The Dallas Cowboys have made roster adjustments to address offensive line depth after guard Tyler Smith was placed on injured reserve with a thumb injury. The team promoted guard Nick Leverett from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, positioning him as the backup to starter TJ Bass.
Additionally, the organization signed former first-round draft pick Laken Tomlinson to the practice squad to provide further depth.
Tomlinson, 34, was selected in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft and has started 162 career games. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2020 and started seven games for the Houston Texans last season.
Leverett, an undrafted free agent out of Rice University in 2020, spent three years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a reserve role before splitting the 2024 season between New England and Arizona. He was on the Arizona practice squad last year under current Cowboys offensive coordinator Clayton Adams.
In a separate development, an ESPN poll of NFL executives and scouts identified Brian Schottenheimer as a candidate for Coach of the Year. The publication noted that the award typically goes to the coach of the most-improved team that reaches the playoffs, suggesting the polled group views the Cowboys as poised to compete for the NFC East title.
The team finished the previous season with a 7-10 record.
ESPN writer Jeremy Fowler described the race as tight, with no runaway favorite. He noted that Schottenheimer has performed well in Dallas and possesses the necessary resources to succeed.
