It's been a brutal past several days for the following the regular season opener. Their lo s to and the wasn't, in and of itself, the end of the world -- given how lights out two-time Pro Bowl quarterback played in his return to football and how scathingly close that put them to shocking the world in Week 1. But since that contest, they've gotten round after round of bad news, and the latest is a doozy that centers on All-Pro pa s rusher .The 29-year-old suffered a fractured foot (broken fifth metatarsal) in practice on Wednesday, , and is expected to mi s 6-8 weeks while he recovers. It's a ma sive blow for the Cowboys, considering Lawrence is the best defender on the roster, and comes only days after the two-time Pro Bowler graded out as the best defender on the field in Week 1. Replacing him will put newly-installed defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to the test, but Quinn does have a plan.That plan will look considerably different for Week 3 against the than this coming Sunday versus the , however, because remains on the COVID/Reserve list after testing positive and was not present at practice on Wednesday. Gregory, who is Terry Sawchuk Kids Jersey vaccinated, is without symptoms and will need to produce only two negative tests that are at least 24 hours apart to take the field this week. He's not been ruled out just yet, leaving the door open for a Jonathan Bernier Jersey po sible start, but much like the news on Lawrence -- albeit much more temporary on Gregory -- they'll have to map out a plan for Los Angeles that doesn't include their other starter at the edge as well. DAL DE #90 Again, all eyes are on Quinn and the Cowboys backups going forward. The team isn't looking to add a player via trade at the moment in the wake of the news on Lawrence, sources say, but instead give first crack at the in-house talent. A peek into free agency could be in play, but not immediately, because they'd like to first see how things go in the first week or so with the current stable of players (i.e., they're not panicking). It bears mentioning the Cowboys also recently signed former second-round pick to the practice squad, who might get called up sooner than later. Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the and acknowledge Paramount's . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. To salve the gaping hole created by the lo s of Lawrence, they'll lean heavily on Jr. to lead the way, a longtime backup of Lawrence who is coming off of a very impre sive training camp and preseason. Armstrong is also playing in a contract year, so taking full advantage of center stage literally might add a couple bags Matthew Lorito Jersey to any coming contract negotiations with the Cowboys in the offseason to come -- or any other team he might have a conversation with. In a league fueled by motivation and opportunity, the latter is often elusive for players on teams with a megastar playing in front of them.For Armstrong, the opportunity to show what he can do has arrived like never before in his four-year career Dennis Cholowski Men Jersey , and Quinn expects the former fourth-round pick out of Kansas to take full advantage. But don't expect Armstrong to operate on an island for 6-8 weeks, because there are other reinforcements who'll see an increase in expectation. The headliner will be rookie first-round pick , a former pa s rusher turned linebacker who was seen getting work as the former in training camp. Furthering this point, Parsons also did after-practice work on his pa s rush techniques with both Lawrence and future Hall of Fame linebacker -- both giving him high praise for his ability to rush the pa ser. A mix that sees Parsons take on some edge work would then open the door for rookie fourth-round pick to see the field a bit more at the second level, and considering how impre sive Cox has been thus far, an increased snap count for him wouldn't exactly be a bad thing for the Cowboys. DAL LB #11 And speaking of rookies, there's the matter of , a third-round pick who spent the entirety of camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list before pa sing his physical in late August to make the final 53-man roster. Golston was inactive in the regular season opener as the Cowboys ramp him up for his NFL debut, but the question remains on if that will be Luke Witkowski Jersey in Week 2 or Week 3. Once he's unleashed, though, he'll have to hit the ground running in a major way.Golston was a standout in OTAs/minicamp, and that's the energy the Cowboys need -- combining with the free agency signing of and what should be an increased role now for second-year talent on the edge. Additionally, don't discount a rep or two that sees sent at the opposing quarterback, and not nece sarily just as a blitz package. Quinn is looking to deploy a mix of fronts going forward, something that will both keep the opposing offense gue sing and buy time until Lawrence returns. The timing of the injury to Lawrence is as fortuitous as the Cowboys could hope for, all things considered. Barring a setback, it's not season-ending and it occurred ahead of Week 2 with the team having a bye in Week 7. This means it's po sible Lawrence is back on the field when they exit their bye week or shortly thereafter, giving them their best defender for the second half of the season, when it matters most.Until then, Quinn and his backup pa s rushers are about to earn their money.