Cowboys' Leighton Vander Esch: Move to IR on tap

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said Thursday that Vander Esch (neck) will be placed on injured reserve, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Dallas may not make the transaction official until later in the week, but once Vander Esch is placed on IR, he'll be sidelined for the next four games, at minimum. According to Gehlken, Vander Esch's neck injury is expected to entail a 4-to-6-week recovery process, so he may not be a safe bet to return from IR when first eligible to play Nov. 19 versus the Panthers in Week 11. The Cowboys signed Rashaan Evans to their practice squad Thursday, and he could be elevated for Monday's game against the Chargers as the Cowboys look to add depth at linebacker alongside starters Micah Parsons and Damone Clark.