The Sports Xchange

The Dallas Cowboys have injury concerns on a number of fronts that have led to several significant moves.

The Cowboys acquired quarterback Matt Cassel from the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday. Multiple media outlets reported that the Bills sent a 2017 seventh-round draft pick to the Cowboys for Cassel and a 2017 fifth-round pick. Cassel joined the Bills during the offseason but was beaten out for the starting job in Buffalo by Tyrod Taylor.

The Cowboys acquired Cassel because quarterback Tony Romo was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return, making him eligible to be activated for the Dallas Cowboys’ Nov. 22 game against the Miami Dolphins.

Romo injured his shoulder Sunday eschewed surgery to allow the fractured clavicle to heal naturally. The typical recovery time is eight weeks.

Without Romo, the Cowboys presumably are turning to Brandon Weeden, who is 5-16 as a starter.

On Tuesday afternoon, NFL.com reported that the Cowboys promoted quarterback Kellen Moore from the practice squad to the active roster after bringing in Matt Flynn, Josh Johnson, Christian Ponder and McLeod Bethel-Thompson for workouts.

The Cowboys, who are already without wide receiver Dez Bryant with a foot injury, are hoping tight end Jason Witten will be able to play Sunday despite have two sprained ankles and a sprained knee.

Also, Cowboys defensive tackle Terrell McClain will be out for the rest of the season after being placed on injured reserve with a badly sprained big toe.

— New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles confirmed what was becoming apparent – that Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain the Jets’ starting quarterback even after Geno Smith is ready to return to action after suffering a broken jaw.

“Ryan is our QB right now,” Bowles said. “We’re going good. We have good chemistry right now. Geno understands that.

“When Geno Smith returns to full health, Ryan Fitzpatrick will get all the first-team quarterback reps.”

–Jets wide receiver Eric Decker might need a week or more of rest, but no surgery is required on his ailing left knee.

Decker caught eight passes for 97 yards and a touchdown in Monday’s win over the Indianapolis Colts, all in the first half. He limped off in the fourth quarter when he said he “landed goofy” on a deep incompletion.

Terrelle Pryor worked out for the New York Jets on Tuesday as a wide receiver.

–New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees received a supporting second opinion on his bruised right shoulder and could play Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

Brees has a rotator cuff contusion, the result of a hard hit to his throwing shoulder early in the second quarter in the Saints’ Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers. Response to therapy this week will determined whether Brees can play against the Panthers.

It had been reported Monday that Brees might miss several games, but the injury apparently is not as serious as feared.

–Wide receiver Preston Parker was released by the New York Giants, who signed defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis to the 53-man roster on Tuesday.

Parker was lining up in the slot for the Giants with Victor Cruz sidelined by a calf injury.

–Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins will miss 4-6 weeks with a strained shoulder.

Seferian-Jenkins leads the team in receiving with seven catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 19.9 yards per catch.

He was injured in the Buccaneers’ Week 2 win over the New Orleans Saints.

Tight end Cameron Brate was signed off the practice squad of the Saints.

— Washington Redskins rookie linebacker Martrell Spaight will miss the rest of the season with a head injury.

The Redskins placed Spaight on season-ending injured reserve after he suffered a concussion in the season-opening loss to the Miami Dolphins. Washington reinstated cornerback Chris Culliver on Monday and he took Spaight’s spot after a roster exemption was lifted Tuesday.

–The Arizona Cardinals released running back Kerwynn Williams.

The Cardinals also signed running back Mike Gillislee to the practice squad and released tight end Brandon Bostick and guard Anthony Steen from the practice squad.

— The Oakland Raiders added cornerback David Amerson, claiming him one day after he was waived by the Washington Redskins.

Amerson started 23 games in his first two seasons with the Redskins and compiled 109 tackles and two interceptions in 33 career games. But he was buried on the depth chart this year and didn’t play last week against the St. Louis Rams.

–The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waived defensive end Kourtnei Brown and signed tight end Cameron Brate to the active roster from the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad and free agent defensive end Josh Martin.