Unable to reach an agreement on a re-worked contract, the Cowboys decided to part ways with five-time Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode. Gurode, a second-round pick in 2002, had been the longest-tenured member of the team. He was scheduled to make $5.5 million in 2011 and was signed through 2012.

Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett could miss the season opener against the Jets and possibly more games with a right high-ankle sprain. Bennett, who sprained the ankle in the third quarter of Saturday night's preseason game against the Vikings, is expected to miss two to four weeks. With Bennett out, the two main tight ends are starter Jason Witten and John Phillips, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL.

Andre Gurode has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last five seasons, but the veteran center isn't guaranteed a spot on the final roster of the Cowboys. Dallas owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he would have a meeting with Gurode, who did not play Saturday night in Minnesota, and his agent, Kennard McGuire, on Sunday. "It's a cap issue," Jones said. "And he's healthy. This is the time to talk about it. He's had good competition there. There's alternatives for us there so we're going to sit down and talk about and see what we might work out. It's not one thing disciplinary." Gurode is scheduled to make $5.5 million this season and count $7.16 million against the cap. Should he be cut or traded, the Cowboys would save $5.5 million against the cap this year and have a $1.66 million charge in dead money in 2012. "I will like to keep the details of my conversations private that we had with Jerry and Stephen (Jones)," McGuire said. "There are a few things that both sides are discussing."

The Cowboys have invested in the future of cornerback Orlando Scandrick. Scandrick received a five-year extension worth a total value of $26 million from the team this week. He has never been a full-time starter and will receive $10 million in guaranteed money. Scandrick was in line to become a free agent after this season.

Count Cowboys kicker David Buehler among those who aren't a fan of the NFL's rules changes, specifically the new rule moving kickoffs to the 35-yard line. "I think they're changing the rules too much," Buehler said on the Ben and Skin Show on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM. "Football is getting kind of soft with [NFL commissioner Roger] Goodell making all the rule changes and everything like that. Just leave it the way it is. "Kickoffs are one of the most exciting plays in football, so I don't know why they pushed it up to the 35. I understand the safety reasons but a lot of fans want to see the returns. It gets kind of boring just seeing touchbacks all the time."

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett appreciates the team's previous success, but he says the team can't live in the past. Bradie James broached the subject in comments after a preseason loss to the Chargers. "Our alumni, our former greats have made us America's Team and we reap benefits that we haven't earned -- all the way around, as individuals, as a team," James said. "Those guys earned it. We just think we deserve it." When asked Wednesday if he agreed with what James said, Garrett deferred. "I don't want to get too much into that comment other than to say that it's important that everyone understands you have to earn it in this league," Garrett said. "You have to earn your opportunity to make a football team, to have a role on a football team and be a starter on a football team. And as a group you have to earn the wins each and every week. "It's hard. The NFL is hard. It's difficult. That's what makes it great and our players understand that. You have to earn it in training camp and you have to earn it on Sunday afternoon. That's what we're trying to do right now regardless of what's happened in the past."

The Cowboys have signed kicker Shayne Graham. Graham was the longtime kicker of the Bengals and was with the Giants and Patriots during the 2010 regular season.

A sore hamstring will keep wide receiver Miles Austin from practicing Thursday against San Diego at Valley Ranch, according to a source. Austin hurt the leg on a catch down the middle of the field during a two-minute drill but stayed on through the rest of practice.

Jason Garrett, who is entering his first full season as the head coach of the Cowboys, has made it clear to his team that initiation rites that demean rookies aren't allowed. Hazing became an issue during training camp last year, when first-round pick Dez Bryant refused to carry the since-released veteran Roy Williams' shoulder pads. However, Garrett said his policy isn't a reaction to the incident that sparked a media circus last summer. "It's just something I believe in and we believe in as a staff," Garrett said. "The young guys are part of our football team. They certainly need to get themselves acclimated in a lot of different ways, and our veteran players are in charge of welcoming them to the NFL in a real positive way. "Also, there are some other things that go with that, but there's not going to be anything that's demeaning in any way that a rookie has to do. We just don't believe in that."

Despite signing with the Eagles, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says that cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha wanted to sign on to play in Dallas. Asomugha signed a five-year, $60 million deal with Philadelphia. Jones said Thursday that "we obviously wanted (Asomugha) or we wouldn't have been in the $10 million and up range to get him." The owner also mentioned that the Cowboys were not immediately interested in Asomugha when the free agency period began on July 29. "We had known that he really wanted to be a Dallas Cowboy," Jones said. "And that's a fact. There, for about an hour, I thought he was going to be a Dallas Cowboy. You do that because you can do it and should do it, and take advantage of the opportunity."