FRISCO - They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. But circumstances sometimes trump corny sayings.
So it is with the Dallas Cowboys, who are getting fine play at defensive tackle from free agent to be Osa Odighizuwa and increasingly solid work next to him from former first-round pick Mazi Smith ... but who still need depth at the position due to injuries.
Enter the Cowboys decision to attempt to bolster the interior defensive line with a semi-familiar face in Justin Rogers.
Rogers was selected by the Cowboys in the seventh-round of the 2024 NFL Draft, as at that time was seen to have promise. Rogers was Dallas' 244th overall selection in April after a college career that saw him play three seasons at Kentucky and then his final year at Auburn. In those four years, he totaled 79 total tackles and four sacks for the two squads.
Rogers (6-2, 335) was cut by Dallas in August after the Cowboys' trimmed their roster to 53 and was picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals where he's spent the year on the practice squad.
It is interesting to note as the 6-8 Cowboys have three games left in which to make an improbable playoff push that Rogers has been signed to the active 53-man roster, as opposed to starting off on the practice squad.
That suggests that he could see playing time in the coming weeks. … and it also hints at the teams neediness at the position.
Up next for the Cowboys is a primetime showdown with the Tampa Bay Bucs on “Sunday Night Football” from AT&T Stadium.
