The Dallas Cowboys had to do a little maneuvering to manage their roster according to NFL rules. As a result, they cut and re-signed Wide Receiver Deonte Thompson within a few days so that they could best handle injured prospect Noah Brown.
Dallas carried Brown on their 53-man roster briefly and then placed him on injured reserve. By doing this, they preserved the option to bring him back sometime after Week 8.
Players placed on IR before final cuts cannot rejoin the team that season.
Noah Brown has been placed on IR. Deonte Thompson has been signed to the 53 in his place. And, Bo Scarbrough has been signed to the practice squad. #cowboyswire
— Rob Phillips (@robphillips3) September 3, 2018
Thompson was a surprise among the Cowboys’ roster cuts last week, but it was clearly just a technicality. The veteran was signed as a free agent last March to provide a much-needed vertical threat in the passing game.
As for Brown, the second-year prospect is a guy that Dallas clearly has interest in. They could have just put him on IR, but they must feel he could provide value later this season.
In 2017 as a rookie, Noah drew comparison to Dez Bryant with his size and physical play. Despite being just a 7th-round draft pick, he earned playing time last year with his work on special teams and solid run blocking.
For now, though, Brown will get his hamstring injury right and wait for mid-season to hopefully return to duty. In the meantime, we’ll see what Deonte Thompson can bring to the offense.