Will Tyler Smith start at left tackle or left guard for the Dallas Cowboys in September? That's one of the burning questions of the offseason. This is a decision the team was forced to make with the departure of Tyron Smith to the New York Jets. Most people see it as a big thing.
It may not be as important as you think.
Let's start with the fact that Tyler is a great offensive lineman. He showed his talent as a guard for his team this past season, earning his first Pro Bowl appearance. However, it has always been believed that when Dallas drafted him, there was a long-term plan to eventually replace Taillon when the inevitable happened. That happened this year because Tyrone got more money than Dallas was willing to give to go to the Jets. The wisdom of this move is still up for debate, but Tyler allowed the team to let Taillon walk because they had a built-in option to fill the resulting hole.
Of course, that creates another hole at left guard. The best option left on the roster right now is TJ Bass, and there are indications they could move with him if needed. However, the real plan may be to strengthen the offensive line through the draft. If not, it raises the question of what the heck they're doing. It looks like the draft will be rich in offensive line talent at both tackle and inside. With limited draft capital, you have to expect them to tackle that line in the first three rounds. (Unfortunately, we're pretty confident that we won't get much help via free agency. Right now, the main purpose of free agency is to fill the void if the draft leaves a real gap.) It's like finding out.)
That's how Tyler's flexibility is really helping them. They can take a plug-and-play tackle and continue guarding Tyler, or accompany the inside player while Tyler moves to the outside. This adds a real element of the best player available in the draft, which is always a good thing.
The decision to allow Tyler Biadasz to leave in free agency is also a big part of the calculation here. In any case, the left side of the track will need to be rebuilt. Brock Hoffman is currently expected to start at center. But he can also play center or guard. This allows the rookie to be placed at center, guard, or tackle. If they don't take a tackle in the draft, they'll probably take Smith out and pair the rookie with Hoffman or Bass, depending on who they trust the most. Or the consistency of players on both sides of him who could pick up tackles and rely on Smith to provide tackles.
There could be even more options for draft candidates who could have similar positional flexibility as Smith. That way, they can try out the best combinations in camp to make the most of their draft picks. A final decision on the lineup for the regular season could be made very late in training camp, but it could be made sooner. This makes his future OTAs and minicamp even more interesting. Despite the limitations of these practices, they may provide enough data to inform what plans will be for this fall.
There's no guarantee that the team will do well, but the way Tyler Smith is approaching it provides some comfort. He had already filled in for Tyron Smith at left tackle when the latter was injured in his rookie year. Then he transferred during the last year and had an even better season. If they can find the right draft picks, there's some hope that this line won't be a big problem this year, as they've done pretty well aside from last season's disappointing class. right.
This is all thanks to Tyler's flexibility. The Cowboys are paying off on their investment in him. When he was chosen, many questioned the choice. The results showed that this should not be the case. Now we can root for them to find a little draft money again. Even if they don't, the cost of having both Bass and Hoffman this year, while not the best, is not a surefire failure. This is also thanks to the fact that there is one confirmed boss on the left side of the line.
