Cowboys move Melton to IR, sign LB Alexander

The Cowboys announced they'd be without Henry Melton for wildcard weekend on Monday, but he is now out for the remainder of the playoff push – however far it goes.

Melton was moved to injured reserve on Tuesday afternoon, and the Cowboys signed linebacker James Alexander to the active roster in his place. This comes just 24 hours after it was revealed Melton suffered a bone bruise in the 44-17 win against Washington.

"I've been through all 16 games, and to get injured coming up at the end – especially when you'd be out there with your guys for this playoff run," Melton said. 

The Cowboys lost Melton in the Redskins game after just six plays. It concluded a disappointing stretch, as he's notched just five tackles and no sacks during the past seven games since midseason.

"I was in on a tackle, and I just got rolled up on it at the end," he said. 

The injury was bad enough that Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Monday that Melton would be unavailable against the Lions – a surprising departure from his usual "day-by-day" mantra.

It concludes a quiet finish to the season for the Cowboys' top free agency acquisition during the offseason. Melton was a Pro Bowler in Chicago in 2012, but he tore his ACL in September 2013. The Cowboys signed him to a one-year deal with an option for three more in the spring, banking on him to recover his elite form.

He finished second on the team in sacks with five, but his most recent sack came in Week 9 against Arizona.

"Personally, I didn't get exactly where I wanted to get. It's just rough coming back, and I think one of the major factors was I had to get back into playing shape," he said. "It is what it is, and I think the good Lord for giving me the chance to get out there with my teammates."

Melton's future with the Cowboys now looks a bit murky, as the option on his contract is a team option. Dallas paid Melton just $1.5 million in base salary this year, but the three-year option escalates his salary to a whopping $8 million.

Despite all of that, Melton didn't want to speculate on what his future held.

"I can't think about that. I love it out here in Dallas – love the fans, love everything. Right now I'm just looking forward to this playoff push and taking it one day at a time."

Alexander was a 16-game starter in 2013, notching 103 tackles for Chicago. He played in seven games as a reserve for Tennessee in 2014, and he was cut Nov. 18. The Falcons signed him through Dec. 24, but he did not play in any games.

The addition of another linebacker is bound to raise questions about the availability of rookie linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who sprained his ankle against Washington. Garrett said Hitchens is day-to-day during the buildup to Sunday.