IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys signed fullback Nikita Whitlock to their practice squad on Monday morning, as they continue to fill out the 10-man group.
Whitlock spent training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals, who released him during their roster cut to 53 over the weekend. Their are now two spots remaining on the Cowboys' practice squad.
The addition of Whitlock comes after the Cowboys signed seven players to the practice squad on Sunday evening. The other current signees are running back Ryan Williams, wide receiver Tim Benford, defensive end Kenneth Boatright, center Ronald Patrick, safety Micah Pellerin, linebacker Keith Smith, and linebacker Will Smith.
Williams is the biggest name of the seven, as he was in a battle for the third running back spot throughout training camp – eventually losing to 2013 draft pick Joseph Randle. The Cowboys released him Saturday afternoon, and he cleared waivers Sunday.
This is Benford's third go-around on the Cowboys' practice squad. He was signed undrafted by Dallas out of Tennessee Tech, and he spent the 2012 and 2013 seasons on the practice squad. He was released from the team's 75-man roster earlier this week in favor of defensive back Jemea Thomas.
Three of the signees are rookies who spent training camp with the Cowboys, highlighted by seventh-round pick Will Smith. The Texas Tech product sat out the early portion of camp with a groin injury, but returned to action for the last few weeks of the preseason. Keith Smith and Patrick both signed with the team as undrafted free agents.
Boatright is actually a second-year player, but he is in his first season with the Cowboys. He signed undrafted with the Seahawks following the 2013 draft, and he spent his rookie season on injured reserve. The [embedded_ad]
Seahawks cut Boatright in June, and the Cowboys added him to their 90-man roster after DeMarcus Lawrence broke his foot during training camp.
This is a familiar landing spot for Pellerin, as he has spent two stints on the Cowboys' practice squad – at the tail end of the 2012 season and following training camp in 2013. The Cowboys added him to the active roster in November 2013 and released him three weeks later.
The Cowboys brought him back at the end of this week and have added him to the practice squad.
There are three spaces remaining on the practice squad as the Cowboys get set to start their Week 1 preparations for San Francisco on Monday.
