Tony Romo practices again with wrap

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IRVING, Texas -- While Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett has used the term "hopeful" when describing Tony Romo's availability for Sunday's game against the New York Giants, owner and general manager Jerry Jones is more emphatic.

Romo was limited in practice Friday for the third straight day, but he is officially listed as probable on the injury report.

"He's going to be playing at full strength," Jones said on KRLD-FM Friday morning. "It's just a very big-time feel-good to know that we're going to be going in with this kind of quarterbacking. He's had an outstanding year. He's a top, top quarterback and he's got a good team around him. In my belief, a very good team around him, so the stage is set for us to play well in a big game."

As he did on Thursday, Romo had his hand in a wrap for Friday's practice. He did not wear one Wednesday, but he did wear a glove for extra compression during the team's stretching period.

According to a source, he is not likely to wear the wrap or added protection for his hand during the game. The swelling has gone down some as the athletic training staff worked Romo through rehab this week.

During his radio appearance, Jones also reiterated that Garrett's job status was not hanging on the result of Sunday's game.

"That's just ridiculous," Jones said. "As I've said earlier -- and I think it expressed it very well -- we're just getting started with Jason.

"... His job has no bearing and is not a part of this ballgame. Yes, he's going to be our coach next year, period, no matter what the score is."

Teammates said they have not noticed a difference in Romo's passes in practice.

"He's good," wide receiver Miles Austin said. "I feel like he's all right ... I felt like the passes were pretty on par from him."

Jones, having feared the worst after Romo's hand collided with the helmet of Philadelphia defensive end Jason Babin, is just happy his quarterback will play in such a big game.

"Romo is where we had dreamed that he would be and hoped he would be relative to after his injury last week," Jones said. "So I feel good there. It should be even better by Sunday night and he's getting good work in. That's a good thing."

Meanwhile, Cowboys inside linebacker Sean Lee practiced for the first time this week after missing workouts Wednesday and Thursday because he was sick.

Lee, the team's leading tackler, had been able to take part in some meetings the past few days, but Garrett said he expected Lee to do some "running around."

Lee was pulled from Saturday's game against Philadelphia in the second half because of a tight hamstring, but the linebacker said Monday it would not be an issue for the Giants game. Lee has played the past seven games with a left wrist injury; however, he has gone the past three without the bulky cast required shortly after suffering the dislocation.

Todd Archer covers the Cowboys for ESPNDallas.com. Information from ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon was used in this report.

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Todd Archer

ESPNDallas.com

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Todd Archer joined ESPNDallas.com in November 2010. He's covered the NFL since 1997 and the Cowboys since 2003. He covered the Bengals and Dolphins before arriving in Dallas. A Massachusetts native, Archer lives in the Dallas area with his wife and two children.