Cowboys’ guard Robert Jones breaks bone in neck, reportedly will miss multiple months

The Dallas Cowboys have to shake up their offensive line rotation in the second week of training camp, as one of their offensive guards went down with an injury that will keep him on the sidelines through the start of the regular season. Robert Jones broke a bone in his neck during practice on Sunday, and is expected to miss two to three months, per ESPN. 

The Middle Tennessee product signed a one-year deal with Dallas in free agency after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Miami Dolphins. Last year, he started in all 17 games at left guard for Tua Tagovailoa. 

Jones actually took first-team snaps for the first time on Saturday, with No. 12 overall pick Tyler Booker taking over on second team, per The Dallas Morning News.

“I’m just out here and doing whatever the team needs me to do,” Jones said. “Whether I come out and the coach says I go out with the ones, if coach says I’m with the twos, I’m with the twos. If he says three, I’m with the threes. I’m out here to play football, no egos. Wherever he want me to go, I’ll go.”

This unfortunate development opens the door for Booker to claim a spot among the “starting five.” The Alabama product reportedly worked with the first-team offense during the early days of offseason workouts, and now should have that chance again. 

Booker was the Cowboys’ second-highest drafted offensive lineman in the common draft era, behind Tyron Smith in 2011, and he’s one of three offensive linemen selected by Dallas with its last four first-round picks. He allowed two sacks on 979 career pass-blocking snaps in college, and will now have the chance to replace the legendary Zack Martin.