The Cowboys have been pretty cloak and dagger with their offseason dealings this year. The trade for Stephon Gilmore seemingly appeared out of nowhere and the trade for Brandin Cooks unfolded too fast for speculation to even transpire. To the surprise of many, Tyron Smith was retained without second thought and Ezekiel Elliott was released without the trepidation many expected.
Dallas clearly had a plan and fans and media were not privy to it in advance. The Cowboys have run a tight ship this offseason and it seems in order to get an idea what Dallas’ next steps are in their offseason plans, reading between the lines may be a requirement.
It’s this space between the lines where it seems as if the Cowboys have a plan to address their vacancy at the left guard position. While it’s admittedly part speculation, it’s based on a sequence of events, statements, and their scouting efforts.
The initial red flag came when Jerry Jones addressed reporters at the owners meetings, saying Terence Steele “should be the back-up tackle on both sides, as we look at it today.”
This statement created quite the ruckus at the time for two reasons:
- Because it replaced an ascending talent in Steele with an injury-prone veteran Tyron Smith at right tackle.
- And because it made no effort to get the five best offensive linemen on the field since Steele was getting pushed to swing tackle.
It seemed the Cowboys had a plan to fill the vacant left guard position with a plug-and-play starter from the draft. Someone good enough where it made sense to keep Steele in a reserve role. This was, quite possibly, exactly what Jones was thinking about when he made such statements.
With the cat peeking out of the bag, Mike McCarthy soon after made statements contrasting Jones’ a bit by indicating Steele may actually get some work at guard. Doing so helped make it less obvious they plan to use a top pick on a guard and are more open to different combinations and solutions.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy on RT Terence Steele possibly getting some work at guard: “We’re talking about it.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) March 28, 2023
Another indication of the Cowboys’ intentions is who they are meeting with prior to the draft. Dallas has a history of getting to know who they pick before they make their selections. Chances are they will have met with their first round pick (and likely picks from other rounds as well) before they turn in the card.
That’s why monitoring who they meet with over the next few weeks is critical for any Dallas draftnik. It’s also why K.D. Drummond’s list of various visits should be bookmarked by all.
A quick glance of who they met with at the combine shows they focused on a lot of linemen, both guards and tackles, early in the process.
The position flex they already have on their roster gives them a little freedom to navigate with different offensive line combinations. It opens up numerous offensive line possibilities early in the draft and could fill what is arguably the only clear open starting spot on their roster.
Reading between the lines isn’t a science but as long as it’s based on clues and cues, it can useful for draft fans trying to decipher the Cowboys’ intentions.
Internal options exist (something that will be discussed later in the week) but there’s reason to believe the draft is the primary method by which they intend to fill the LG spot. Based on the confidence in which Jones spoke, there’s reason to believe that pick will come early.
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