Cowboys 53-Man Roster Moves: Cooks to IR, 2 key elevations vs Steelers

As has been expected throughout the week, the Dallas Cowboys are going to be down a wide receiver against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Also as expected, it’s going to be a while before Brandin Cooks returns. Already struggling to contribute to the offense with just nine catches for 91 yards in four games, Cooks stayed behind from the team’s road trip in Week 4 against the Giants. He wanted to get his knee checked out in New York and ended up catching an infection, which has resulted in the team placing him on IR ahead of Week 5.

His absence is expected to open the door for rookie WR Ryan Flournoy to join the active roster and get his first crack at impressing with Dak Prescott as his quarterback. In a related move the club added LB Nick Vigil, who was elevated the first three weeks of the season from the practice squad and thus out of eligibility, to the main roster. To round out their roster moves ahead of the contest, Dallas elevated DE Carl Lawson for the third time and CB Amani Oruwariye.

Oruwariye made the game-clinching interception of Daniel Jones in Week 4. Lawson is a no brainer with Micah Parsons already ruled out and DeMarcus Lawrence going to IR earlier in the week; both results of injuries suffered in the short-rest Thursday contest.

The changes put quite a spin on the 55-man roster ahead of Sunday’s announement of gameday inactives. Check out the full roster below.

Related: Parsons ruled out in Cowboys vs Steelers final injury report; Diggs, Cooks, LB updates