Cowboys Add 6-Foot-4, 307-Pound Lineman Ahead of Raiders Showdown
The Dallas Cowboys, losers of two in a row and three of their last four, have a golden opportunity to right the ship coming out of their bye week when they take on one of the most disappointing teams of 2025, the 2-7 Las Vegas Raiders, in a Monday Night Football matchup.
But the Cowboys are taking no chances, at least with their offensive line depth, after losing a practice squad lineman on Tuesday when former Washington Commanders third round draft pick Geron Christian was given a shot at an active roster spot as the Denver Broncos swooped in and signed him away.
With the 6-foot-5, 302-pound offensive tackle now departed, the Cowboys wasted no time in replacing him with another massive lineman who plays the same tackle position. On Wednesday, Dallas signed 6-foot-4, 307-pound lineman Marcellus Johnson to their practice squad, according to the team’s transaction report.
Cowboys OL Has Held its Own
The Cowboys’ offensive line has not been at the root of the team’s problems, but at 3-5-1 and hopes of returning to the postseason after missing out last year rapidly dwindling, Dallas cannot afford to spring any new leaks. Quarterback Dak Prescott has benefited from the third-lowest sack percentage in the NFL (4.2), going down behind the line of scrimmage just 15 times in nine games, the seventh-lowest total in the league.
Though his offensive line has largely managed to protect him from sacks, Prescott has nonetheless found himself under pressure more than he, or the Cowboys, would like. His average time-to-throw of 2.6 seconds ranks him only 19th in the NFL, among quarterbacks who have taken at least 100 snaps this season.
Yet to Play in an NFL Game
It would probably take a series of injuries to allow Johnson to take his turn on the active roster protecting Prescott. The difference between the 2024 undrafted free agent and his predecessor Christian is pronounced.
Where Christian has appeared in 63 NFL games, starting 25 for six different teams over seven seasons, Johnson has yet to be on the field for a single snap in game that counts. Since signing a $2.85 million, three-year contract with the New York Giants in 2024 — a contract that was terminated almost immediately in favor of a $225,000 practice squad deal — Johnson has bounced around between the practice squads of the Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts for two seasons.
Compared to College Teammate
When the Giants signed Johnson initially, they guaranteed $170,000 of his contract, the most they gave any UDFA in their 2024 class.
The Colts released Johnson from their practice squad on October 14, and he remained without a football home for almost a month before the Cowboys signed him on Wednesday.
At the time of the 2024 draft, one NFL insider said that he had rated Johnson as “a legitimate NFL player,” and graded him “almost as high” as his former Eastern Michigan teammate, Sidy Sow.
Sow, a 6-foot-5, 318-pound offensive lineman was drafted in 2023, in the third round, by the New England Patriots. The Patriots released Sow in August, and the 27-year-old lineman was subsequently signed to the Houston Texans‘ practice squad. The Texans elevated Sow to their active roster on November 8.
Vikings Coach Gets Honest About Bears QB Caleb Williams
The Minnesota Vikings are gearing up for a Week 11 matchup with a Chicago Bears team that looks far different from their first meeting of the season. Since that Week 1 clash, the two NFC North teams have gone in very different directions.
The Vikings sit at 4-5, stumbling after a Week 10 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens that followed their Week 9 victory over the Detroit Lions. That defeat kept them below .500 and slowed any momentum they had built.
On the other hand, the Bears have climbed to 6-3, winning six of their last seven games, with their only loss coming to the Ravens on October 26. Caleb Williams’ late-game poise has fueled several close wins this season, putting Chicago firmly in playoff contention.
While speaking to reporters on November 12, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell shared what’s different about Williams now than when they faced the young quarterback in Week 1.
“We felt it in Week 1,” O’Connell told reporters on November 12. “Some of the throws he can make are at the highest level, whether it’s a play-action pass, on the move, or in the keeper game, with different ways of attacking downfield. When he breaks containment, he can make every throw.
“He’s made some throws that haven’t ended up in completions, but you watch him on tape because of the difficulty of the throws he can make in and out of the pocket. As he accumulates more snaps and builds off what he did last year, that experience is showing up in a consistency that’s helping them win.”
Minnesota Know What to Expect from Caleb Williams
The Vikings’ coach, who will be in charge of containing Williams, will be defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Ahead of the Week 11 matchup, reporters asked Flores about Williams’ late-game performances for Chicago.
“He’s proven that in those moments he’s come up big multiple times,“ Flores told reporters on November 11. “It looks like he thrives in those situations, which for a young quarterback is certainly an area you want to see.
“For us, we know that when it comes down to those moments—which most NFL games do—we’ve got to be at our best because he’s going to be at his best, and so are they. It’s a division game, so that’s probably what it’s going to be: A 60-minute battle. We’ve got to prepare the right way. It’s going to be a big challenge.”
Bears QB Caleb Williams Is Ready for the Vikings Challenge
Williams knows that whatever the Vikings throw at him, he will need to be ready. Despite the rivalry between the Bears and Vikings, the young quarterback didn’t hesitate to praise Flores.
“I would say he’s probably one of the more challenging coaches that I’ve had to go against so far in my career,“ Williams said on November 12 when talking to reporters about Flores. “Obviously, I haven’t played every single team yet and every single defensive coordinator, but up to this point, he’s been that.
“It’s all 70-plus plays that you have or so. It’s a full mental test. Every single play, he challenges you to reach your full mental capacity. This is always a fun game, going against Flo and his defense and the players he has on that side of the ball. Like I said, it’s always fun going up against a defensive coordinator and a team like this.”
