The Cowboys know they won’t have linebacker Rolando McClain for the first four games of the season and defensive end Greg Hardy is waiting to hear the results of his appeal of a 10-game suspension, which will put some added pressure on the rest of the defenders in the first month-plus of the 2015 season.
Defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford is one of those players and the Cowboys are bullish about his chances to help them navigate that stretch of the schedule. Crawford became a starter at the three-technique last season after missing 2013 with an Achilles injury and helped the Cowboys outperform low expectations for their defense.