Dallas Cowboys continue to manipulate roster; veteran OT Jason Peters set for visit

The Dallas Cowboys finalized their 53-man roster and filled out their practice squad on Wednesday with some creative roster management and manipulation.

But it is still not the full complement of players who will open the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 11.

The team is not done making moves.

Veteran offensive tackle Jason Peters scheduled to visit with the Cowboys, according to sources.

Peters, 40, started 15 games last year with the Chicago Bears. The 17-year veteran spent the previous 11 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

It is more of a look see with Peters, per a league source.

If he does sign, look for Peters to serve as veteran insurance as left tackle behind rookie top pick Tyler Smith, who is still set the start in place of the injured Tyron Smith.

Owner Jerry Jones and vice president Stephen Jones said Tyler Smith is the target to start at left tackle against the Buccaneers.

Mike McCarthy said he would prefer not to discuss his starting lineup, citing competitive reasons. But acknowledged that Tyler Smith was now working at left tackle after working at left guard in training camp.

He said Smith needs reps.

One day after being released on final cuts on Tuesday, deep snapper Jake McQuaide and veteran special teams ace C.J. Goodwin were re-signed on Wednesday after Tyron Smith (knee/hamstring) and receiver James Washington (foot) were moved to injured reserve.

The NFL rules state that injured players must be on the active roster for at least one day before going to injured reserve if they want to bring them back at any point in the regular season.

Washington is expected back in October and Smith could be back in December.

McQuaide and Goodwin knew they were coming back as they had an agreement with the Cowboys that they would be re-signed in 24 hours.

As vested veterans, they were not subject to waivers.

It was a smart way for the Cowboys to manage the roster and hold on to players they wanted to keep.

Still the most interesting thing is that the Cowboys have just one quarterback in starter Dak Prescott and no kicker on their 53-man roster.

But quarterbacks Cooper Rush, Will Grier and kicker Brett Maher were among 16 players signed to the practice squad.

It was in how they compiled the practice squad that they should get credit for Super Bowl-level roster manipulation.

Per NFL rules, the Cowboys can elevate a player from the practice squad to the active roster the week of the game and then revert him back to the practice squad.

The Cowboys can do that with a player three times before the need to sign him to the active roster.

Rush the team’s No. 2 quarterback and Maher is the kicker, per McCarthy.

Look for the Cowboys to bring them to active roster before the Buccaneers game.

McCarthy said the decision on keeping just one quarterback was based on the strength in number of defense and the team wanting to do everything it could to keep their own players.

With the moves on Wednesday, the Cowboys have 28 defensive players on the active roster compared to 22 offensive players. And when you include the practice squad, they were also able to keep 71 of the 90 guys they brought to training camp.

“You want to keep the guys that earned to be on the 53,” McCarthy said. “We clearly had more than 53. That was the challenge. I was extremely happy when our practice squad group came back and we were able to get those guys back. We knew we were going to be young. So we wanted our guys. It speaks to our program, our culture. The numbers are what they are because these defensive guys earned it. I’m very comfortable with it.”

The Cowboys practice squad:

QB Cooper Rush, K Brett Maher, DT Carlos Watkins, LB Malik Jefferson. QB Will Grier, TE Sean McKeon, OT Aviante Collins, WR Brandon Smith, S Tyler Coyle, S Juanyeh Thomas, DE Mika Tafua, C Alec Lindstrom, WR Dontario Drummond, WR Malik Davis, G/T Isaac Alarcon.

The team is expected to sign one more player to the practice squad.