For some teams, Tuesday afternoon might have been a difficult challenge as the rosters had to be reduced from the maximum limit of 90 down to 80.
The Cowboys got down to 80 on Tuesday by simply placing two injured players on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list. Rookies Bruce Carter and Kai Forbath were both placed on the NFI list, meaning they will not count on the 53-man roster once the season begins.
They can be on NFI, which is similar to PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) in that they can be there for six weeks of the regular season, with an additional two weeks to practice before teams must make a decision. At that point, teams can either place them on the 53-man roster, release them outright or put them on injured reserve for the rest of the season.
For Carter, the second-round pick who suffered a torn ACL injury last November, his rehab obviously took a hit with the lockout this summer. Carter wasn't able to get with the Cowboys' athletic trainers until late July and spent the entire training camp and preseason working on his rehab and conditioning.
Forbath was signed in mid-camp with a quad injury. The Cowboys knew all along his rehab would be lengthy and the club just used the opportunity to get a free look on a productive college kicker.
After Thursday's game with the Dolphins, the Cowboys will return to Dallas early Friday morning and the coaching staff, scouts and front office personnel will meet again before the rosters must be cut to 53 by Saturday afternoon.
