Cowboys Country

Cowboys BREAKING: Rookie RB Signed to 53 to Replace Injured Ezekiel Elliott; 5 Roster Moves

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is in doubt for Sunday's clash against Chicago, but his impending absence opens the door for Malik Davis to strut his stuff.

Mike Fisher

In this story:

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys are making five roster moves in advance of Week 8, with Ezekiel Elliott in the middle of it all.

The moves ...

*The Cowboys signed rookie running back Malik Davis to the 53.

*They elevated tight end Sean McKeon from the practice squad.

*They are moving another running back, Qadree Ollison, the former Falcons back, to the varsity.

*Interior O-lineman Dakoda Shepley is being elevated from the p-squad.

*Linebacker Devin Harper is moving to injured reserve, as the rookie sixth-round pick is dealing with an Achilles injury.

The headliner in all of this as it relates to this week's game: Malik Davis.

Cowboys running back Elliott has a knee issue sustained against the Lions last Sunday that has forced him to miss practice multiple times this week. Head coach Mike McCarthy spoke at The Star on Friday and laid out exactly what Zeke needs to do in order to suit up on Sunday.

"The only chance (of Zeke playing Sunday) is if he keeps going at the rate he has been going," McCarthy said. "If he practices (Saturday), he has a chance to play."

CowboysSI.com is reporting that the plan calls for Elliott to sit. ... and we now presume that Zeke did not work much if at all on Saturday.

Tony Pollard will get the lion's share of snaps on Sunday, but what about his backup?

Meet 23-year-old Malik Davis.

Davis, from the University of Florida, was a high school superstar in that state with 2,469 yards and 33 touchdowns in his senior season. He's 5-11, 202 and the Cowboys view him as a tough-guy runner.

"Doing a heck of a job," McCarthy said of Davis in practice. "I thought really, his opportunity to play on teams. ... I thought he ran the ball extremely well in preseason. We have definitely been preparing for him to get some opportunities this week."

The Cowboys welcome the Chicago Bears to AT&T Stadium Sunday. Cowboys Nation will be watching and Zeke probably will be, too. ...  watching Pollard and maybe Davis as a winning running back duo.

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Mike Fisher
MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983 and the Dallas Cowboys since 1990, is the author of two best-selling books on the Cowboys.

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