Cowboys make handful of roster moves, activate Brown from IR

The Dallas Cowboys activated CB Anthony Brown, but added Tyron Smith and Joe Looney to the IR.

The Dallas Cowboys 2020 season has featured a whirlwind of never-ending roster moves, as the team has been crippled by injuries at multiple positions. Those transactions continued on Saturday, as the Cowboys added two new players, tackle Tyron Smith and center Joe Looney, to the injured reserve.

To fill those two roster spots, Dallas activated cornerback Anthony Brown from the IR, and promoted linebacker Francis Bernard to the 53-man roster. The team also elevated two players from the practice squad to the roster in center Marcus Henry and DB Stephen Parker.

Every week, each team can add two practice squad members to the active roster for the upcoming game, and the Cowboys utilized that once again.

Smith heads to the season-ending IR after suffering a setback while battling the neck/stinger issues that have ailed him for a few years now. Smith is set for surgery and hopefully will make a full recovery before the beginning of  next season. The Cowboys are now without both of their star tackles for the remainder of this season, as La’el Collins underwent season-ending hip surgery last week.

In the games this year that both Smith and Collins missed, the Cowboys started second-year tackle Brandon Knight on the left side, and undrafted rookie Terrence Steele on the right side.

Dallas signed tackle Greg Senat from the Browns practice squad to the 53-man roster earlier this week to add some depth and potential competition at the position. Right guard, Zack Martin, is the lone remaining starter from the Cowboys dominant offensive lines of recent memory. Martin slid out to right tackle in the Cowboys Week 3 loss to Seattle after Steele left with an illness, but don’t be surprised to see Martin there again if Dallas’ other options aren’t cutting it.

Looney should return this year, as he lands on the short-term IR with a grade 2 MCL sprain. Fourth-round rookie Tyler Biadasz, has done a quality job in his limited action this year, and could very well remain the starting center after Looney returns. Looney’s return will still be crucial as the veteran could see time at either guard spot, especially if Martin is forced to move out wide as mentioned above.

 

On the defensive side of the field, Brown’s return from the IR could be substantial for a Dallas defense that has looked abysmal through four games. Brown re-joins a cornerback group including Trevon Diggs, Jourdan Lewis, and Daryl Worley, as Chidobe Awuzie remains on the IR.

Bernard was brought up to the active roster from the practice squad for last week’s contest, and he played 13 snaps on special teams. Bernard has a chance to stick on the roster, but the quickly-approaching return of Leighton Vander Esch could move Bernard back down to the practice squad yet again.

The Cowboys’ defense, which is dead-last in points given up per game, will attempt to bounce back as Brown returns and the Giants lowly offense comes to town in Week 5.

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