IRVING, Texas – Danny Coale is hoping to return to practice from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in time for the organized team activities later this month or the June minicamp.

“Right now I’d say we’re pleased where it’s at and maybe a little ahead to be five months out and running and cutting and doing the teaching sessions,” Coale said. “When we started this the June mini-camp and OTAs were a possibility. Now they seem more of a reality, so that’s a good sign it’s going along well.”

Coale suffered the injury in a late-season practice, capping a rookie season that did not go well. He suffered a stress fracture in his foot and missed most of the offseason and early part of training camp. Once in camp he was slowed by a quadriceps strain. He was among the final cuts and was re-signed to the practice squad.

Coale, a fifth-round pick last year, is eligible to take part in this weekend’s mini-camp but is focusing more on his rehab.

“You look at the year and yeah I had some injuries and setbacks but I remember being in their shoes, coming in, digesting the playbook and going out there and trying to compete,” he said.

When he gets on the field, he will face significant competition with the Cowboys drafting Terrance Williams in the third round this year and the end-of-season performance from Dwayne Harris in 2012. Cole Beasley earned a backup role last year as an undrafted free agent. Tim Benford, Jared Green and Carlton Mitchell are also in the mix for a backup spot.