Nate

Livings

The Cowboys continue to seek help on the interior of their offensive line. They signed Mackenzy Bernadeau earlier Wednesday and still have Kyle Kosier under contract. Livings has started every game at left guard for the Bengals over the last two seasons and will be 30 on Friday. Livings also has a visit scheduled with the Rams.

The exodus of starters from Cincinnati continues. The deal reportedly includes $6.2 million guaranteed. Livings started all 32 games for the Bengals the past two seasons, though he did grade out as one of the league’s poorer left guards by Pro Football Focus in 2011.

Livings returned from the locker room and is questionable to go back in the game. He’s been Dallas’ top interior lineman the first two weeks. Livings returned to the game in the second quarter.

He’s still expected to be ready for Dallas’ offseason conditioning program. Signed to a five-year, $19 million contract last March, Livings was the Cowboys’ lone reliable interior offensive lineman, performing well across 16 starts.

The Cowboys converted $4.56 million of Witten’s $5.5 million 2013 base salary into a bonus. LG Nate Livings also had his deal restructured as the Cowboys are working hard to free up some money. Witten remains under contract through 2017, when he’ll be 35 years old.

Livings, 31, started all 16 games last season and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best left guard. He also recently restructured his contract to help the Cowboys clear some cap space. Livings is under contract for $815,000 this season. He’s not going anywhere.

Livings needed further surgery on his troublesome right knee in early August. The Cowboys weren’t willing to wait as they’ve gone with Ronald Leary at left guard. Livings signed a five-year, $18.7 million contract with the Cowboys in March of 2012. The deal included $6.2 million guaranteed.

He underwent a knee scope earlier this month and was questionable for Week 1. Livings had already lost his starting left guard spot to Ronald Leary, so the Cowboys didn’t deem him worthy enough of a roster spot while he’s sidelined.

Both players suffered the minor injuries last week, but they’re not expected to miss significant time. Livings is coming off a season in which he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 6 overall guard, and Leary’s name is in the mix to start at right guard if he can unseat veteran Mackenzy Bernadeau.

It will be Livings’ second surgery on the right knee in the past six months. The 31-year-old aggravated his balky knee in OTAs, and then re-aggravated it early in training camp. Livings’ roster spot is in grave danger. It seemed the team was already moving away from him even before he went down. The Cowboys have just four healthy interior linemen heading into Sunday’s preseason opener.