogmolly during Friday drills.

According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, offensive tackle Cam Erving was absent from practice as he dealt with a minor medical issue unrelated to COVID-19.

Erving brought to Dallas to be depth option

The Cowboys were in need for some depth along the offensive line this offseason, especially after swing tackle Cameron Fleming opted to sign with the New York Giants. So, the Cowboys turned to Erving this past May and gave him a one-year, $2.5 million contract, where he’s guaranteed $2 million.

Erving was a 2015 first round pick by the Cleveland Browns out of Florida State. He didn’t impress much through his first two seasons due to a variety of injuries, causing Cleveland to trade him to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017. During his time with the Chiefs, Erving played mostly at guard, but filled in for Eric Fisher at left tackle for eight games last season. He capped off his Kansas City career by winning Super Bowl LIV.

This past season, Erving received a 44.8 grade by Pro Football Focus, where he allowed five sacks and accumulated seven penalties on 589 snaps.

The Cowboys have always prided themselves in having ridiculous depth at the o-line in recent years. It’s even more important now, as starting left tackle Tyron Smith three games every year for the past four years and right tackle La’el Collins missed a game last season due to a knee injury. In the NFL, you can never have too much depth at the offensive line.

Hopefully, the injury to Erving isn’t too serious and that he can return to the field soon. If there’s one positive, it’s that it’s not related to the coronavirus. We’ll continue to keep you posted on Erving’s status once the team or player provide details.