SAN ANTONIO -- Dallas Cowboys receiver Raghib Ismail had neck surgery Wednesday to repair damage from a collision with a teammate last week in practice.

	Ismail

Although he's likely to be out for the season, doctors said he should be able to continue his career.

"We lose more in the competitive spirit and what he does in the locker room than we do in the talent," coach Dave Campo said Tuesday. "We really think we have some young receivers that are going to step up. We feel we're in better shape than ever, but you don't replace experience very easily."

Ismail had surgery in Dallas during which the herniated disk was removed and the two vertebrae surrounding it were fused. The team said Wednesday night he was doing fine and should be released within a couple of days.

Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday he wasn't planning on immediately putting Ismail on injured reserve, which would end his season, because he hadn't yet talked to the receiver. But Jones made it clear "we're not planning on him playing this year.''

Dr. Dan Cooper described the injury as a huge herniated disk. The problem is made worse by the fact Ismail has a relatively small spinal canal, although Cooper said it's not the same chronic narrowing that contributed to the end of Michael Irvin's career.

Ismail will have the disk removed and the two vertebra around it fused together. It will be done by Dr. Drew Dossett, who has performed the same procedure on many pro athletes, including former Cowboys fullback Daryl Johnston.

Johnston's career continued after his operation, and Cooper expects Ismail to play again, too.

"As long as the surgery is successful and he heals, he could return to football,'' Cooper said.

The news that Ismail likely won't play this year came as a shock.

"We thought it was just a stinger. That's what everybody was depending on, and then all of a sudden to find this out," said Joey Galloway, the other veteran speedy receiver in new offensive coordinator Bruce Coslet's West Coast-style offense.

"We're pretty deep at receiver and I think these guys will step up and play," he said. "But there's no substitute for experience. That's 10 years of experience that's not going to be there."

The 32-year-old Ismail would have been playing his 10th season, fourth in Dallas. His last two seasons were also marred by injury, including a torn knee ligament in 2000.

"We haven't seen anybody work harder to rehab and come back from his knee surgery, so it's quite a disappointment for him and his wife,'' Jones said.

The injury will be costly for Ismail, who Jones said would have been guaranteed $3 million of his $4 million contract for 2003 had he played in 12 games this season. The owner said the money wasn't an issue, and that Ismail wouldn't be cut.

"His status and what we do is relative to his roster position,'' Jones said. "That's our problem.''

Ismail won't count against the roster if he is on the injured reserve. That move would also eliminate any possibility of Ismail trying to rush his return to play this season.

"We want to do the best thing for Rocket,'' Jones said. "Frankly, this may be one of those times that we have to do the best thing for Rocket, and that's not play.''

The Cowboys were counting on Ismail and Galloway to provide speedy targets in Coslet's offense. Rookie Antonio Bryant, a second-round pick who has impressed the coaches during camp, is likely to replace Ismail in the starting lineup. The other options are second-year players Ken-Yon Rambo and Reggie Swinton, who between them have just 10 career receptions.

"We're still in the process of making that decision," Campo said. "I think Antonio and Ken-Yon have both started to step up to the plate, and both are capable of stepping in there."

Said Galloway: "It doesn't change my approach. It may change the approach of the offense. We're pretty deep at receiver and I think these guys will step up and play. But there's no substitute for experience. That's 10 years of experience that's not going to be there."

Ismail was hurt last Wednesday when linebacker Dat Nguyen kneed him while trying to avoid a collision. Ismail was down for a few minutes, then walked to the locker room with trainers. He didn't return to practice and was held out of a preseason game Saturday night.

The Cowboys initially listed the injury as a strain, then became more concerned when he reported tingling and numbness in his arm. He returned to Dallas on Monday for further exams.

"That's going to be a big blow, not only what he brings on the field, but what he brings spiritually and as a leader in the locker room,'' said rookie quarterback Chad Hutchinson. "He would have been a great part of the offense. A guy that talented and with that kind of maturity.''

Ismail was a huge star running and receiving at Notre Dame, but has never lived up to his promise in the pros.

He began his career in the CFL, then came to the NFL in 1993 with the Raiders. He didn't become a starter until 1995 and didn't have a 1,000-yard season until 1998, his third year in Carolina after three years with the Raiders.

He parlayed his success with the Panthers into a contract with Dallas and in his first season responded with career highs for catches (80) and yards (1,097). His most memorable moment as a Cowboy probably came in his first game, when he caught a 76-yard touchdown pass from Troy Aikman in overtime to beat the Redskins in Washington.

He had 53 catches for 834 yards and two touchdowns last season.