Cowboys Sign Giants Lineman in Roster 'Chess Match'

Despite the Dallas Cowboys submitting a 53-man roster to the NFL Tuesday, they are far from having it completely finalized.

The Dallas Cowboys released their initial 53-man roster that they cut down to after Tuesday's 3 p.m. CT deadline.

However, afterward, the Cowboys had to have waiver claims on players released by other teams in by 11 a.m. CT Wednesday in addition to evaluating who will make up their 16-man practice squad. Dallas lost quarterback Will Grier and edge rusher Isaiah Land to other clubs, but the Cowboys are bringing back to the practice squad a host of familiar faces not initially making the 53-man roster.

Oh, and one more new face: The Cowboys are signing Giants ex Sean Harlow to the practice squad, with the option of moving him up. … maybe in time for Week 1 - Dallas at New York.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said the conversations when finalizing the active roster was not an easy one.

"It's a chess match," McCarthy said Tuesday. "These are conversations that you don't look forward to having because when you look a young man in the eye and you know he's done everything you asked him to do and and he definitely has earned an opportunity to be on the 53 and you don't have the right enough spots based off how you think this whole thing's going to evolve."

The Cowboys' head coach knows a thing or two about maneuvering a preseason and setting a team, considering he's been doing in since 2006.

The NFL has changed its policy on cutdowns. Before, teams had to gradually trim their roster throughout the preseason to eventually get to 53 players, whereas now, it's all one mass exodus cutdown after their final preseason game.

That pays dividends for the players because they can put more repetitions on tape, but also for the coaches because a player may struggle early then catch fire midway through training camp.

One of McCarthy's philosophies is not start final-roster discussions until the last few days due, in part, to the performances, like running back Hunter Luepke's against the Las Vegas Raiders Saturday, that can factor into whether or not a player makes the team.

"You get the first preseason game and people want to pick the 53. You got to be kidding me," McCarthy said. "It's terrible mindset-wise because you got to give these men a chance because look at the last game. There's there's some great production, some outstanding performances in that game that caused a lot of healthy conversation."

The structure of a roster is ever-changing. Players will come and go daily, but it's about Dallas finding the right batch of players to try and chase its first Super Bowl win in 28 years.

"I go back to the Super Bowl year in 2010 and 77 players played for that team," McCarthy said. "That's what it takes and history will tell you that."