The Green Bay Packers made several roster moves on Saturday ahead of their Week 6 game against the Dallas Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football.” Most of them were forced by injuries, and the Packers ended up placing three players on injured reserve before facing Dallas.

One of those moves was expected. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave tore his Achilles tendon last week against the Chicago Bears and is out for the season, so his trip to injured reserve was only a formality.

The other two were somewhat surprising. Defensive tackle Jonathan Ford (calf) and wide receiver Skyy Moore (ankle) had both been ruled out for the Cowboys game. Now they’re on injured reserve, which means both players will miss at least four games.

Reinforcements at receiver and edge

To fill the open spots, Green Bay activated wide receiver Savion Williams. The former third-round pick started the season on injured reserve with an ankle issue, and he is back in time to play against the Cowboys on Sunday.

The Packers also elevated two players from the practice squad for game day. One is edge defender Arron Mosby, and the other is wide receiver Coleman Owen, who could make his Packers debut against Dallas after being signed on Sept. 30.

With Moore out, the receiver room needed bodies, especially because Jayden Reed is out for the season with a neck injury. Williams and Owen give the offense enough depth to handle a full game plan, and Mosby adds another option to the defensive front rotation.

What the elevations reveal

Who didn’t get called up matters just as much as the elevations, and the roster moves give two hints about what’s to come against the Cowboys.

First, the Packers didn’t elevate a cornerback for this game. That’s a good indication for Brandon Cisse, who is listed as questionable with a hip injury, because the team apparently didn’t feel the need to add insurance at the position.

Second, Green Bay didn’t elevate a defensive tackle from the practice squad either. That decision stands out because the position has been hit the hardest by injuries. Therefore, the coaching staff will probably be more willing to play edge defenders on the interior if needed.

Lukas Van Ness is the most obvious candidate to kick inside. He has the size to hold up in some interior snaps, and the Packers simply don’t have many other options right now.

Running thin at defensive tackle

The Packers started the season with seven defensive tackles on the 53-man roster. Only four of them will be active for the game against the Cowboys: Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks, Chris McClellan, and Anthony Campbell (who’s also questionable, but now expected to play).

That’s a significant drop for a unit that was supposed to be one of the deepest on the roster. As a consequence, the defensive line will rely on creative alignments rather than pure depth.

NFL practice squad rules

The NFL increased the practice squad size during COVID-19 and kept some of the adjusted rules. Of the 16 players, 10 must have up to two accrued seasons, while the other six have no restrictions. There’s also an extra spot for a player with an International Pathway Program exemption, which Green Bay is using for German kicker Lenny Krieg.

Throughout the season, teams can elevate practice squad players for gameday. Each player can be elevated three times for the same team without being a member of the active 53-man roster. After the game, the player reverts to the PS.

Packers’ practice squad

• Damon Bankston RB
• Mekhi Becton G/T
• David Blay Jr. DT
• Dalton Cooper T
• Elijah Culp CB
• Drake Dabney TE
• Jack Dingle LB
• Kahlef Hailassie S
• Domani Jackson CB
• Nyjalik Kelly EDGE
• Lenny Krieg K (IPP)
• Arron Mosby EDGE
• Isaiah Neyor WR
• Coleman Owen WR
• Quincy Skinner Jr. WR
• Kedon Slovis QB
• Dillon Wade G