IRVING, Texas - Josh Brent is no longer on the Cowboys' 53-man roster. After several discussions with the NFL this week, the Cowboys have now officially removed him from the roster, placing him on reserved/non-football illness list.
That keeps him with the team and able to be at the complex. It's unclear how restricted he will be in terms of meetings or other team functions. Not only is his legal status uncertain, but Brent also has physical injuries as well. He attended the memorial service for Jerry Brown on Tuesday with a small cast on his right wrist.
Garrett reiterated Wednesday how much support the Cowboys have and will continue to have for Brent.
"Josh is part of our family. We have unconditional love for him," Garertt said. "And we're going to make sure that we support him in every way we can. Players, coaches, our organization, and make him feel that support every way … having him be here, and knowing that people are around him to help him and he can call us, he can just be around us, he can cry, he can laugh – he can do whatever he needs to do – and we'll be there to help him."
The Cowboys have used Brent's spot on the roster to sign defensive tackle Brian Schaefering, who has played in Rob Ryan's scheme in Cleveland. In fact, Schaefering (6-4, 292) played all 16 games, including nine starts for the Browns in 2010, Ryan's last season there as defensive coordinator.
Schaefering, who also played all 16 games for the Browns last season, has been out of the league this year, but after a workout with the Cowboys Wednesday morning, he was officially signed to the roster.
He becomes the fifth defensive player signed this season who was currently not on a roster or practice squad, along with Charlie Peprah, Eric Frampton, Ernie Sims and Brady Poppinga.
