Getty Former Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes (left) was cut by the Bills on January 4, 2023.
The Dallas Cowboys are gearing up for the playoffs by grabbing a veteran cornerback released earlier this week by the Buffalo Bills.
Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reported on January 7 that the Cowboys grabbed Xavier Rhodes after his release from Buffalo.
“The #Cowboys are signing veteran CB Xavier Rhodes to their practice squad, source says. Waived by the #Bills the other day, Rhodes joins another playoff-bound team with a chance to contribute in the postseason,” Garafolo tweeted.
Rhodes’ released came as a surprise to some Bills insiders, as he had been elevated from the practice squad to play in two games, starting one.
Cowboys Bolster Thin Secondary
Adding Rhodes to the practice squad will give the Cowboys depth for a secondary that has been hit hard by injuries to Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis. Rhodes, a former first-round pick, has played in 135 games in his career, starting 127. He is a three-time Pro Bowler, including an All-Pro season.
Rhodes has some experience this season. The Bills signed the veteran cornerback to the practice squad in September to add depth, but he was placed on the injured list in October with a hamstring injury. He returned in late November, playing against the Cleveland Browns in Week 11 and earning a start against the New England Patriots in Week 13.
Rhodes helped add a veteran presence to a young secondary, with rookie cornerbacks Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford getting significant playing time early as All-Pro Tre’Davious White recovered from a torn ACL.
#Cowboys BREAKING: CB Xavier Rhodes, #Bills Ex & Former 1st-Rounder, Signing with Dallas t.co/z65YhnEPGZ via @DallasCowboysFN
But Rhodes appeared to drop down the depth chart as the season went on, with Bills head coach Sean McDermott making the veteran a healthy scratch against the New York Jets and going with Dane Jackson instead.
“Just trying to put our best guys out there. Just looking at things and trying to put our best 11 out there so we can play our best football,” McDermott said at the time, via Syracuse.com. “I thought Tre had some good plays, I thought Dane made some good plays.”
Bills Get Healthier on Defense
The Bills also got a boost this week as Benford was activated from injured reserve. He had suffered an oblique injury that kept him out of the final stretch of the season. It was not clear yet when he might be able to return to the field.
We’ve activated CB Christian Benford from the Injured Reserve list.
We’ve placed Damar Hamlin on IR.
Veteran cornerback Taron Johnson also appears to be in line to play in the team’s Week 18 game against the New England Patriots after being placed in concussion protocol earlier in the week. Johnson went down in the first quarter of Monday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, an injury that was overshadowed when teammate Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Hamlin was taken to the hospital and listed in critical condition, but the Bills said he has made “remarkable” progress and was able to send a message to teammates.
We’ve signed S Jared Mayden from the Jets practice squad and released CB Xavier Rhodes.
The Bills added depth this week, signing safety Jared Mayden from the New York Jets practice squad. They can also call up veteran safety Dean Marlowe from the practice squad.