OXNARD, Calif. -- The Cowboys have had internal discussions about possibly trading wide receiver Sam Hurd. The issue is waiting to see what to get for Hurd, possibly a sixth- or seventh-round pick, and whether losing him by trade is worth counting on a younger player at a special teams position.

Hurd led the Cowboys with a career-high 19 special teams tackles last season. The emergence of several younger players on special teams -- Barry Church, Danny McCray and Jesse Holley -- could make Hurd expendable.

"It's what I know. It would be tough to play somewhere else," Hurd said after Monday's practice. "You know your role here, but they know I want to have a bigger role on the offense, and I hope that happens."

The team might keep five wide receivers: Roy Williams, Miles Austin, Patrick Crayton, Kevin Ogletree and Dez Bryant. A season-ending injury to one of those players keeps Hurd's availability alive.

"I think he does a lot of good things for us; that's why he's been with us," coach Wade Phillips said. "He's a guy you can count on. He's been injured some the last couple of years, but I think he's been solid as a receiver and one of our best special teamers, and he's done that this year."

When asked if Hurd is on the bubble, Phillips said, "We got a lot of good receivers. A lot of good players. I think it's a competition every year, and really at that position, where he is, it's always going to be competitive. If he's a starter, that's a different thing. But right now he's not."