The Cowboys need a new left tackle for the 2024 season.
No need to worry. There's a lot going on around.
The free agent negotiation period begins Monday, and Tyron Smith could be the top left tackle on the market.
The Cowboys highly valued Smith's 13 seasons with the club. He was drafted ninth overall in 2011 and began the rebuilding of the offensive line. He earned eight Pro Bowl berths and two All-Pro selections. Smith was also named to his 2010s All-Decade Team.
Smith was everything you expected. He also signed an eight-year contract in 2016 that was worth nearly $97 million to the team.
For many years, health issues prevented him from playing a full season. He only played a full season four times in his Cowboys career. Last season, the Cowboys put him on a load management schedule in which he did not practice and participated only in walk-throughs because of shoulder and neck issues. This gave the Cowboys the confidence to use Smith on game day.
“Obviously, no one thinks about Tyron Smith more than we do. He's a Hall of Famer all the way in our books,” said Stephen Jones, the team's executive vice president. “I think the same way as Mike.” [McCarthy] I think we managed him and some of the older players and were successful with that. I think that helped them, whether it was Zach Martin or the older players. At the same time, Tyrone missed the game. He missed some games last year. ”
Smith will need to convince NFL teams to let him play in 17 games with a limited practice schedule.
Moving forward is easy for the Cowboys.
The same goes for finding a replacement.
The 2024 NFL Draft class is full of prospects who are ready to move into the left tackle spot. Notre Dame's Joe Alto, Penn State's Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Oregon State's Talese Fuaga and Alabama's J.C. Latham are expected to be selected in the top 15.
The Cowboys will have options at No. 24 in the draft.
Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma), Amarius Mims (Georgia) and Troy Fautanu (Washington) should sit around No. 24. There will be 10 or 11 offensive linemen in the first round of the draft, and six or seven of them could be tackles.
Mims said he had a formal interview with the Cowboys at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“It was amazing,” Mims said. “They tried to take me away piece by piece, but I'm enjoying it. I had to answer some difficult questions, but like I said, it's a combine and I don't want to get a job. It's an interview.”
The Cowboys also met with Guyton, a native of Manor, Texas.
“It was great,” Guyton said of the meeting. “I've been a big Cowboys fan since I was a kid. The meeting went very well.”
Guyton has started only 14 games in two seasons, mostly at right tackle, but he noted he could transition to left tackle.
“I can do a lot of things that a lot of people can't do,” he said. “And that made me a better player.”
And since this is a draft, things can change at short notice. Three of the Cowboys' best players (CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons, and Trevon Diggs) lost to the Cowboys, defying pre-draft expectations.
Dallas also needs to make a decision on guard Tyler Smith. He was ultimately drafted to replace Tyron Smith two seasons ago. However, his strong effort at guard gave teams pause about moving him. And with so much tackle talent in this draft, Tyler Smith's time at guard could turn into a full-time contract.
As for the left tackle, everything seems to be going well. Replacements are waiting. Tyron Smith's time with the Cowboys was special, but it's time to move on and not worry about it.
“He's had a great career,” team owner Jerry Jones said. “He's a Hall of Famer. Not only that, but his personal life is one of the great stories I've had with everyone in the NFL, players, coaches, commissioners.”
Twitter/X: @Calvin Watkins
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