Cowboys CB Kelvin Joseph Back at Practice; Starting Role vs. New Vets Mackensie Alexander & Kendall Sheffield?

Says Cowboys special-teams coordinator Bones Fassel of Kelvin Joseph: "If he can match his great physical skills with his growing mental skills, then you’ll see a really good defensive back.”

FRISCO - Kelvin Joseph's week just got a little better ... because he's apparently feeling a lot better.

Second-year cornerback Joseph will now be stepping into the Sunday spotlight in the wake of starter Anthony Brown's season-ending injury. The Cowboys believe this can work - “Kelvin’s extremely talented,'' coach Mike McCarthy said - but on Wednesday, Joseph was unavailable for practice due to an illness.

Fortunately for him and for the Cowboys as they prep for Sunday's visit from the lowly Houston Texans, Joseph is back at work here inside The Star on Thursday.

Maybe also fortunately for Dallas, the Texans are 1-10-1 and may be missing both of their starting receivers. In that sense, Joseph might sort of be "eased'' into the job.

But the demands will come, eventually. And so might some competition. ... including not only from other young guys on the roster, but also from a pair of veteran newcomers, Mackensie Alexander and Kendall Sheffield.

Those two recent signees have skins on the wall. Maybe they wait in the shadows ...

But the Cowboys have wanted Joseph - despite his off-field issue involving an investigation into the March 18 shooting death of Cameron Ray, 20, an incident of which police eventually cleared him of any wrongdoing - to win a starting job.

Said special-teams coordinator Bones Fassel: "If he can match his great physical skills with his growing mental skills, then you’ll see a really good defensive back.”

“I’m Kelvin Joseph,'' Joseph said earlier this season. “I’m a child of God. I’m a son. I’m a father to a son. I’m a leader. I’m a learner. And most of all, I’m a smart kid, and I’m not a troublemaker or somebody who is just going to cause problems or do anything like that.''

Now fate has handed him the opportunity to prove all of that.

“This is a huge opportunity for him,'' McCarthy said, "and we’re counting on him to step up.”

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