IRVING, Texas - With injuries affecting all aspects of special teams this week - coverage and returns - the Cowboys signed veteran linebacker Carlos Polk, who had double-digit special teams tackles in four of his seven seasons with the San Diego Chargers.
To make room for Polk, the Cowboys placed wide receiver Sam Hurd (ankle surgery) on injured reserve, ending his season. Hurd finished sixth on the team with 15 special teams tackles last year.
Polk also should provide depth at outside linebacker with Anthony Spencer (hamstring), another key special teams player, unlikely to play Sunday at St. Louis.
"It's great coming to something that you're familiar to," said Polk, who played for Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips' defense in San Diego from 2004-06. "They have the same schedule, same terminology. When they start speaking, you know the lingo already."
Polk's primary role will be special teams. The unit's leading tackle, Kevin Burnett, missed practice again Thursday with a calf injury, and special teams captain Keith Davis was limited again because of a thumb laceration that required stitches. He's expected to play.
On defense, Phillips said Bobby Carpenter would replace Burnett in substitution packages if he couldn't play.
Released by the Chargers at the end of preseason, Polk has been training in San Diego and waiting on phone calls from interested teams. The Cowboys happened to have a need at linebacker and special teams.
"He's a Keith Davis type guy as far as I'm concerned," Phillips said. "He's a special teams guy that can play defense, play linebacker, play all the positions at linebacker."
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