IRVING, Texas – When Jon Kitna suffered a back injury that would eventually end his season last year, the Cowboys had eyed Rudy Carpenter, whom they had in training camp in 2009, as a possible in-season replacement.

Tampa Bay knew it and added Carpenter to its active roster, thus blocking a potential move. But when the Buccaneers changed coaching staffs in the offseason, Carpenter was cut and the Cowboys gladly claimed him off waivers.

“When I came here my first year I was the fourth guy and most teams don’t keep four,” Carpenter said. “A lot of teams now only keep two but they found a way to keep me here, which was a surprise to me. Then in Tampa I was on the active roster while I was there and I thought I played well when I got a chance to play, but when a new coaching staff comes in you never know. They want their own guys and that’s what Tampa did. I was kind of like, ‘Oh, man what am I going to do now?’ then the next thing I know I got a phone call saying, ‘Hey, you got claimed by the Cowboys.’”

Carpenter did not take part in the weekend rookie minicamp but he was at the facility Friday and Saturday.

“He looks good,” quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson said. “We’ve been meeting and going back over the offense and he has a great retention of what we’ve done and been at the two teaching sessions and is real familiar with our guys and what we’re trying to get done. It looks like he never left.”

Carpenter will compete with Stephen McGee for the No. 3 quarterback spot.

“I’m just so happy to get back on the field and show the coaches here that over the last four years or three years I’ve gotten so much better from where I was,” Carpenter said. “And hopefully they’ll see that as well.”