The Dallas Cowboys selected Josh Ball out of Marshall with the No. 138 pick in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft with hopes he could add much-needed depth to the tackle position. Wide receiver T.J. Vasher went undrafted and was signed to the team in May to compete for a spot on the practice squad and possibly the 53-man roster.

Unfortunately for Ball and Vasher, their NFL careers haven’t left the starting gate yet. Ball suffered an ankle injury in September and has been on injured reserve ever since. Vasher came into the league with a lingering knee issue from his days at Texas Tech and was placed on the Reserve/non-football injury list in May.

Wednesday brought some encouraging news regarding both players as they had their 21-day practice windows started.

Ball came into the NFL with character concerns attached to his name. When he was at Florida State, a woman accused him of 11 incidents of misconduct, and he was convicted of “dating violence” which led to his departure from the Seminoles. After one year at Butler Community College, Ball transferred to Marshall where he spent two seasons. As a senior in 2020, he received first-team all-conference USA honors.

At this point in the season, Ball will likely take a redshirt for 2021 and compete for a backup role next season. His 21-day practice squad activation coincides with the final three weeks of the regular season, but it also makes him eligible for potential emergency duty in the playoffs.

Vasher is 6-foot-6 with an 84-inch wingspan which was the longest for any pass-catcher coming into the 2021 NFL draft. That type of height and length makes him a potential red-zone threat especially with his knack for making contested catches. Also, Vasher ran a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash which shows he has pretty good speed to make his freakish measurables.