| | IRVING, Texas -- While the Dallas Cowboys are facing the
absence of several top offensive players this week, the defense got
some good news Tuesday with the return of lineman Leon Lett.
| |  | | | Lett |
Lett's eight-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance
abuse policy ended Monday night following Dallas' 27-17 loss to
Minnesota. In that game, the Cowboys had Troy Aikman and Emmitt
Smith go down with injuries.
The two-time Pro Bowl lineman returned to the team's Valley
Ranch training facility Tuesday and met with coaches. He'll
practice Wednesday and could play 20-25 snaps Sunday against Green
Bay as a backup to starting tackles Alonzo Spellman and Chad
Hennings.
"Any time you can get a player like that back it helps your
football team," coach Chan Gailey said. "Now he's got to get into
playing shape and he's got to be able to go out there and help us a
certain number of plays.
"But a guy that talented will obviously be able to help us
somewhere down the road. Hopefully it's this week, but we'll have
to wait and see."
Lett has missed 28 of the last 60 games because of three
suspensions since 1995. Commissioner Paul Taglibue has said another
violation would cost him a year.
The 6-foot-6, 295-pound lineman is known as The Big Cat for his
quickness. He has been an excellent run stopper and a good enough
pass rusher to help free the ends.
"He can make a big impact," Gailey said. "How quickly and how
much, I don't know. But when he steps on the field, I think he will
have an impact."
The Cowboys waived reserve Nathan Davis to make room for Lett on
the active roster. Davis, best known for his multiple body
piercings and tattoos, was inactive for four of the last six games.
| |
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