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The Dallas Cowboys have a lot to do before they host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, and a lot of it has to do with their roster. Unfortunately the Cowboys are dealing with some players that need some time to rest up.
La’el Collins, Sean Lee, and Ventell Bryant were all placed on injured reserve before the season began. Remember that due to Covid-19 protocols an unlimited number of players can be brought back from IR this season after having been there for at least three weeks (but each player can only come back once).
Speaking of Covid-19, there are other protocols that must be adhered to in terms of bringing players from the outside in. The Cowboys have a game in five days but are looking to fill some of their holes with able bodies.
Leighton Vander Esch, Blake Jarwin, and Cam Erving are all on injured reserve; Alex Light and Rashad Smith are now on the 53-man roster
The Cowboys saw Leighton Vander Esch, Blake Jarwin, and Cam Erving all go down with injury against the Rams. Unfortunately Jarwin tore his ACL and is lost for the season, it remains to be seen how long the other two will be out. Speculation for Vander Esch is between 6-8 weeks while Erving should be less.
As a result of putting these players on injured reserve the Cowboys have to bring some new people in. According to the mothership they have signed offensive tackle Alex Light and linebacker Rashad Smith. Defensive backs Steven Parker and Rashard Robinson are now on the practice squad as well.
Some roster churning going on:
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) September 15, 2020
- the trio of LVE, Jarwin & Cam Erving are officially on IR
- OT Alex Light has been signed off AZ's practice squad, & LB Rashad Smith has been signed off CHI's psquad
- DBs Steven Parker & Rashard Robinson have been signed to the psquad
Alex Light’s rookie season of 2018 was spent with the Green Bay Packers so there is some familiarity there with Mike McCarthy (that was the year that McCarthy was fired). Clearly the Cowboys want some more depth at tackle as they are now down Collins and Erving, so besides Tyron Smith they have Terence Steele and Brandon Knight, and leaving it at that wouldn’t exactly be wise.
If you’re wondering how the Cowboys were able to make all of this happen on the roster they adjusted two spots on their practice squad. They released Luther Kirk and promoted Brandon Carr to the 53-man roster which fills everything out.
The Cowboys created two spots on the practice squad by releasing Luther Kirk and signing Brandon Carr to the 53. They signed DBs Steven Parker and Rashard Robinson to fill the two spots.
— Rob Phillips (@robphillips3) September 15, 2020
There is of course no addition at tight end which suggests that the Cowboys feel confident in Dalton Schultz, Blake Bell, and Sean McKeon. The week is young so anything is possible, but these are the newest faces in town.
Here is a brief note on Alex Light:
Light (6-5, 309) played in 16 games the past two seasons (2018-19) with Green Bay, appearing at both guard and tackle. He played 13 games last season for the Packers. Light entered the league with Green Bay as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2018 out of Richmond. The 24-year old Light was released from the Packers practice squad on September 10.
Here is a brief note on Rashad Smith:
3. If you were a member of the Bears’ defensive coaching staff (or special teams), how would you deploy Smith schematically and situationally?
CS: I think Smith could be an instant impact player on special teams. He has great speed for his size and is a sure tackler. On standard down and distance formations I would use him as a coverage linebacker, primarily in zone. While he made a ton of tackles, Smith was much better at defending the pass and running with running backs and tight ends. He’s really good at deceiving quarterbacks and reading their eyes to make plays on the ball. Finding a way to coax this out of him should be the goal.