Offseason surgery, injuries force Bulldogs to miss spring practice

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Alabama A&M will be without six key players, including four potential starters, when spring practice begins Friday.

Coach Anthony Jones' team will be without offensive tackle Alan Cruz, defensive end Melvin Payne, defensive tackle Quinton Robinson, inside linebacker Denzel Cotton and defensive backs Derrick Harris and Jeremy Isabelle.

Cruz, Cotton and Robinson are out after undergoing offseason knee surgery, while Payne is out after having offseason shoulder surgery. Cruz, Cotton and Payne are potential starters next season. Harris, who started at cornerback last season, has a back injury, while Isabelle, who sustained a neck injury late last season, hasn't fully recovered according to Jones.

"We'd love to have those guys this spring, but they need time to get healthy," he said. "This will give us a chance to look at some other guys and hopefully, develop some much-needed depth."

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