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The Dallas Cowboys are looking to pick up their third win of the season on Monday night against the Arizona Cardinals and they have made a number of roster moves ahead of that contest. None are surprising.
A few hours before kickoff another move was reported by the mothership. According to DallasCowboys.com’s Nick Eatman the Cowboys have placed offensive tackle Cam Erving on the Reserved/Covid-19 list; however, the tweet with the original report was deleted.
There were a series of reports that followed and further explained the situation. Here is a timeline of how they emerged in the order that they did following the deleted report noting that Erving was placed on the list.
Simultaneous reports that Cam Erving is on and is not on the Reserved/Covid-19 list
In the aftermath of the report from the mothership it was reported by the Dallas Morning News that Erving was feeling ill but NOT placed on the list. However, NFL Network described the situation and noted that he HAS been placed on the list.
Cowboys OL Cam Erving (IR, knee) woke up today not feeling well, sources said. Some confusion with league office on his classification, but he won't be placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Erving has not tested positive for coronavirus. Team to monitor him carefully.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) October 19, 2020
#Cowboys OL Cam Erving, who went on the Reserve/COVID-19 list today, hasn't tested positive but isn't feeling well, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 19, 2020
This is part of protocols the NFL expects to factor more and more as we enter cold and flu season -- anyone with symptoms held out as a precaution.
Obviously the most important thing here is Cam Erving, who has been on injured reserve since an injury in Week 1, and his health. The fact that he isn’t feeling well is concerning to hear and obviously calls for the Cowboys to react amid Covid-19 protocols.
We have actually seen the NFL adjust these protocols as the season has gone on so that they could express even more caution than they had been. Michael Gehlken noted in his report that Erving has not tested positive for the coronavirus, but if he is not feeling well then the team has to take the necessary steps.
A report from the mothership also noted that Erving has not been placed on the Reserved/Covid-19 list
While there were conflicting reports from the DMN and NFLN, the mothership’s Nick Eatman put out a follow-up report of his own that described a situation of confusion (obviously). He noted that Erving has not been placed on the list but confirmed that he isn’t feeling well.
There has been some confusion between the NFL and Cowboys regarding OT Cam Erving. He is NOT on the reserve/COVID-19 list although he experienced some flu-like symptoms. The Cowboys will continue to monitor him and hope to get him back to practice this week.
— Nick Eatman (@nickeatman) October 19, 2020
We now have reports from the mothership and the DMN noting that Erving is not on the list while NFL Network reported that he is. The good news that everyone seems to agree on is that there has been no positive test for COVID-19.
Hopefully Cam Erving starts feeling well soon.
Update: 5:05pm ET
ESPN’s Todd Archer offered a bit more clarity on the process involving Cam Erving.
The Cowboys planned to activate Cam Erving off injured reserve to serve as the swing tackle Monday vs. Arizona but he reported some sickness. The next option was to place him on the COVID-19 list but that was not allowed, according to sources. Fleming and the entire organization has tested negative. Fleming remains on IR and is eligible to return next week.
That’s that.