DALLAS — In a perfect world, the Dallas Cowboys would have had no need to sign Jason Peters to provide tackle depth, but that is where they sit as Week 1 draws nigh and All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith recovers from a torn hamstring.
The Cowboys signed Peters, 40, on Sept. 5 as a backup plan in case first-rounder Tyler Smith doesn't handle the starting job well.
Even though the Cowboys needed help at the position, they wanted to make sure that the former Super Bowl champion's heart and mind were in the right place before signing him to a contract. The former Philadelphia Eagle had a visit with owner Jerry Jones, executive vice president Stephen Jones, and coach Mike McCarthy to test the waters.
"We all had a chance to sit down," McCarthy told reporters Sept. 7. "To me that is a two-way conversation. You are talking about a future Hall-of-Famer, who has played a lot of football. Fit has to be on both sides. Obviously, we were interviewing him, but I like the way he was interviewing us, too. That is how it went down. He seemed very excited to be a part of this."
For Peters, an opportunity presents itself to punctuate his football career where it all started in the Lone Star State. The 6’4”, 328-pound lineman graduated from nearby Queen City in northeast Texas and played his college ball at Arkansas.
"I was just weighing my options and then when this came up, my home state, I couldn’t pass it up: to play for the Cowboys, two hours from my hometown," Peters told reporters on Sept. 5.
Peters grew up a Buffalo Bills fan, which is why he signed with the AFC East club as an undrafted free agent in 2004. Nevertheless playing for the Cowboys gives him a chance to play football close to home.
As Peters prepared for presumably his 19th season, he stayed in shape with cardio and lifting before the Cowboys came calling.
Said Peters: "You can’t really get in football shape until you put the pads and helmet on so that’s what I’m going to be doing the first couple of weeks."
The Cowboys' young tackles in Smith and Terence Steele have been asking Peters for advice on how to develop their game, according to McCarthy.
"I know the young guys are excited and have been picking his brain since he's been here," said McCarthy. "The whole time he's been here, he's been an excellent, excellent addition. We're going to be smart with him, he'll just work individual [practice] today and he worked individual [practice] on Monday. We're kind of taking a ramp-up type mindset with [Peters] as we move forward."
Do you think the offensive line is in good shape for Week 1? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
