The Dallas Cowboys have promoted guard Ronald Leary from the practice squad to protect another team from signing him to their 53-man roster, ESPN Dallas has reported.

The Cowboys signed Leary as an undfrafted free agent out of Memphis and have been high on the young guard ever since, with Leary even getting time with the first team in training camp due to injuries. Leary did not start playing football until his junior season and is considered a raw guard with a lot of raw potential.

Leary was not drafted in part due to the fact that he has a degenerative disorder in his knee called osteochondritis dissecans, discovered when he and had surgery to repair his meniscus in May 2011. Leary still appeared in all 12 games with Memphis in 2011.

The Cowboys will have to make a roster move to fit Leary onto the active roster, with the team reluctant to move nose tackle Jay Ratliff to injured reserve.