IRVING, Texas – With 53-man rosters announced Saturday, the Cowboys and the rest of the league now turn their attention to filling out their respective 10-man practice squads following the waiver process.
The Cowboys on Monday officially announced the signings of linebacker Dakorey Johnson, safety Tim Scott, quarterback Jameill Showers and offensive tackle John Wetzel. All went to training camp with the team in Oxnard, Calif.
Other names that have filtered out as expected additions include running back Gus Johnson, who led the Cowboys in preseason rushing with 37 carries for 139 yards and two touchdowns; and quarterback Kellen Moore, who spent the last three years with the Detroit Lions in a backup role.
Moore, who went undrafted in 2012, worked under Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan in Detroit when Linehan held the same title there from 2012-13. This preseason Moore was 29-of-47 for 254 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
"Kellen is just a really good football player and has been, really throughout his whole life," head coach Jason Garrett said Monday. "I think he had 53 starts in college and he won 50 of them – just a very, very productive player. He knows how to win, knows how to play. Obviously, Scott was with him in Detroit and had a great experience there with him – someone he's been very fond of and we've been fond of since he came out of school."
Moore and Showers would give the Cowboys two practice squad quarterbacks, with Tony Romo and Brandon Weeden the only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Dustin Vaughan, the team's third-string quarterback last year, was released at final cuts and apparently replaced by Moore.
"I don't want to get into all those specifics, but we like Dustin," Garrett said. "Dustin did a good job for us, and he's a developmental quarterback who we believe can play in this league. He just needs an opportunity, he did some good things for us, I think he grew as a player over the course of his time here, but as we shook everything out, bringing Kellen in we thought was the best move for our team right now."
Per league rules, two spots on the 10-man practice squad can be reserved for players with a maximum of two accrued seasons. A player is eligible for the practice squad if they don't have an accrued NFL season (six regular-season games on an active roster) or if they spent fewer than nine games on a 46-man game day roster during up to two accrued seasons.
A player can spend up to three seasons on a practice squad. To earn a year of a service on a practice squad they must spend a minimum of six games there.
