Cowboys Reuniting With Running Back After Cutting Ties With Veteran Offensive Lineman

Just one day after the Dallas Cowboys cut a veteran offensive lineman, they have filled his spot on the 53-man roster.

On Monday, the Cowboys waived veteran offensive lineman Nick Leverett, who played in all five games with the team as a special teams contributor.

Then, on Tuesday, ESPN's Todd Archer is reporting that Dallas is signing running back Emari Demarcado to the 53-man roster, reuniting with the former Arizona Cardinals back. Leverett, meanwhile, is being re-signed to the practice squad.

Demercado was initially added by the Cowboys after cutdown day, when the Kansas City Chiefs waived him.

Dallas claimed the veteran running back one day after surprisingly waiving 2025 fifth-round pick Jaydon Blue, who everyone thought was at least going to make the Cowboys' 53-man roster.

When the Cowboys claimed Demercado, he was slated to serve as the team's RB3 behind Javonte Williams and Malik Davis. However, that quickly changed, as Davis suffered a season-ending hip injury just days before Week 1, which pushed Demercado into Dallas' RB2 spot.

Demercado didn't do much over two games, tallying five carries for 15 yards in that span. Then, Dallas decided to cut Demercado last week when guard Tyler Smith as activated off injured reserve. Dallas decided to keep Tyler Goodson, who was signed off the Atlanta Falcons' practice squad last month, over Demercado.

Over his three games with the Cowboys, Goodson has posted 34 yards on nine carries (3.8 yards per carry) and one catch for -5 yards. Now, he has some competition for the RB2 job.

More roster changes coming in Dallas

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer. — Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer looks on during the game between the Cowboys and the Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters on Monday that changes are coming to the roster, although we'd venture to guess swapping an offensive lineman for a running back isn't what he was talking about.

Instead, most of those changes are likely to come on defense, where the Cowboys have struggled badly.

"I’m not going to get to a bunch of them. Obviously, there’s a competitive advantage. But there’ll be some roster adjustments you guys will see. Some will be more noticeable than others, and some will be subtle as you look at it," Schottenheimer said, according to Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com.

We saw Dallas take the first step to trying to improve the defense by hiring former Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine as a senior defensive assistant to help struggling defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

"Had a chance to work with Pettine for a number of years, along with the Jets, and he's gonna be here in a role to support everything that [Christian Parker] is leading and guiding, and we are really, really excited," Schottenheimer said.

The hire of Pettine is a very good step in the right direction, as the rookie play-caller, Parker, could use an experienced coach to help guide him through the troubled waters he's currently navigating.

Now, it'll be interesting to see what personnel changes Dallas is going to make on defense, and how effective they end up being. We may not know what those changes are until Sunday.

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