Things are going well for the Cowboys, who have a young rookie quarterback playing well and a record of 3-1 a quarter of the way into the season. But it's not all perfect -- the Cowboys are losing a starting offensive lineman already.
Second-year guard La'el Collins is going to be out for the year, according to Todd Archer of ESPN, and will undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right big toe.
Collins suffered the toe injury against the Bears in Week 2.
He'll be replaced by Ronald Leary in the starting lineup, which makes for a fascinating look back at what-if history for the Cowboys.
When Tony Romo went down in the preseason, rumors were flying about Dallas eying a potential trade for veteran quarterback Josh McCown (even the Cowboys didn't know what they had in Dak Prescott, who has played incredibly well for a rookie thus far).
The price for McCown? It was going to be Leary, and the Cowboys reportedly decided to turn down that deal.
Had they made the trade, they Cowboys have some secure depth at the quarterback position, but an awkward log jam with Romo potentially returning around Week 8 or Week 9, depending on how he heels and how antsy the Cowboys are to bring him back. (Read: what their record is at the time he's healthy enough to play.)
And they wouldn't have Leary capable of sliding right into the starting lineup when Collins went down. This team will go as far as the offensive line can take it. Based on how Prescott and rookie Ezekiel Elliott have looked in the last couple of weeks, that's pretty far.
Having the depth looks like a very smart move at this point in time.
