Cowboys make couple of roster moves ahead of Week 15 vs. Bills

In light of Johnathan Hankins being ruled out for Sunday's matchup against the Buffalo Bills, the Dallas Cowboys are elevating Carl Davis from the practice squad.

That means Davis will reinforce the Cowboys' defensive line depth, specifically at nose tackle. After all, replacing a 6-2, 320-pound behemoth like Hankins is no easy job. 

Davis has 72 games played in seven seasons in the NFL and this will be his 2023 debut after signing with the Cowboys in November. A former third-round draft pick, Davis has played most of his career with the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots, with short stints with three other teams.

Ultimately, Davis' role will likely be more about depth than anything else. Mazi Smith, the first-round rookie nose tackle, is expected to see an increased workload on Sunday. While he's shown some flaws, he also has had some explosive moments that highlight why the Cowboys were so high on him in April.

"Mazi keeps getting better with each and every opportunity," McCarthy told reporters earlier this week. "You can just see the confidence and the understanding."

Cowboys getting ready for a run game battle?

The Cowboys are also elevating running back Malik Davis ahead of the game, an unexpected decision after elevating rookie TE Princeton Fant in back to back weeks.