How injuries have fast-tracked a complete offensive line overhaul for the Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys have done a tremendous job remodeling their offensive line. It hasnât always been smooth and not everything goes according to plan, but once things start to come into focus it becomes rather apparent the front office has a pretty good idea of what they are doing.
This offseason brought about a lot of criticism. They allowed veteran All-Pro tackle Tyron Smith to leave in free agency after his healthiest season in four years. They also let Pro Bowl center Tyler Biadasz leave for a bigger paycheck creating two large holes on the offensive line. What raised eyebrows wasnât just letting two key starters walk, but rather doing next to nothing in free agency to fill those voids. All they did was re-sign veteran swing tackle Chuma Edoga who didnât play that well last year. That doesnât necessarily make fans feel good about the offensive line entering the new season.
But in typical front office fashion, what seems like a problem in March isnât always a problem in December. The team felt comfortable letting two starters leave because they already had safety nets on the roster. In 2022, they lost Tyron Smith in training camp causing them to start rookie Tyler Smith at left tackle. As raw as he was, he performed surprisingly well. When he moved into his preferred position of left guard last year he flourished, earning All-Pro honors immediately. So while Tyler is the teamâs star left guard, they know he could play left tackle if needed, which he did earlier this year without skipping a beat.
They also felt content with letting Biadasz leave because of what they saw in Brock Hoffman. The undrafted interior lineman started two games for them last year after Biadasz got hurt. While the team still had other plans to replace the vacated starters, they knew they had some worst-case-scenario options they were comfortable with.
Another element to this is that the Cowboysâ scouting department led by Will McClay had a strong grasp on the talent-rich draft class looming right around the corner. It was clear they were going to address the offensive line in the draft, which is exactly what they did. When the draft rolled around, they packaged their 24th overall pick for pick 29 and pick 73, which they used to select tackle Tyler Guyton and guard Cooper Beebe.
Guyton and Beebe moved into the starting lineup right away. Guyton played right tackle in college but was moved to the opposite side to protect Dak Prescottâs blindside. Beebe was a guard in college but was moved to center as the team again put faith that the transition would be seamless. It was trial by fire. It hasnât been without some bumps along the way, but overall we can see what these young players bring to the table.
But it gets even better. This season weâve seen Father Time finally catch up with Zack Martin. One might say we saw some writing on the wall last season as his play declined. Heâs missed the last two games due to injury, and the team has called upon Hoffman to play right guard. To the shock of many, Hoffman has impressed. He is getting his hands on defenders, taking them on the ground, and doing so with some swagger. Hoffman has provided an added level of nastiness within the offensive line.
Guyton is having a rough go his rookie season as he constantly gets hurt which is unfortunate because the best thing for him right now is repetition. Heâs still a work in progress, but heâs showing improvement. Beebeâs move to center has been no problem. Heâs getting off the snap quicker and once he gets his mitts on the defender he does a good job anchoring and not giving ground. Beebe has played two games (50 pass-rushing snaps) against one of this yearâs best defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence and didnât allow a single hurry. Add Hoffmanâs raw power and improved fundamentals to the strength of Smith and Beebe and suddenly the Cowboys interior offensive line just got a whole lot stronger.
While it might have not been Plan A, the Cowboys have remodeled their offensive line. A once-aging group just got a whole lot younger.
LT Tyler Guyton 22
LG Tyler Smith 23
C Cooper Beebe 23
RG Brock Hoffman 25
RT Terence Steele 27
And letâs not forget about some quality youngsters on the bench.
swing OT Asim Richards 24
swing iOL T.J. Bass 25
This isnât the first time the Cowboys have completely overhauled their entire offensive line.
There may be more work to be done. The Cowboys may again look to the draft for improvements and the list you see above may not be the final product. But with all these young players showing so much promise, itâs hard not to be optimistic about the Cowboys offensive line going forward.
