Like many teams around the league, the Cowboys sent a strong message in free agency. However, they did not add a large number of players or keep most of their own players. What is clear for the Cowboys is that they are willing to give opportunities to the young players on the team.
There are a number of players on this roster who are still on their rookie contracts but have yet to have a breakout season. Will there be one this year too? The Cowboys can only hope, especially considering they signed just two players in free agency and only have six picks in the NFL Draft later this month.
Therefore, the Cowboys will have to rely on some past draft and free agent signings to fill out this roster.
Today we continue our series with offensive lineman Brock Hoffman.
- name: brock hoffman
- position: center/guard
- experience: 2n.d. Year
- Games played/started: 17/2
- Remaining years of contract: 1 (ERFA in 2025)
- how to get: Free agent (2022)
- Key statistics: The Cowboys gained over 400 yards of total offense with both starters, producing two of the team's top three performances in 2023.
past: Hoffman joined the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Browns in 2022, but spent most of the year on their practice squad. He was released in November of that season, picked up by the Cowboys, and remained on the practice squad, but was promoted for three games that season. In 2023, Hoffman was added to the Cowboys roster and appeared in all 17 games, including two starts. He replaced Tyler Biadasz at center against the Cardinals in Week 3, and the offense gained a season-high 185 yards. Hoffman then started at right guard for Zach Martin in the final game of the season, where the Cowboys again totaled a huge 440 yards. Hoffman started two of the Cowboys' top three games on offense, and his ability to play both center and guard made him a useful reserve on game day.
the current: The Cowboys made little effort to re-sign Biadas, who signed a free agent contract with Washington. Hoffman and TJ Bass are both internal candidates vying for the starting job. There's talk that the Cowboys could draft a center in the first round, but some Day 1 candidates, like Hoffman, also have the positional flexibility to play other spots. So it will be interesting to see what happens after the draft. Players like Hoffman, who is starting at both positions, and Tyler Smith, who is also starting at both guard and tackle, give the Cowboys some flexibility on draft day. If a tackle, guard, or center is your best fit, having those players on your roster will help create an overall smoother transition for everyone involved. Either way, look for Hoffman to start at one of the starting spots in training camp.
future: Technically, this is the final year of Hoffman's contract, but since he is an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA), the Cowboys could easily retain his rights through 2025. He will then become a restricted free agent in 2026 and become unrestricted after that. So if Hoffman performs as well as he did in his first two starts, the Cowboys could keep him before signing him to a multi-year deal. A lot depends on this season, but that won't be resolved until the draft and offseason. So while it's too early to predict Hoffman's future, there will always be a spot for a versatile player with positional flexibility.
