Cowboys' 53-man roster already looks different after slew of moves, including newcomers and big names going on Injured Reserve

The Dallas Cowboys finalized their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday. The keyword: Initial.

A couple of days later, the team looks different following a handful of moves, including waiver claims, cuts, and injury-related transactions. Now the roster is looking like a more accurate representation of what the Week 1 Cowboys will look like when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles.

Let's dive into the biggest changes from Tuesday's initial group and what the full roster looks like at the moment.

Big names added to Injured Reserve

It's no secret NFL teams carry players on the 53-man roster for a day in order to place them on Injured Reserve and avoid losing them to the waiver wire. This year, cornerback Caelen Carson and rookie running back Phil Mafah were those guys in Dallas.

Carson suffered a knee injury in late July and is now set to miss a minimum of four games. He will likely be brought back from IR as soon as he's healthy. Meanwhile, Mafah was placed on the injured list because of a shoulder injury but he's a bigger candidate to remain an "IR stash player" as long as the Cowboys RB room remains healthy.

Mafah and Carson are big names. The latter appeared on track to become CB4 and the next man up at both outside and inside cornerback. As for Mafah, he was a preseason standout fans feared losing to the waiver wire.

Backup tackle brought back

One of the roster spots opened by the Injured Reserve decisions previously laid out was used on backup offensive tackle Hakeem Adeniji, who took a large chunk of preseason snaps at right tackle. The Cowboys had released the veteran—he didn't have to go through waivers—in a seeming attempt to fit rookie Ajani Cornelius into the 53 and avoid the risk of losing him to the wire.

However, Adeniji might have the edge in experience. If needed, he would probably be the "next man up" at right tackle.

New cornerbacks in town

The Cowboys claimed two cornerbacks available on Wednesday’s waiver wire: Trikweze Bridges (from Los Angeles Chargers) and Reddy Steward (from Minnesota Vikings).

They both appear to be upgrades in the eyes of the coaching staff, as they opened the two roster spots needed for them by cutting cornerbacks Andrew Booth and Zion Childress—the undrafted rookie who stood out in the preseason. In Steward's case, he was signed as a UDFA to Matt Eberflus' Chicago Bears last year, so there's familiarity. Ideally, the newcomers will be limited to special teams contributions or the bench but the shift is a significant following the cutdown decisions from the team.

C.J. Goodwin is back

The last change on the 53-man roster following Tuesday's initial group is the addition of cornerback C.J. Goodwin. Cornerback is a confusing label. Though he's listed as one, he doesn't play the defensive position. Instead, he's a special teams ace.

Cowboys' updated 53-man roster

Quarterback (2)

• Dak Prescott
• Joe Milton

Running back (4)

• Javonte Williams
• Miles Sanders
• Hunter Luepke (fullback)
• Jaydon Blue*

Wide receiver (5)

• CeeDee Lamb
• George Pickens
• Jalen Tolbert
• Ryan Flournoy
• KaVontae Turpin

Tight end (3)

• Jake Ferguson
• Luke Schoonmaker
• Brevyn Spann-Ford

Offensive line (10)

• Tyler Guyton
• Tyler Smith
• Cooper Beebe
• Tyler Booker
• Terence Steele
• Brock Hoffman
• Nate Thomas
• T.J. Bass
• Hakeem Adeniji
• Ajani Cornelius*
• Hakeem Adeniji

Defensive tackle (5)

• Osa Odighizuwa
• Solomon Thomas
• Jay Toia*
• Mazi Smith
• Perrion Winfrey

Defensive end / EDGE (6)

• Micah Parsons
• Dante Fowler Jr.
• Sam Williams
• Marshawn Kneeland
• Donovan Ezeiruaku*
• James Houston

Linebacker (5)

• Marist Liufau
• Jack Sanborn
• Kenneth Murray
• Damone Clark
• Shemar James*

Cornerback (6)

• DaRon Bland
• Trevon Diggs
• Kaiir Elam
• Caelen Carson
• Reddy Steward
• Trikweze Bridges

Safety (4)

• Malik Hooker
• Donovan Wilson
• Juanyeh Thomas
• Markquese Bell

Specialists (4)

• Bryan Anger (P)
• Brandon Aubrey (K)
• Trent Sieg (LS)
• C.J. Goodwin (ace)

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