Cowboys elevate Steward and Thomas; Texans add Murray for Sunday

Saturday, October 3 update

Dallas elevated defensive backs Reddy Steward and Juanyeh Thomas from the practice squad Saturday for Sunday's game at Houston. The additions give the Cowboys two more secondary options alongside the expected debut of newly acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

Cowboys writer Tommy Yarrish confirmed both elevations Saturday afternoon. Thomas had returned to Dallas' practice squad this week; Steward is again available after being elevated for last week's game against Baltimore. Neither Saturday move announces a starting assignment.

[[source:5]]

The transactions follow Friday's final injury report, which ruled cornerback Cobie Durant and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown out with hamstring injuries. Dallas will continue without those two defenders even as other parts of the secondary regain players.

Safety Malik Hooker and cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. practiced fully Friday and have no game designation. Hooker had been limited earlier in the week with a forearm injury. Revel, listed with knee and ankle injuries, returned to a full session after two missed practices. Steward and Thomas add depth around those returning options.

Porter was also absent from the injury report. ESPN's Todd Archer reported Friday that executive vice president Stephen Jones expected the cornerback to receive snaps against Houston after practice. Dallas acquired Porter from Pittsburgh this week and has been working him into its defensive communication and preparation.

Houston made its own game-day roster addition Saturday, elevating linebacker Kenneth Murray from the practice squad. The Texans' official transaction announcement identifies the move as a standard elevation. Murray's addition gives Houston another linebacker available for Sunday's game without a permanent active-roster signing.

The Texans also expect receiver Nico Collins back after he practiced fully Friday and finished the week without a game designation. His return supplies Houston with its leading receiver while Dallas assembles a secondary that includes an incoming cornerback, two players clearing the final report and two temporary elevations.

Saturday's completed moves fill in the roster picture left open Friday. Dallas has added Steward and Thomas for the game, Houston has elevated Murray, and the Cowboys' confirmed absences remain Durant and Overshown. The teams meet Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern in Houston, with Dallas facing a quick turnaround before hosting Tampa Bay on Thursday.

[[source:6]]

[[source:7]]

Earlier reporting retained; Saturday status above supersedes earlier availability

DeMarvion Overshown and Cobie Durant are out for Dallas' Sunday game at Houston, while Malik Hooker and Shavon Revel Jr. practiced fully Friday and carry no game designation. The final Week 4 report published by the Texans settles several availability questions that Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer had left open earlier in the day.

Overshown will miss a third straight game with a hamstring injury. He hurt the hamstring in the second half of the Week 1 game against the Giants, and rookie Jaishawn Barham has taken his place at inside linebacker. The final report keeps that arrangement relevant against Houston.

Durant also missed all three practices with a hamstring injury and is formally out. Dallas must account for that confirmed cornerback absence even with Revel's improved status and the arrival of Joey Porter Jr.

The secondary's other decisions advanced Friday. Hooker moved from limited work Wednesday and Thursday to full participation with his forearm injury. Revel, listed with knee and ankle injuries, went from two missed sessions to a full practice. Neither has a game designation on the final report.

Earlier Friday, Schottenheimer said Hooker was trending toward playing and Revel would begin with rehabilitation director Britt Brown before the team assessed whether he could practice. The completed full sessions now supersede that morning's conditional practice plans. The report does not promise a particular workload for either player.

Porter's debut remains a separate football decision. Schottenheimer said Friday morning that another strong practice and communication within the defense would help determine whether Dallas could use its new cornerback Sunday. His absence from the injury report does not establish that he will start or how many snaps he will play.

Houston's receiver Nico Collins also practiced fully Friday and has no game designation after missing two games. That creates a different preparation picture for the Cowboys' available defensive backs than a matchup without him.

Dallas plays at Houston Sunday, October 4, at 1 p.m. Eastern, then hosts Tampa Bay on Thursday, October 8. The Sunday inactive list will confirm who dresses before that short turnaround.

Earlier reporting before the final Friday update

The final report above supersedes the availability questions in this earlier account.

The secondary has a different set of decisions. Schottenheimer said Hooker was progressing toward playing after missing two games with a fractured forearm. The team has not confirmed his availability. Shavon Revel Jr., who hurt his knee and ankle late in the Baltimore game in Rio, was due to begin work with rehabilitation director Britt Brown on Friday before the Cowboys determined whether he could move into practice.

Cobie Durant continues to rehabilitate a hamstring injury. Schottenheimer said Durant was making progress but still needed more time. The Cowboys' official update did not clear either cornerback for Sunday's game.

Earlier reporting before the final Friday update

The final report above supersedes the availability questions in this earlier account.

New arrival Joey Porter Jr. gives Dallas another potential option at corner. Schottenheimer said Friday that Porter needed another strong practice before Dallas would feel comfortable using him against Houston. His completed Thursday practice did not settle that decision.

Dallas also faces Tampa Bay on Thursday, October 8, four days after the Houston game. That short turnaround adds another availability decision immediately after this one. Friday's update leaves the clearest answer at linebacker: Overshown is out, while the Cowboys continue evaluating which defensive backs can join Barham and the rest of the defense Sunday.

WFAA's Friday discussion with Locked On Cowboys host Landon McCool looks ahead to the Houston matchup.

Earlier reporting before the final Friday update

The final report above supersedes the availability questions in this earlier account.

New arrival Joey Porter Jr. gives Dallas another potential option at corner. Schottenheimer said Friday that Porter needed another strong practice before Dallas would feel comfortable using him against Houston. His completed Thursday practice did not settle that decision.

Dallas also faces Tampa Bay on Thursday, October 8, four days after the Houston game. That short turnaround adds another availability decision immediately after this one. Friday's update leaves the clearest answer at linebacker: Overshown is out, while the Cowboys continue evaluating which defensive backs can join Barham and the rest of the defense Sunday.

WFAA's Friday discussion with Locked On Cowboys host Landon McCool looks ahead to the Houston matchup.