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In a corresponding roster move after losing Connor Williams to a torn ACL, the Dallas Cowboys signed offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch, the team announced Sunday.
Williams, the starting left guard, was placed on injured reserve.
A 2016 fifth-round pick of the Buccaneers, Benenoch has appeared in 35 games, starting 22, across three teams and four professional seasons. He played in five games as a rookie and 13 as a sophomore before starting all 16 at right guard for the Bucs in 2018.
Benenoch was released by Tampa Bay in September and had cups of coffee with the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers, who cut him on Oct. 22.
With his addition, Dallas’ roster is back to its 53-player capacity.
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College Scouting Report
Capable of playing tackle and guard, Benenoch earned All-Pac-12 honors in his second year at UCLA, where he was teammates with current Cowboys OG Xavier Su’a-Filo.
In his NFL.com scouting profile, the 6-foot-5, 305-pound blocker was given a better-than-average chance to make an NFL roster by draft analyst Lance Zierlein.
“Athletic prospect with some roster value as a tackle or guard, but concerns about his play strength could be an issue at either spot,” Zierlein wrote. “Benenoch’s tape at guard may have been better than his tackle tape, but moving inside requires more mass and power. Benenoch has the makeup of an NFL backup with potential to work into a lineup for a zone-scheme team.”
Fit in Dallas
With Williams done for the season and RG Zack Martin pushing through injuries, Benenoch slides in as depth, operating behind Martin and Su’a-Filo, who’s starting for Williams.
Dallas will roll with Cameron Fleming, Brandon Knight, Joe Looney and Benenoch (if active) as the primary reserves along the O-line. Fortunately, the club’s other starters — LT Tyron Smith, Martin, C Travis Frederick, and RT La’el Collins — escaped unscathed from their no-show against the Buffalo Bills on Turkey Day.
Cowboys third-round OL Connor McGovern has spent his rookie campaign on injured reserve, mending a partially torn pectoral muscle. Williams’ shelving would have been the ideal opportunity for McGovern to cut his teeth, but head coach Jason Garrett revealed that’s not yet in the cards.
“My initial conversations this morning is he’s physically not ready to do that yet,” he said Friday, per USA Today.
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Cowboys Sign Former Buccaneers Starting Offensive Lineman