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Dallas Cowboys owners reveal future plans with offensive linemen Tyron Smith, Jason Peters

Stephen Samraby:Steve Samra02/01/23

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Tyron Smith | Jason Peters
(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) | (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

The Cowboys have revealed the future of offensive lineman Tyron Smith and Jason Peters in Dallas.

While Smith has been with the Cowboys for his entire career, the veteran Peters came over to Dallas following spending his career with the rival Philadelphia Eagles. The former dealt with injuries over the 2022 season while the latter exceeded all expectations, and Cowboys ownership — Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones — believes they’ll both return to America’s Team in 2023.

“The Cowboys believe Tyron Smith and Jason Peters will return in 2023,” tweeted Cowboys writer Clarence Hill Jr., who was covering the team’s press conference.

Additionally, ownership added that Smith had surgery on his knee, but stressed it was minor, per Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News.

Alas, there’ll be some big changes to the Cowboys operation, especially on offense following the parting of ways with former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Still, Dallas will have some familiarity, as Mike McCarthy is expected to call plays next season.

At the least, he’ll have two big offensive line chess pieces returning for next season.

ESPN’s Ryan Clark questions Mike McCarthy calling plays for Dallas Cowboys

Continuing, the way the Dallas Cowboys finished their playoff games versus the 49ers the last two years brought heavy criticism onto offensive coordinator Kellen Moore but that doesn’t mean the team’s decision to mutually part ways with their former QB is risk-free. With Mike McCarthy turning loose eight members of his coaching staff, one has to wonder whether the Cowboys are risking the ruin of a pretty good thing.

On Get Up on Monday, ESPN analyst Ryan Clark laid out the reasons why it was time for a change in Dallas.

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“I think it is the right move,” Clark said. “When you look at this team, this is a move that tells Mike McCarthy: ‘This is your last move. This is your last opportunity to get this right.’ When you look at this team failing in the postseason in the last two seasons and failing offensively, you say, okay, the quarterback’s not going to change… but that means you have to do something at the offensive coordinator position.”

Although the former Steelers star approved of the Cowboys’ decision to move on from Moore, he questioned whether McCarthy still has what it takes to call the offense on top of his head coaching duties. He hasn’t played both roles since his days with the Packers. He called the plays for the bulk of his time in Green Bay. McCarthy only briefly gave up those duties in 2015 and took them back in the same season.

“I don’t know if that means to allow Mike McCarthy calling the plays,” Clark added. “Has he continued to grow with the game to be creative enough, to be locked in enough, to help Dak Prescott and this offense excel? I do not know. But I do know it had gotten stale with Kellen Moore. 

“And we talk all the time about how many points this team scored offensively. This is a team that had 229 points off of turnovers, that led the entire league, 23% of what they got came from the defense in the last two seasons.”

On3’s Nikki Chavanelle contributed to this article.