That news means the Romo-or-Dak Prescott debate will be put off at least one more week. Prescott, a rookie who has led the Cowboys to a 7-1 record so far this season, has played well in Romo’s absence, throwing for 2,020 yards, 12 touchdowns and only two interceptions.

Romo has been out since breaking a bone in his back during the preseason, but has been practicing.

For the Steelers, tight end Ladarius Green will be making his season debut.

Here’s a full list of each team’s inactive players for Sunday’s games.

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SAN FRANCISCO AT ARIZONA

49ers: RB Mike Davis, TE Je’Ron Hamm, DT Chris Jones, LB Aaron Lynch, QB Christian Ponder, CB Rashard Robinson, OT John Theus.

Cardinals: WR Chris Hubert, S Tyrann Mathieu, DT Robert Nkemdiche, DT Olsen Pierre, CB Tharold Simon, DE Ed Stinson, OG Cole Toner

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PITTSBURGH AT DALLAS

Steelers: WR Markus Wheaton, WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, RB DeAngelo Williams, S Jordan Dangerfield, DE LT Walton, QB Zach Mettenberger, OL Brian Mihalik.

Cowboys: QB Tony Romo, CB Morris Claiborne, RB Darius Jackson, S Barry Church, LB Mark Nzeocha, T Chaz Green, DE Benson Mayowa.

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MIAMI AT SAN DIEGO

Dolphins: CB Jordan Lucas, CB Xavien Howard, CB Chris Culliver, DE Nick Williams, DE Terence Fede, T Sam Young, TE Thomas Duarte.

Chargers: WR Travis Benjamin, S Jahleel Addae, LB Denzel Perryman, LB Jatavis Brown, C Max Tuerk, WR Geremy Davis, WR Jeremy Butler.

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KANSAS CITY AT CAROLINA

Chiefs: QB Tyler Bray, WR Jeremy Maclin, CB D.J. White, RB Bishop Sankey, LB Justin Houston, OL Mike Person, DL Jaye Howard.

Panthers: RB Cameron Artis-Payne, S Colin Jones, LB Shaq Thompson, C Ryan Kalil, LT Michael Oher, DT Kyle Love, TE Chris Manhertz.

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LOS ANGELES AT NEW YORK JETS

Rams: QB Sean Mannion, DB Dwayne Gratz, G Jamon Brown, OT Pace Murphy, TE Temarrick Hemingway, WR Nelson Spruce, DE Matt Longacre.

Jets: QB Christian Hackenberg, C Nick Mangold, WR Devin Smith, CB Marcus Williams, LB Bruce Carter, OT Brandon Shell, LB Josh Martin

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MINNESOTA AT WASHINGTON

Vikings: QB Taylor Heinicke, WR Laquon Treadwell, CB Captain Munnerlyn, CB Marcus Sherels, G Willie Beavers, G Zac Kerin, DT Sharrif Floyd.

Redskins: QB Nate Sudfeld, WR DeSean Jackson, RB Matt Jones, DL Jordan Hill, OL Blaine Clausell, OL Arie Kouandjio, DL Matt Ioannidis.

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HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

Texans: NT Vince Wilfork, WR Will Fuller, WR Jaelen Strong, CB A.J. Bouye, RB Jonathan Grimes, QB Brandon Weeden, LB Brian Peters.

Jaguars: QB Brandon Allen, RB Corey Grant, CB Josh Johnson, DE Chris Smith, WR Bryan Walters, OL Bryce Harris, DT Richard Ash.

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GREEN BAY AT TENNESSEE

Packers: CB Damarious Randall, RB Don Jackson, LB Clay Matthews, OT Kyle Murphy, TE Jared Cook, DT Christian Ringo, C J.C. Tretter.

Titans: WR Tre McBride, RB David Fluellen, DB Curtis Riley, OLB Aaron Wallace, OG Sebastian Tretola, TE Jace Amaro, DL Al Woods.

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ATLANTA AT PHILADELPHIA

Falcons: CB Desmond Trufant, RB Tevin Coleman, TE Jacob Tamme, RB Stevan Ridley, S Sharrod Neasman, RG Wes Schweitzer, DL Cliff Matthews.

Eagles: S Terrence Brooks, DE Steven Means, LB Kamu Grugier-Hill, OL Josh Andrews, OL Dillon Gordon, OL Allen Barbre, DT Taylor Hart.

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DENVER AT NEW ORLEANS

Broncos: CB Aqib Talib, CB Taurean Nixon, RB Juwan Thompson, G Connor McGovern, G Billy Turner, DE Derek Wolfe, QB Austin Davis.

Saints: RB Marcus Murphy, RB Daniel Lasco, LB Stephone Anthony, LB Michael Mauti, LT Terron Armstead, G Landon Turner, WR Tommylee Lewis

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CHICAGO AT TAMPA BAY

Bears: CB Deiondre’ Hall; DB DeAndre Houston-Carson; DB Bryce Callahan; LB John Timu; OL Eric Kush; TE Daniel Brown; DL Mitch Unrein

Buccaneers: QB Ryan Griffin; RB Jacquizz Rodgers; G Kevin Pamphile; T Leonard Wester; C Joe Hawley; DE Channing Ward; WR Russell Shepard.

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For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

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The 36-year-old Romo ran with the scout team in practice Wednesday. Rookie Dak Prescott remains the starter with the Cowboys (7-1) surging to the best record in the NFC with a seven-game winning streak.

Dallas visits Pittsburgh (4-4) on Sunday.

Coach Jason Garrett said the starting quarterback gets almost all the reps with the first team in practice, and that plan was no different this week.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who went 13-0 in the regular season as the starter when he was a rookie in 2004, said it would be ”really hard to kind of change that position” with the Cowboys rolling the way they are.

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For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

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The 36-year-old Romo worked in several individual drills in shorts and a T-shirt with his teammates in full pads. While he almost certainly won’t play against Philadelphia on Sunday, it’s the biggest step in his latest return from injury.

The Cowboys (5-1) have won five straight with Dak Prescott, who is set to face fellow rookie starter Carson Wentz of the Eagles.

Romo was the third quarterback for each drill behind Prescott and veteran backup Mark Sanchez. Romo appeared to be throwing at full velocity, and also dropped back and threw a few passes on the run. He was listed as a non-participant on the practice report.

Before practice, coach Jason Garrett’s answer was the same it has been for weeks now: Romo is progressing well in his rehab. Garrett made no mention of Romo joining individual drills. Romo wasn’t in the locker room when it was open to reporters.

”We’ll just take it day by day,” Garrett said, repeating another familiar refrain. ”He’s had some good days of rehab though lately.”

Prescott said Romo’s work wasn’t much different than other practice days, although joining the early throwing sessions was new.

”He’s looked sharp every time he’s out there,” Prescott said. ”That’s a vet that takes care of himself, going to get back healthy. He’s doing all the right things to do that.”

Garrett has steadfastly declined to address what will happen when Romo is ready to return. The surprising Prescott, a fourth-round pick, is fifth in the NFL in passer rating at 103.9.

The Cowboys, who went 1-11 last year when Romo was out with a twice-broken left collarbone, are tied with Minnesota for the best record in the NFC.

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Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL

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He doesn’t figure to miss any important action with the minor infection, particularly considering he once finished a game with cracked ribs and a punctured lung. But it has become something of a curiosity.

”I guess the quirky nature of it is it keeps coming back,” coach Jason Garrett said. ”But he’ll be fine.”

Romo won’t play again until the season opener Sept. 13 at home against the New York Giants after throwing for two touchdowns in a 28-14 preseason loss to Minnesota on Saturday. The final exhibition game Thursday night against Houston will be reserved mostly for backups.

But the 35-year-old Romo likely wouldn’t need any recovery time anyway.

”We all know he’s a tough dude,” said backup Brandon Weeden, who was sidelined last week by a concussion but is planning to play against the Texans. ”So I think he can handle a little bump on his eye.”

And it’s highly unlikely to affect his vision, said Dr. Sai Chavala of the University of North Texas Health Science Center. He said the only way it would be a problem is if the sty grew large enough to affect the eyeball.

”That would be very, very unlikely,” said Chavala, an ophthalmologist at the North Texas Eye Research Institute and the Retina Center of Texas. ”I would definitely say that it’s usually not visually threatening.”

A sty develops when oil glands that help keep eyes moist get clogged under the eyelid and the oil becomes infected. Chavala said some people can see a recurrence once they’ve had a sty. The best treatment to avoid a recurrence is washing the eye gently with baby shampoo.

”I would just say it’s a very common problem,” Chavala said. ”It’s one of the most common problems eye care providers encounter.”

Romo said after the Minnesota game he planned to see an ophthalmologist this week, and suggested he might have the sty removed. Chavala said that is an option through a small cut after the area around the eye is deadened with a painkiller. The cut drains the infected area, and an antibiotic is generally used to treat the infection as well.

The eye certainly wasn’t an issue for Romo against the Vikings. After getting just three snaps through the first two games combined, he was 5 of 8 for 88 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown to Terrance Williams.

Both scores – the other was to rookie Lucky Whitehead – came after three unproductive series to start the game, and he showed the same elusiveness he has throughout his career after his busiest offseason in three years following back surgeries that limited him in 2013 and 2014.

”It’s beneficial,” Romo said after the Minnesota game. ”The stuff you got to work on to get better individually. You need to play and you need to practice on those things. It’s a trial and error and you see if you are trying to hold up.”

NOTES: The Cowboys activated LB Rolando McClain off the physically unable to perform list. He was a limited participant in his first practice Monday. He will be inactive again starting next week because of his four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. … The Cowboys released WR Phil Bates, P Tom Hornsey, long snapper Casey Kreiter, CB Robert Steeples and DT Carlif Taylor. They are at 84 players heading into Tuesday, when rosters have to be cut to 75.

—

Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL

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Romo said after Thursday night’s 41-28 win against the Chicago Bears that he was playing with a broken rib. However, multiple sources say Romo misspoke and that he had torn rib cartilage, not a break.

The quarterback said he was unsure when he suffered the rib injury, but a source said it came when he took a big hit from Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner in the first series of the Cowboys’ 30-23 win Oct. 12. Romo did not miss a snap in that game.

According to the NFL’s injury report policy, “All players with significant or noteworthy injuries must be listed on the report, even if the player takes all the reps in practice, and even if the team is certain that he will play in the upcoming game.”

A team is subject to a fine if the league finds it did not comply with its injury report rules. In 2009, the New York Jets were assessed $125,000 in fines for failing to put quarterback Brett Favre on the injury report after he revealed he played the final month of the 2008 season with a torn biceps tendon.

Romo has been listed on the injury report all season because of his back.

Romo has had this kind of rib injury before, suffering it in the 2008 season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. He played through a broken rib and punctured lung suffered in a Week 2 win against the San Francisco 49ers in 2011.

Romo’s health has been a talking point the entire season. He had back surgery last December to repair a herniated disk and missed the final game of the season. He was limited throughout the offseason and in training camp. After the second game of the regular season, he altered his practice schedule, sitting out of Wednesdays in full weeks of preparation to build his core strength and rehab.

On Oct. 27, against the Washington Redskins, he suffered two transverse process fractures that kept him out of one game, a Nov. 2 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

He said after the win over the Bears that the fractures are all but healed and also said the ribs were feeling a lot better, too.

“It’ll be nice when it’s just about the back [surgery] instead of all the other junk,” Romo said.

Romo wears extra protection for his ribs and has a longer-than-normal plate to protect his surgically repaired back. He has 10 days to prepare for the Cowboys’ next game, which is Dec. 14 at Lincoln Financial Field against the Eagles.

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DeMarco Murray accounted for 105 yards during a busy half for Dallas, which entered with an NFL-best 5-0 road record. The dynamic running back had 16 carries for 65 yards and a score, and also had eight receptions for 40 yards.

Jay Cutler was 10 for 13 for 100 yards and a touchdown in the first half for Chicago. Brandon Marshall had three receptions for 61 yards, but was out for the rest of the game after leaving in the second quarter with a ribs injury.

Dallas jumped in front on Murray’s 1-yard TD run on fourth-and-goal with 10:53 left in the half. Murray also had a 4-yard run on fourth-and-1 from the Chicago 13.

Bruce Carter set up the 12-play drive when he got a hand on Patrick O’Donnell’s punt for Chicago late in the first quarter. The punt traveled 21 yards and was downed on the Dallas 49, giving the Cowboys a short field for their third drive of the game.

Chicago responded with an eight-play, 80-yard drive to tie it at 7. Marshall had a terrific, juggling one-handed catch for 42 yards and then a 15-yard reception on fourth-and-7 to the Dallas 15. But Marshall took a knee to his side from safety Barry Church on the last grab, forcing him from the game.

Cutler capped the drive with a 12-yard TD pass to a wide-open Martellus Bennett with 6:18 to go.

Romo was 17 for 21 for 123 yards in the first half, opting to check down for much of the first two quarters.

The Bears were looking for their fourth consecutive victory over the Cowboys, including wins in each of the previous two seasons. They also played a night game at Soldier Field last December, with Matt Forte helping Chicago to a 45-28 victory on a brutally cold Monday.

The weather was just fine for this one, with a game-time temperature of 35 degrees.

Forte had just 5 yards on six carries at the break after he had a disappointing performance last week in Detroit.

The prime-time matchup featured a pair of teams hoping to bounce back from an awful performance on Thanksgiving.

Dallas lost 33-10 to Philadelphia in an NFC East showdown, and it faces the division-leading Eagles again next Sunday in Philadelphia. The Cowboys had dropped three of five since a six-game win streak, with their only victories in the difficult stretch coming against the lowly Jaguars and Giants.

Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent played for the first time since his intoxication manslaughter conviction for his role in a December 2012 crash that killed teammate Jerry Brown. He was suspended for the first 10 games of the season, and then was inactive for the victory over New York and the home loss to the Eagles.

Chicago lost 34-17 at Detroit last Thursday, likely dashing any fleeting hope for an unlikely playoff berth. The Bears ran the ball just eight times for 13 yards against the Lions, with Forte matching a career low with five carries for 6 yards.

The Bears played without kicker Robbie Gould (right quadriceps) and defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff (knee), but receiver Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) and safety Chris Conte (eye) were available after being listed as questionable. Jay Feely, who signed with Chicago on Wednesday, handled the kicking duties.

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“We have nothing medically that would prevent him from playing,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Wednesday morning. “What I mean by that is there is nothing to his injury that won’t function.

“This is a function of pain tolerance, but it is a serious issue. You could look at people who had similar-type contusions or similar-type injury and haven’t played the next week, so that would cause you some concern.”

Romo needed surgery last December to repair a herniated disk that kept him out for the entire offseason and limited him in training camp and the preseason. Coach Jason Garrett said this latest injury is not related to Romo’s back surgery.

He took a knee to the back during the third quarter of Monday’s overtime loss to the Washington Redskins but was able to return after an X-ray proved negative and gaining medical clearance. He did receive a pain-killing injection before going back into the game.

Romo arrived early to the team’s Valley Ranch practice facility on Wednesday morning for treatment. He had a CT scan on Tuesday. He did not report pain in his legs.

A short turnaround between games could be Romo’s biggest issue in playing against the Cardinals. The Cowboys would have what Garrett called a “jog through” practice Wednesday before getting into a normal schedule on Thursday and Friday.

Romo has not participated in a Wednesday practice since Week 2, as he and the medical staff decided it was best for him to sit out a day to build his strength and make sure he was ready for game days.

In 2011, Romo played following a broken rib and punctured lung suffered in a Week 2 overtime win at San Francisco, but he had an extra day of rest with the Cowboys playing on “Monday Night Football.”

If Romo can’t play Sunday, Brandon Weeden would make his first start as a Cowboy and first since Week 13 last year. He posted a 5-15 record over two years as the Cleveland Browns starter.

In two series of work Monday against the Redskins, Weeden completed 4 of 6 passes for 69 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jason Witten that tied the score at 17 early in the fourth quarter.

After Sunday’s game against Arizona, the Cowboys will leave for London on Monday for their Nov. 9 meeting against the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the bye week after that game, Jones said the team has not had discussions about playing Romo this week and possibly sitting him against the Jaguars.

“The main thing is the tolerance,” Jones said. “We don’t know how impactful the soreness or impactful the stiffness would be on him. We don’t know that and won’t know that until probably as late as game time.”

The post Romo could be ready to play Sunday appeared first on IdealCapper.

That Jones delivered the update to coach Jason Garrett during the game has raised questions about why the owner and general manager was on the field.

“I think the ideal situation is to get it communicated as quickly as possible and he felt like he could do it,” Garrett said. “It wasn’t a big deal to me at all.”

Jones was with Cowboys’ athletic trainers and doctors as Romo was being examined in the locker room after taking a knee to the back from Washington linebacker Keenan Robinson. Romo missed two series of action but returned for the Cowboys’ final drive of regulation and their only possession in overtime.

Jones “indicated that the X-rays were negative and that as long as he was functional, he could be capable of playing in the game,” Garrett said.

Jones’ presence on the sideline has been a longtime consternation for observers in and around the league, but it is something he has done with every coach, even Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells, in his tenure as the team’s owner.

“Don’t worry about [how] things are being portrayed,” Garrett said.

Romo underwent tests Tuesday morning for a more complete look at his back. Garrett said Tuesday afternoon, however, that the team was still awaiting the results of the CT scan on Romo’s back.

On Monday, Romo spoke optimistically about being able to play Sunday.

“It’s just hard when you lose,” Romo said. “Obviously it’s the worst thing you feel like you go through. We’re disappointed about this game but we’re going to have to figure it out within 24 hours and move past it and move on to the next game. Obviously with the injury aspect of it, you feel like you may have dodged one from that regard. That’s why you do all the things you do to hopefully withstand stuff like that.”

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Deonte Thompson returned a kickoff 108 yards for a score after Romo threw a touchdown pass in his preseason debut for Dallas, Flacco had a scoring toss and the Ravens beat the Cowboys 37-30 on Saturday night.

The Ravens (2-0) also got a 26-yard fumble return for a touchdown when Courtney Upshaw picked up a botched handoff from Romo and stayed on his feet while Romo tried to drag him down by his jersey.

Romo’s final play was a 31-yard touchdown pass to Dez Bryant midway through the first quarter.

“He looked good,” Bryant said. “He wanted to show the world he is ‘9’ and he’s a baller.”

Dallas is 0-2 in the preseason.

Baltimore led 14-7 before Flacco took the field for the first time late in the first quarter. He threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Torrey Smith for a 24-10 lead late in the first half.

Romo was expected to take about a dozen snaps in first game since surgery for a herniated disk that kept him out of a loss to Philadelphia in playoffs-or-bust finale last December. That ended up being two possessions after a botched exchange with running back DeMarco Murray led to Upshaw’s score.

“My mindset was to pick it up quickly,” Upshaw said. “Romo was kind of trying to get out of the way, so I just took advantage and broke through his tackle to score a touchdown.”

Murray had 25 of his 34 yards rushing and a 21-yard catch on the next drive, which ended with Bryant leaping over Ravens cornerback Dominique Franks at the goal line and falling into the end zone.

Romo was 4 of 5 for 80 yards, and Bryant had three catches for 59 yards after both skipped the preseason-opening loss at San Diego, along with several other offensive and defensive starters.

“Some things came up that were a little different we hadn’t seen,” Romo said. “We were able to communicate and be on the same page and the receivers, me, the linemen. It just shows we are doing some going things and are further along than you might usually be this early.”

Thompson answered Romo’s touchdown by getting to the left sideline untouched and having only kicker Dan Bailey to beat, which he did easily around midfield to put the Ravens ahead for good. Thompson also had a 50-yard kickoff return.

Flacco had a rougher start than in Baltimore’s win over San Francisco in the exhibition opener, when he led an 80-yard scoring drive on his only possession. But he finished 9 of 14 for 133 yards and is 4-for-4 in getting points with first-year offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s version of the West Coast offense.

After a drive to the first of three field goals from Justin Tucker, Flacco’s only touchdown drive was kept alive by a roughing-the-passer penalty against George Selvie on a third-down incompletion. The Ravens scored two plays later after Flacco’s longest pass of the night — a 38-yard to Jacoby Jones — and Smith’s over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone despite tight coverage from rookie cornerback Terrance Mitchell.

Like Flacco, Romo backup Brandon Weeden wasn’t as smooth in his second preseason game. He underthrew Terrance Williams just enough to give Baltimore’s Chykie Brown a chance to break up what otherwise would have been a scoring pass and finished 10 of 19 for 129 yards with a sack and an interception.

The Ravens gave up 184 yards and 11 first downs with their first team on the field in the first quarter, including Romo’s 83-yard scoring drive. But the backups were solid for a team looking for depth on a unit struggling with injuries.

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The move costs the Cowboys $10.6 million, but it is possible the sides could work out a long-term deal, according to Spencer’s agent, Jordan Woy.

“We will be working on a long-term deal,” Woy said. “Anthony played very well last season and he would like to know he has a home here for several years.”

However, it is also possible the Cowboys could look to trade Spencer for draft picks.

Spencer had a career-high 11 sacks in 2012 and was named to the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement. Spencer led the Cowboys with 95 tackles, and his eight tackles for loss and 26 quarterback pressures were second on the team.

He reached double digits in sacks last season for the first time in his career while only playing in 14 games. He even took over the play calling later in the season due to injuries to Sean Lee and Bruce Carter.

Spencer will move to defensive end with the Cowboys switching to the 4-3 scheme this year, if he remains on the roster. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones hinted at the NFL scouting combine that Spencer does not have the preferred size for Monte Kiffin’s scheme.

Spencer played defensive end at Purdue.

Jones also said Spencer’s price on a long-term deal would be too expensive for the team’s liking, but added there would be a reasonable way to keep him. While the franchise tag is costly, it is not unreasonable.

The Cowboys will have to restructure more contracts to get under the $123 million cap by March 12 and have worked out agreements to do so with defensive tackle Jay Ratliff and guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau. Cornerback Orlando Scandrick and quarterback Kyle Orton could also have their deals re-worked.

The Cowboys would like to sign Tony Romo to a new deal, which would knock down his $16.8 million cap figure, but have not had substantive talks as of yet.

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