7 Dallas Cowboys Who Cannot Get Hurt in 2012

Injuries can strike a team at any time in any sport. It's a byproduct of the competitive nature of sports in general, but no greater impact is felt than in the game of football. The Dallas Cowboys are no exception when it comes to the injury department, and the impact of it was felt as recent as the 2010 season, with the loss of Tony Romo.

For the Cowboys, if injuries were to occur to one of their vital components, where would it sting the most, and how would you rank it? More importantly, would the Cowboys even have the depth to sustain these injuries?

While the salary cap doesn't allow teams to stack the deck anymore, both vitality and depth often become important factors when you analyze the likelihood of injuries. It's a scary proposition to even discuss or fathom the concept of losing a superstar player to injury.

Unfortunately, in the NFL, it's not only a reality, but it's a blueprint of what can go wrong for a team in any given season. For many teams, including the Cowboys, it's more of a reality check.

Let's highlight several key performers for the Cowboys who could not afford to get hurt in the 2012 season. Call it a hypothetical situation, but it's still a danger that lurks. 

DeMarcus Ware

Losing Ware to injury would be catastrophic for this team. Just think of how opposing offenses would game-plan for the Cowboys knowing that Ware would not be around. Regardless of how the Cowboys have upgraded the secondary, this team and any team for that matter, needs to be able to throw fastballs at the opposing quarterback.

Can this team rely solely on Anthony Spencer, Victor Butler and Kyle Wilber to strike fear into the opposition? I think it's a relatively easy answer. Ware is such a rare player and a force on defense that he must be accounted for on every snap, and his production would be impossible to replace.

Without Ware, this defense would be have a complete change in complexion that not even Rob Ryan could mask with any type of disguise.

You simply don't replace a DeMarcus Ware.

Tony Romo

I'm sure Cowboys fans feel more comfortable with the arrival of Kyle Orton as the backup quarterback, but this team can't afford to lose Tony Romo. The critics of Romo's game are still plentiful, but for this team to truly thrive, Romo needs to be at the helm.

I like the addition of Orton and would feel comfortable if he were thrust into action, but Romo proved a lot in 2011 and showed us the type of quarterback that he has evolved into. He's as talented and competitive as any quarterback in the league, and with better protection, Romo should produce even better results. 

Tyron Smith / Doug Free

I have no choice but to group Smith and Free together, simply because of the premium placed on the offensive tackle position. With little unproven depth behind these two players, it makes losing either of them even more hard to imagine.

Smith, who had a standout rookie season while playing against some of the most elite pass rushers in the game, has the ability to become the best tackle in the league very quickly. For a player who is only 21 years old, he now has the task of protecting Romo's blindside as he and Free have switched positions. 

Losing Smith and having to rely on Jermey Parnell, Pat McQuistan, Levy Adcock or Jeff Adams is a frightening proposition. 

Free, although having a subpar 2011 campaign, has been a solid player for this team, and he earned his starting position after developing his game. The Cowboys now have two young, Pro Bowl-caliber offensive linemen that make for a formidable pair.

If either of these players caught the injury bug, it would affect this team on so many levels.

Jason Witten

Witten has been a rock of dependability for the Cowboys for many seasons. It's hard to imagine this offense without Witten for a significant time frame or to believe that John Phillips is ready to step up and be a major contributor if needed.

It's not disrespect towards Phillips, but he hasn't shown the same promise that he displayed prior to tearing his ACL. Hopefully now that few seasons have passed, he's ready to prove what he's capable of in the hope of providing a complement to this offense.

Witten's durability has been nothing short of astonishing, considering how hard he plays the game. But it's that fact alone that worries me into believing that an injury might occur. The Cowboys may need to keep a close watch on some tight end possibilities if Phillips and Hanna disappoint in camp and in the preseason. 

Brandon Carr

Many people might think Morris Claiborne should be the bigger concern, but losing Carr would send a ripple effect throughout this defense. The revamping of their secondary should be greatly applauded, but losing Carr and having to over-rely on Claiborne might prove to be a tall order for the talented rookie.

Carr, who signed a contract that will average $10 million annually, was brought to Dallas to be the leader of this vastly improved secondary and to provide his play-making abilities—the type of play-making abilities that this team sorely lacked last season.  

This is where the Mike Jenkins situation could be a key factor if the Cowboys were to lose Carr to injury. If Jenkins stays as an insurance policy, although a disgruntled one, then this team can still field a pair of dynamite corners. If he gets traded, and the Cowboys lose Carr, it will greatly impact Rob Ryan's plans.

The Cowboys finally have the secondary that the fans have been yearning for. Now let's see it fire on all cylinders.

Miles Austin

Miles Austin endured a tough 2011 season while battling multiple hamstring injuries that limited his contributions to this offense. At times it was very visible that he lacked the explosiveness previously demonstrated in his game.

The Cowboys not only need Austin to regain his form, but they need him to stay healthy to do so. Losing Austin's significant playing time will hurt this offense in so many ways. With the No. 3 through No. 5 wide receiver spots still up for grabs and Dez Bryant's recent off the field drama overshadowing his abilities, the Cowboys would be losing a dependable target for Tony Romo and a talented player.

With many questions still surrounding the wide receiver corps, the last thing that the Cowboys would need is an injury to Austin. While Dez Bryant is talented enough and capable of owning the No. 1 receiver spot, he could also face suspension from Mr. Goodell for current and  future shenanigans.

That is simply too risky when you're trying to make a playoff push.

Sean Lee

Lee's rise to stardom has been a blessing for this team. Limited by injuries in his rookie season, Lee flourished in 2011 and demonstrated why he's a leader in this defense. His ability to read the guards and center to sniff out running plays and shoot gaps is a sign of just how instinctive and intelligent he is.

He gets such tremendous depth in his drops that he was able to intercept four passes last season and showed a propensity for making plays and constantly being around the ball.

The Cowboys have done some addition and subtraction at the inside linebacker spot, but Lee will be relied upon heavily and deservedly so. When he played through his injury last year but was not at full strength, this defense struggled mightily.

With Bruce Carter at full strength and the additions of Dan Connor and Caleb McSurdy, the depth is not an alarming concern. But losing Lee to any type of long-term injury would bring into question just how ready any of these players are to step into his role.