With Miles Austin's hamstring injury bumping everyone up a spot at wide receiver, the Cowboys could elect to promote a player from the practice squad for Sunday's game against Buffalo.
The team may decide to pull Dez Bryant off punt returns or Kevin Ogletree off kickoff returns. Both made questionable decisions in their respective special teams jobs against the Seahawks.
Felix Jones, who has worked as a kickoff returner in the past, is out this week, and DeMarco Murray is not an option because of his offensive role. Laurent Robinson and Jesse Holley are not considered options in the return game.
Rookie Dwayne Harris, who was the rerturn man for the first five games of the year, would likely have been the first option, but injured his hamstring late in Thursday's practice.
"It's tough," Harris said. "You get called upon and then you get out there and have something happen to your leg, your hamstring . . . I'm going to continue to get treatment on it, ice it down, cold tub, and see how it feels tomorrow.
"Miles is down. They needed an extra receiver . . . They were going to use me, mostly on special teams."
The job is now likely to fall to 2010 fourth-round pick Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, a practice squad member who the team has transitioned to wide receiver after he spent last year at safety. Owusu-Ansah says he knows most of the offense, but would be primarily a special teams addition.
The Cowboys have until Saturday afternoon to set their 53-man roster for Sunday's game.
