IRVING, Texas - While Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells only asked his players to report to The Ranch on Friday for a little lifting and running following Thursday's 38-10 victory over Tampa Bay, the personnel department did not rest.
The Cowboys claimed second-year guard Joe Berger off waivers after he was released by Miami. Berger has played in only three games during his brief NFL career, and had not been active for any games this season. Berger is the second guard the Cowboys have claimed in a week, picking up Travis Leffew from Green Bay earlier in the week. Both players would appear to be moves made for the future.
To make room for Berger, the Cowboys released first-year tight end Tony Curtis, who has been inactive the past two games. Curtis, who spent last season on the practice squad, was signed to the team's 53-man roster Oct. 13, and had played in four games this year. The play of fullbacks Oliver Hoyte and Lousaka Polite likely made Curtis expendable.
The Cowboys now have just two tight ends on the active roster, Jason Witten and Anthony Fasano. They also have tight end Andy Thorn on the practice squad.
Kicking Around
If the Cowboys even had the notion of searching the free-agency market for a place kicker with veteran Mike Vanderjagt struggling some, that field narrowed on Thursday when the New Orleans Saints signed former Cowboys kicker Billy Cundiff.
The free-agent market these days is pretty thin, and Cundiff was one of the few kickers available the Cowboys had some knowledge of, having spent three full seasons with them and parts of a fourth. The Cowboys released Cundiff the final week of the 2005 season, and then went out in free agency to entice Vanderjagt to sign with a $2.4 million signing bonus.
While Vanderjagt did hit a 22-yarder in Thursday's victory, he has missed his last two attempts from 40 yards.
Here's The Deal
Parcells is giving his players three consecutive days off - Saturday, Sunday and Monday - before bringing them back in for practice on Tuesday to start preparing for the Dec. 3 game against the New York Giants.
But he told them following the victory over Tampa Bay that this season is coming down to a "five-game play out." Parcells means this season will come down to the final five games of the season, and that his team has control of its own destiny.
The Cowboys hold a half-game lead over the New York Giants, who play Tennessee on Sunday. If the Giants win, the two teams will head into next Sunday's encounter at Giants Stadium with identical 7-4 records.
