Bengals Place Adolphus Washington On IR
Another day, another Bengals player sidelined. This time, it’s defensive lineman Adolphus Washington being shut down for the year due to a knee injury. To take his place on the roster, the Bengals signed defensive tackle Christian Ringo off of the Cowboys practice squad. 
Washington was a third-round pick of the Bills in 2016, but didn’t do much during his time in Buffalo. Washington appeared in 15 games (11 starts) as a rookie, compiling 21 tackles and 2.5 sacks. However, the defensive tackle was arrested prior to his sophomore campaign, and the Bills subsequently shopped him for a fifth-round pick. In September, they released him, and he hooked on with the Cowboys practice squad. Soon after, the Bengals inked him to a main roster deal. His Bengals run ends with six tackles and one sack.
With Washington out, the Bengals went back to the Cowboys’ taxi squad once again. Ringo has suited up for 15 games in three NFL seasons and may get a chance to add to his resume in the final games of the 2018 season.
Tyron Smith Expected To Return Next Week
While the Cowboys offensive tackle wasn’t listed as inactive, Tyron Smith sat out today’s matchup against the Redskins today. Fortunately for Dallas, it sounds like the veteran will be back next week. Owner Jerry Jones told Calvin Watkins of The Athletic that Smith should be 
back for next week’s game against the Saints (Twitter link). Jones added that he was expecting the lineman to play today.
The 27-year-old suffered what’s been described as a “stinger” during last week’s win over the Falcons, and he was seen wearing a brace on his elbow during today’s victory. Cameron Fleming ended up sliding into the starting lineup for the Cowboys, but Smith will surely regain that role next week. If the Pro Bowler was forced to miss extended time, Dallas could have also given a look at backup linemen Xavier Su’a-Filo and Adam Redmond.
Smith, a 2011 first-rounder, was having another solid season through the Cowboys first 10 games. The lineman has made five straight Pro Bowls, and he was named as a first- or second-team All-Pro for four of the past five seasons. He ended the 2017 campaign on the IR after having dealt with knee, back, groin, and hip injuries, but he’s made it through the 2018 season mostly unscathed.
Gallup To Play On Thanksgiving
Jones revealed what went down in a recent interview he did, saying “Several years back, I was approached by several owners that asked if I would consider selling the team, and the team being a more elite team and I take Los Angeles and build Los Angeles.” Jones explained that he never wanted to sell the Cowboys and it obviously never happened, but Jones re-establishing the L.A. market for the NFL would’ve been highly entertaining, if nothing else.
- After the tragic passing of his brother, Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup‘s status was understandably in doubt for today’s Thanksgiving game. While he missed practice this week, Gallup will in fact play against the Redskins in today’s game, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). It’s great news for the Cowboys’ suddenly resurgent offense, and our thoughts are with Gallup and his family.
Cowboys TE Geoff Swaim To Undergo Wrist Surgery
Geoff Swaim suffered a wrist injury this weekend, but his season isn’t necessarily over. ESPN’s Todd Archer tweets that the Cowboys tight end is out indefinitely after breaking his wrist. While Swaim will need surgery, coach Jason Garrett indicated 
that the tight end could return later this year.
With Jason Witten retiring, Swaim was expected to take on a bigger role on offense, and he hasn’t disappointed. The tight end was already having a career season through nine games (nine starts), hauling in 26 receptions for 242 yards and one touchdown. In his previous three seasons, the 2015 seventh-rounder out of Texas had only compiled nine receptions. The 25-year-old has battled through a knee injury through much of the season, and a wrist injury will just add to his list of ailments.
While there isn’t a definitive timetable for Swaim’s return, we can assume that he’ll at least miss Thursday’s matchup against the Redskins. In that case, the Cowboys will have to turn to a combination of Dalton Schultz, Rico Gathers and Blake Jarwin. That trio has combined for only nine catches this season.
Cowboys Waive CB Darian Thompson
Darian Thompson‘s tenure with the Cowboys has come to an end… for the time being. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Dallas has waived the defensive back to make room for recently-promoted defensive tackle Christian Ringo. However, Rapoport notes that he expects Thompson to return to the organization if he clears waivers.
Thompson, a former third-rounder out of Boise State, had a breakout campaign with the Giants in 2017. He finished the season with 75 tackles, six passes defended, and one interception, although Pro Football Focus only rated him as the 66th-ranked safety in the NFL. The 25-year-old missed his entire rookie campaign with a Lisfranc injury, and he was slowed down by a hamstring injury through much of the 2018 preseason.
The Giants’ new regime decided to move on from Thompson in early September, and he was subsequently added to the Cardinals practice squad. He was signed to the Cowboys active roster in early October, but he couldn’t carve out a role in Dallas. He appeared in four games without compiling a single defensive stat.
With Jameill Showers on the injured reserve, the Cowboys now have three healthy safeties on their roster in Xavier Woods, Jeff Heath, and Kavon Frazier.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/16/18
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted to active roster: DT Christian Ringo
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Godwin Igwebuike
- Waived: DE Demone Harris
Cowboys Notes: Carradine, Frederick
- Veteran edge defender Tank Carradine worked out for the Cowboys today, but Dallas doesn’t have any plans to sign the free agent, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com. The Cowboys currently have five defensive linemen on their injury report, so they could be shorthanded when they face the Falcons on Sunday. Carradine, for his part, signed with the Raiders in the spring but was cut in early October after playing limited snaps. He’s worked out for four clubs since, but the 28-year-old — who appeared in 44 games with the 49ers from 2014-17 — has yet to find a new home.
- Cowboys center Travis Frederick hasn’t played this season after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome near the end of training camp, but he recently regained feeling in his hands, as David Moore of the Dallas Morning News writes. Frederick still doesn’t have any feeling in his feet, and it doesn’t sound as though he’s particularly close to returning to the field, but the news is certainly noteworthy nonetheless. “I mean the fact there is some light at the end of the tunnel is definitely a positive,” said Frederick. Without Frederick available, Joe Looney has taken over at the pivot for Dallas.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/15/18
Today’s practice squad updates:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DL Aziz Shittu
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: CB Dee Delaney
- Released: LB Richard Jarvis
New York Giants
- Signed: S Kenny Ladler
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: S J.T. Gray
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT Cameron Malveaux
Washington Redskins
- Signed: C Casey Dunn
- Released: RB Mack Brown
Jerry Jones Dismissed Lincoln Riley Speculation
The Cowboys don’t intend to fire head coach Jason Garrett during the season, but that doesn’t mean they won’t part ways with their head coach after the campaign is concluded, especially if Dallas doesn’t earn a postseason berth (something the team has a 26% chance to do, per FiveThirtyEight.com). Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley has already been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Cowboys if Garrett is shown the door, but owner Jerry Jones, predictably, isn’t tipping his hand on any possible contenders for the head coaching job. “That would be total drawing it out of the air,” Jones said of Riley, per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “Totally speculation.” Riley has also been mentioned as a target for the Browns, especially given that he coached Baker Mayfield with the Sooners.
Cowboys Mulled Firing Scott Linehan During Bye Week; Latest On Jason Garrett
The Cowboys’ offense has been anemic all season long, and the unit ranks 26th in the league in points per game (19.3) and 27th in yards per game (317.1). Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan was “thoroughly evaluated” at the end of the 2017 campaign, and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reiterated today that head coach Jason Garrett strongly considered moving on from Linehan at that time (video link).
And while Garrett elected to keep Linehan on board and went along with Linehan’s overhaul of the wide receivers room, Rapoport says Garrett again considered firing Linehan during the team’s bye week at the end of October. Indeed, Rapoport said that he thought Linehan was going to be shown the door, but Dallas reversed course and elected to fire offensive line coach Paul Alexander instead. But unless the 3-5 Cowboys are able to make a surge in the second half of the season, the entire coaching staff could be on its way out.
Indeed, Rapoport confirmed today that the Cowboys are not planning to fire Garrett before the end of the season, which we heard earlier this week. But his job security is tenuous at best, and if owner Jerry Jones ultimately decides to ax Garrett, Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley is one name to keep an eye on. The Jones family is fond of Riley, who has also been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Browns’ head coaching job, so if Cleveland wants to reunite Baker Mayfield with his collegiate coach, it may have to battle Dallas, and perhaps other clubs, for the privilege.
In the interview with Rapoport linked above, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network briefly mentioned the possibility that Garrett could take control of offensive play-calling duties in an effort to save the Cowboys’ season and his job, but there does not appear to be anything concrete on that front at the moment.