NFL roundup: Cowboys change procedure for calling plays

Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett will directly relay plays to quarterback Tony Romo, a change from previous seasons, according to ESPN.

Offensive coordinator Bill Callahan will continue calling plays, but Garrett will have more control over changes by having direct communication with Romo.

Quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson will relocate from the sideline to the upstairs coaching booth with Callahan.

Callahan had called the plays and relayed them to Wilson on the sideline, who then sent them to Romo. NFL rules only allow coaches to communicate with players from the sideline.

Now, Garrett will take the play call from Callahan and relay it through the equipment in Romo's helmet. This also allows Garrett to change the call.

The changes were made during the Cowboys' bye week. They play the New York Giants on Sunday.

---No grievance hearing for suspended game official Roy Ellison was scheduled for the weekend so he will serve his one-game ban, the Washington Post reported Saturday.

The NFL suspended Ellison on Friday for "making a profane and derogatory statement" to Washington Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams during last Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The NFL Referees Association said after the suspension was announced that it would file a grievance. The NFLRA accused Williams of speaking to Ellison abusively and using a racial slur.

---Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed is out for Monday night's game against the San Francisco 49ers due to a concussion, ESPN reported.

Reed did not pass any concussion tests mandated by the NFL this week.

Veteran Fred Davis, who has been out since Oct. 13, will return to the lineup in place of Reed. Davis was the team's top receiving tight end the past two seasons, combing for 83 catches in 19 games before sustaining a ruptured Achilles' tendon.

---Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Jeremy Mincey will not play Sunday's game against the Houston Texans because he violated team rules, according to ESPN.com.

Mincey did not travel with the team to Houston on Saturday.

Mincey has 13 tackles and two sacks in seven games. He missed three games with a concussion.

Rookie Ryan Davis will likely play in place of Mincey. Davis was promoted from the practice squad last week.

---The New England Patriots released veteran running back Leon Washington and signed defensive back Justin Green to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.

Washington, 31, had been on the roster all season, but an ankle injury had kept him sidelined since Week 5. The Patriots also just got back Shane Vereen.

Green, an undrafted rookie out of Illinois, had been on the practice squad all season. He will offer depth to a secondary that is dealing with injuries to its top four players.

---When St. Louis Rams safety T.J. McDonald suffered a broken bone in his leg on Sept. 26 against the San Francisco 49ers, he first feared his season would be lost. Subsequent tests revealed the injury was not as serious as first believed, and McDonald was placed on injured reserve/designated for return.

The Rams made the move official Saturday, activating McDonald while also moving cornerback Quinton Pointer from the practice squad to the active roster.

To make room on the roster for McDonald and Pointer, the Rams placed cornerback Cortland Finnegan and quarterback Brady Quinn on injured reserve.

---The Oakland Raiders added wide receiver Greg Jenkins to the active roster, the team announced.

Jenkins was promoted from the practice squad after spending 12 weeks there. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in May out of Alabama State.

The Raiders also placed wide receiver Juron Criner on injured reserve. Criner played one game. He had three catches for 32 yards on Nov. 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

---The San Diego Chargers promoted offensive tackle Kenny Wiggins from the practice squad, the team announced.

Wiggins was signed to the practice squad Sept. 2. The Chargers activated him for last Sunday's game at the Miami Dolphins but he did not play. He was waived Monday and re-signed Wednesday.

To make room for Wiggins on the roster, the Chargers waived offensive tackle Mike Remmers.

---The Green Bay Packers activated safety Sean Richardson and defensive end Jerel Worthy from reserve/physically unable to perform and placed cornerbacks Casey Hayward and James Nixon on injured reserve, the team announced.

Hayward appeared in three games with one start this season. Nixon also played three games.