With a bevy of suspensions and injuries hurting the Cowboys' depth, Dallas added a linebacker on Sunday.
Dallas traded an undisclosed 2018 draft pick to Green Bay for linebacker Jay Elliott, the team announced.
Elliott was serving as a backup outside linebacker behind Clay Matthews Jr. The linebacker has appeared in a total of 38 games over three seasons, recording 57 tackles, four sacks, one interception and one forced fumble over that span. The majority of Elliott's snaps came in Dime and Nickel subpackages, where he served almost exclusively as a standup end. Elliott also appeared on special teams in kickoff coverage.
With Anthony Hitchens -- who's expected to miss more than the first month with an injury -- listed as Dallas' starter at middle linebacker and as the backup to starting Will backer Sean Lee, the Cowboys needed a larger defender to protect the defense from a depth disaster. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Elliott, who was entrenched behind Matthews, offers that insurance.
Perhaps more importantly, considering the many suspensions at the defensive end position, Elliott's demonstrated versatility could also come in handy along the line.
