For three years the Cowboys have been fairly stable at the center position. Since drafting Tyler Biadasz in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, he’s been a mainstay in middle of the Dallas line, making 37 starts (four games as a rookie).
Barring injury, Biadasz looks to anchor the offensive line for the Cowboys again in 2023. Aside from a handful of undrafted free agents, Dallas hasn’t brought in much competition for the 25-year-old Wisconsin product. But that doesn’t mean Biadasz’s future is secure.
While Biadasz has been fairly consistent and reliable throughout his time in Dallas, he hasn’t progressed as some might have hoped he would. Center play is admittedly difficult to grade because assignments and joint responsibilities can be tough to decipher, but generally speaking, Biadasz has been nothing better than average (PFF grades him well below average).
While just being an NFL starter should be seen as a wild success for a former Day 3 round pick, an average-to-below-average player isn’t necessarily someone who warrants a multi-year extension. Which is where Matt Farniok comes into play.
Farniok is the Cowboys super-utility interior lineman. He’s a coaching staff favorite who can play all three interior spots and should see a lot of preseason action in the coming weeks.
Matt Farniok put in some good work at center in the 4th quarter. pic.twitter.com/1s85Bn1hTx
— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) January 11, 2022
If Farniok can show he’s more than just a career reserve, he could ultimately push Biadasz out the door following this season.
Looking at the situation today, there’s little-to-no chance Farniok displaces Biadasz in 2023. But if he can narrow the gap in training camp, he could make the Cowboys feel good about their decision to move on in 2024.
There’s a good chance Dallas will move on, regardless. With big deals coming for Trevon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons, the Cowboys can’t afford to re-sign everyone. They need as many players on rookie deals as they can get.
Farniok probably isn’t a long-term option at center, but he can make the move away from Biadasz less scary in 2024. The Cowboys will likely want to start over at the center position and start developing a new prospect to keep things affordable and offer stability and upside.
Much like how TE Jake Ferguson helped the Cowboys move off of Dalton Schultz, but still not preclude them from drafting a long-term solution (Dallas drafted Luke Schoonmaker in the second round in 2023), Farniok could provide the floor and stability for Dallas to move on Biadasz.
But it all starts with a good training camp from Farniok.
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