40 Mike Weber RB

A recent MRI revealed no ligament damage in Weber's knee and the running back returned to practice with full participation both Wednesday and Thursday, Nick Eatman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

Weber was held out of the last couple days of rookie minicamp earlier this month with a knee injury that at one point was thought to potentially require surgery. The Ohio State product has since returned to both individual and team drills in the first leg of OTAs this week and appears ready to compete for the No. 2 running back job in Dallas. Weber, a seventh-round pick, will primarily compete with fellow rookie and fourth-round pick Tony Pollard along with veteran Darius Jackson.

Weber (knee) hopes to avoid surgery, but he may eventually need an arthroscopic procedure if his injury doesn't improve with rest, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

The rookie seventh-round pick had an MRI on his sore right knee after leaving the field early during Saturday's practice at rookie minicamp. Weber is hoping to compete with Darius Jackson and fellow rookie Tony Pollard (a fourth-round pick) for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind workhorse Ezekiel Elliot. The Cowboys still have plenty of time to bring in veteran competition before training camp, though most of the recognizable names on the market have serious concerns regarding age and/or injury.

Weber left Saturday's rookie minicamp with a knee injury that will require an MRI, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The seventh-round pick did attend the afternoon portion of rookie practice, but didn't participate. Weber was supposed to be a fairly impactful member of the Cowboys' backfield as the team attempts to lessen Ezekiel Elliott's workload, so any type of injury could be difficult for both player and team.

The Cowboys selected Weber in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 218th overall.

Weber (5-foot-10, 211 pounds) was never a star at Ohio State, but he was a reliable and occasionally explosive producer over the last three years, turning 455 carries into 2,676 yards (5.9 YPC) and 24 touchdowns while adding 54 receptions for 297 yards and a touchdown. That pass-catching production is quite underwhelming, but Weber seems comfortable handling blitz pickup and otherwise has a 4.47-second 40 providing legitimate NFL speed. No one is challenging Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas, but Weber can contribute snaps if necessary.