Why would they sign John Cooper to the active roster? Are the injuries to Tyron Smith and/or Ron O'Leary more than have been reported? It seems like a strange short term move to me. Any ideas?
Leary is hurt. Collins hasn't proven completely healthy though he is expected to come off IR. I think this is just insurance, but Leary has indicated he wants to be a starter. If Cooper can get his head right, he may be a prospect going forward. So far, he's been a big disappointment to whoever was paying his salary.
Leary is dealing with a nagging injury. Collins is a ways out and was just cleared to do small things in practice. So yes it's partly insurance for a worst case scenario in playoffs. But the key motivation is for 2017. Collins will resume his starting role at LG. Leary will move on for a bigger payday the Cowboys can't afford with other big OL contracts. Cooper was a highly touted first rounder coming out and very high on the Cowboys draft board. They also believe he has the versatility to play guard and center. He's not powerful like Leary or Martin, but uses good leverage and has high mobility to move in space. The Cowboys use a lot of pulling and movement so they think he may fit. He played in 29 games (14 starts) over the last 3 years which is solid back-up experience. They're kicking the tires to see if he can be a relatively cheap, experienced, quality replacement as the primary center/guard back-up next year.
