Dallas Cowboys sign former fourth-rounder Damien Wilson to practice squad

The Dallas Cowboys made a few additions to the practice roster on Wednesday ahead of their Week 18 matchup against the Commanders. First off, the team signed former fourth-round draft pick Damien Wilson. The linebacker played four seasons for Dallas from 2015-18 before playing two for Kansas City, one for Jacksonville and one for Carolina.

Along with the additional linebacker depth, the Cowboys also bolstered the running backs room with rookie SaRodorick Thompson out of Texas Tech and the wide receivers room with former LSU standout Racey McMath.

Jerry Jones’ squad also reportedly picked up former starting tackle La’el Collins, however, his deal isn’t expected to be finalized until sometime on Thursday. All four signees will join the practice squad as the Cowboys try to close the season out strong with a win against Washington. A win will help Dallas clinch the NFC East, taking it back from the Eagles after just one season.

If Wilson sees the field the season for Dallas, it will be his first appearance since Week 18 for the Panthers in 2022. Carolina released him in March, and he’s been a free agent ever since. He received a four-game suspension from the league for violating the Personal Conduct Policy after he faced a charge of assault with bodily injury of a family member following an altercation with his ex-girlfriend.

Wilson’s best season came with the Jaguars in 2021. He tallied 106 tackles on the season with three sacks, one interception and one forced fumble.

Mike McCarthy addresses Cowboys’ interest in Dalvin Cook

The New York Jets decided to release running back Dalvin Cook this week, opening the four-time Pro Bowler up to sign with a team bound for the playoffs.

Naturally, the Dallas Cowboys are among the teams that could be interested in adding him ahead of the playoffs. That’s a possibility that head coach Mike McCarthy addressed on Wednesday.

“Those are questions you are always visiting with and so forth,” McCarthy said. “Obviously I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. Played a number of games against (him) when Dalvin was in Minnesota. I have great respect for him.”

Over the offseason, Minnesota decided to move on from Dalvin Cook, largely as a financial decision. He then signed with the New York Jets, back when Aaron Rodgers was healthy. Instead, the Jets suffered yet another disappointing season before cutting Cook. Now, he seems like a low-risk, high-reward addition for the playoffs.

This season, Cook took a major step back statistically. He’s only carried the ball 67 times in 15 games with one start. He has 214 yards and hasn’t scored a touchdown this season. This comes a year after he started 17 games and carried the ball 264 times for 1,173 and eight touchdowns.

The Cowboys placed rookie running back Deuce Vaughn on injured reserve on Wednesday, meaning he won’t be available for Dallas’ playoff run. Vaughn, the Cowboys sixth-round pick from Kansas State, has an ankle injury