Joey Porter Jr. Will Debut for the Cowboys, But Don't Expect a Full Workload Against Houston

Joey Porter Jr. is officially suiting up for the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday, but the coaching staff isn't throwing him into the deep end just yet.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the newly acquired cornerback is expected to make his Dallas debut against the Houston Texans. However, he is going to be on a strict pitch count. Fowler reports that Porter will see roughly 30 snaps, depending on how the game flows.

"One source estimated about 30 snaps or so, depending on the flow of the game."

Learning an NFL defensive playbook in three days after getting shipped out by the Pittsburgh Steelers is basically like trying to cram for a bar exam while riding a roller coaster. You can only memorize so many coverages before your brain completely short-circuits. Giving him a 30-snap limit is just basic workplace safety.

Dallas desperately needs the secondary help after getting torched in a 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens last week. Throwing a talented cover guy like Porter into the mix is a massive upgrade, even if he is only out there for half the game.

For anyone looking at player props or defensive matchups, that 30-snap number is the magic metric. Houston is coming off a frustrating 19-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, and they will absolutely test the new guy if they catch him out of position.

Porter's workload will inevitably ramp up once he actually knows his teammates' names. Until then, expect Dallas to deploy him in obvious passing situations and hope his raw talent covers up any playbook blind spots.