Tag: Chuma Edoga

Cowboys starter with rehab group to start Week 11; backup OL has practice window activated

From @ToddBrock24f7: LG Tyler Smith was seen sporting a knee wrap on Wednesday, the same day Chuma Edoga’s 21-day practice window was activated.

Get ready for the possibility of more personnel swapping along the Cowboys’ offensive line.

With rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton already having sat out last Sunday’s game against Philadelphia with a neck/shoulder injury, backup Asim Richards got the Week 10 start and played well enough to leave Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy “impressed,” despite the team’s 34-6 blowout loss.

Guyton is reportedly “trending towards being healthy” for the team’s next outing, per the team website. But now the spot next to him on the Dallas O-line is suddenly worth monitoring with the 6-4 Houston Texans coming to town for a Monday night intrastate clash.

Third-year left guard Tyler Smith was seen wearing a knee wrap during the media portion of Wednesday’s practice session, according to multiple observers. The 23-year-old worked with the rehab group, along with cornerback DaRon Bland, who has yet to make his 2024 debut after a foot injury suffered in camp.

It is not known what sort of issue Smith is experiencing. The team will not release its first practice report of the week until Thursday.

Houston enters Week 11 ranked seventh leaguewide in sacks, with 29.

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In a separate move that may or may not be coincidental, reserve lineman Chuma Edoga had his 21-day practice window activated on Wednesday. The veteran had been sidelined with a toe injury prior to the season opener. Edoga started six games last season– four at left tackle and two at left guard- and could therefore theoretically be in play if Smith is unable to go.

T.J. Bass is officially listed on the team website as the primary backup to both right guard Zack Martin and Smith at left guard.

Smith currently has the third-most snaps on the Cowboys offense through nine games this season, appearing in nearly 96% of the unit’s on-field action.

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USC’s Chuma Edoga likely out several weeks for Dallas Cowboys

Chuma Edoga’s battle to establish himself as an NFL offensive lineman took another hit in the 2024 preseason.

In the Dallas Cowboys’ NFL preseason opener, former USC offensive lineman Chuma Edoga suffered a broken toe. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks according to On3.com.

“Chuma Edoga will have an MRI for the toe injury he suffered in the first quarter,” ESPN’s Todd Archer shared to On3.com. “Some concern internally there. Tyler Guyton seemed to handle his work at left tackle fairly well Sunday. The rookie will be asked to do more.”

Edoga has 43 career games played and 17 starts, including six last year for the Cowboys. Edoga could eventually land on injured reserve with the chance to return at some point in the regular season.

The New York Jets originally picked up the USC football offensive tackle with the 92nd pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.

He appeared in 24 games with 12 starts for New York before the team waived him in 2022. He then spent that season with the Falcons, playing in two games with one start.

The Cowboys signed Edoga in 2023 and re-signed him to replace another former USC Trojan, Tyron Smith, this year.

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Misfortune leads Cowboys LT Tyler Guyton to huge opportunity

Tyler Guyton gets a big opportunity on the Cowboys following the unfortunate injury to Chuma Edoga. | From @ReidDHanson

“Look on the bright side” is an oft-used phrase said by terrible people at times of personal despair. The well-meaning blowhards typically follow such a phrase with an explanation as to why this certain negative can also be seen as a positive. Gross, right?

Sometimes the positive is quite easy to identify. Other times it’s not so easy. In the case of the Cowboys’ latest injury to their starting left tackle, Chuma Edoga, there’s a relatively easy positive in which to land; The rookie Tyler Guyton jumps up to LT1.

After limping off the field early in the Cowboys first preseason game of the 2024 season, Edoga has been ruled out for the foreseeable future. A “significant toe injury” may land Edoga on IR, meaning unless someone else is plunked into the pole position, it’s the rookie’s time to shine.

The idea of Guyton starting off as the backup rather than the starter was a point of contention from the start. It would be one thing if multiyear All-Pro Tyron Smith was the veteran blocking his path, but Edoga is no Smith. The third-round journeyman from USC is entering his sixth season in the NFL (second with the Cowboys). Everyone has a pretty clear picture of Edoga by now and that picture is generally painted as a nice backup but problematic starter.

Guyton, the No. 24 overall pick in the 2024 draft, comes with a degree of expectation and pedigree that implies instant impact. The idea the Cowboys were slow playing his installation furrowed more than a few eyebrows in Cowboys Nation. With on-the-job-training often the best training in sports, delaying Guyton’s insertion into the lineup seemingly delays Guyton’s development as a pro.

Since the CBA greatly limits the amount of time players can get together in training camp, every snap Edoga gets with the starters can be seen as a snap stolen from Guyton’s time with the starters. Edoga’s latest injury just removes that roadblock and expediates Guyton’s timeline.

Based on training camp and the first preseason game, Guyton appears up the task. Coming off an illness he played 21 snaps and didn’t surrender a single pressure. The mammoth 6-foot-7, 328-pound rookie moved unbelievably well for a rookie recently dubbed “a project player.” He has size and athletic ability that can’t be taught. His ceiling is virtually unmatchable as a prospect and his floor may already be at starting-level heights.

Losing a player to an injury is always bad. But in this case, it may work out to the Cowboys’ advantage since it pushes the rookie Guyton into the starting LT role and speeds up a maturation process that was otherwise stunted by a veteran.

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Cowboys lose starting LT to injury for at least 4 weeks, maybe longer

Cowboys left tackle Chuma Edgo will reportedly miss four-to six weeks with a broken toe he suffered against the Rams. | From @ArmyChiefW3

Cowboys left tackle Chuma Edoga injured his foot during the preseason-opening loss to the Rams on Sunday, and was later seen on the sidelines sporting a walking boot. According to 105.3 The Fan’s Cowboys insider Bobby Belt, Edoga is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with a broken toe.

With the Cowboys less than four weeks away from their regular season opener in Cleveland, 2024 first-round tackle Tyler Guyton is now expected to begin the season protecting quarterback Dak Prescott’s blindside.

Edoga was signed for depth purposes last season, starting six games for the Cowboys. He was re-signed this offseason for another go after Dallas allowed Tyron Smith to leave during free agency. Dallas had previously attempted to trade for Edoga while he was a member of the Jets in 2022.

The team will now move forward with Guyton as the presumed starter but the depth behind him may force Dallas to shuffle a few players around.

Offensive lineman Asim Richards will likely receive the first chance to fill the all-important swing tackle role. Richards was a three-year college starter for the University of North Carolina and logged 38 starts for the Tar-Heels.

Richards has looked more comfortable at guard which may spur a different route for Dallas.

Other options include Cowboys 2021 fourth-round tackle Josh Ball, who has dealt with multiple injuries limiting his career to just 13 games with zero starts.

Matt Waletzko, who was taken in the fifth round of the 2022 draft by the Cowboys is another name to watch. Like Ball, Waltezko’s on-field experience has been limited, playing in just four contests entering his third season.

The Cowboys could look to the open market to see if any remaining free agents interest them. Veterans such as David Bakhtiari, Charles Leno, Duane Brown, and Donovan Smith headline the list of players who could potentially come to Dallas.

With final cutdown day of Tuesday, August 27 at 4 p.m. ET right around the corner, Dallas must make a timely decision so they don’t lose a player they wanted to keep because of an untimely injury.

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Cowboys LT Chuma Edoga ruled out with foot injury

The sixth-year veteran went out in the first quarter and will not return.

The Cowboys have continued to list veteran journeyman Chuma Edoga as the starter at left tackle. This despite Dallas drafting Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton in the first round this past April and Guyton having a generally strong training camp. Edoga was part of Sunday’s starting lineup as well, but his time on the field didn’t last very long.

Edoga was out of the lineup rather quickly, replaced by Guyton, and word has come down why the swap. Edoga suffered a toe injury, and has since been ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Guyton is on track to start, but he wasn’t expected to play much on Sunday as he’s been dealing with an illness. He lasted one series before being taken out.

Entering his sixth season, Edoga was re-signed to a one-year deal this offseason after being brought in 2023 to backup Tyler Smith. Things didn’t go especially well in his six starts, so it was surprising to many that Dallas decided he would be the veteran of choice after letting Smith walk in free agency. Even more surprising was the continuation of him being ahead of Guyton on the depth chart, but Guyton will now get his chance to refuse to let go of the role.

 

Alleged Cowboys’ Tyler Guyton strategy under intense scrutiny, fire

The idea of the Cowboys slowly developing Tyler Guyton behind Chuma Edoga is flawed and should be reconsidered. | From @ReidDHanson

Training camp couldn’t get here fast enough for the Cowboys. After facing an offseason of criticism, anger and general disgust from the fanbase, only the annual hype-fest known as Cowboy Camp can get fan sentiments moving in a positive direction.

Training camp typically brings hope to even the most hopeless of teams. For the Cowboys it’s a tool that’s often used to turn the page on the offseason while building marketability and positivity for the franchise. The circus-like atmosphere resembles that of a pep rally. Naysayers need not attend.

But this year, not even training camp can save the Cowboys from the well justified negativity they’re facing. Coming out an offseason that was disappointing even by local standards, the Cowboys threaten to slow-play the development of their top rookie draft pick, opting for a plateaued veteran with little upside instead.

According to Cowboys insider Bobby Belt, the Cowboys are likely starting Chuma Edoga, not Tyler Guyton, at left tackle when camp opens up.

“I think it is almost a certainty that Chuma Edoga is at left tackle for the first practice,” said Belt via The Love of the Star podcast. “I think it’s likely he’s at left tackle for the first game. And I think it’s possible he’s at left tackle the entire season.”

The idea of the Cowboys developing their top rookie in the background was not well received. If Dallas intended to take a delayed approach with their rookie’s development, why didn’t they re-sign Tyron Smith for one more season back in March? Smith only signed a two-year, $6,500,000 deal after all.

Fans know what they have in Edoga. The journeyman has struggled in pass protection since joining the NFL and has largely been relegated to backup duty at all three of his stops. The idea of wasting valuable practice snaps on a veteran with little upside has been enraging fans across Cowboys Nation.

With CBA limitations in place, live snaps are valuable for everyone, especially a rookie like Guyton. Cohesion across the offensive line takes time. Wasting the already limited number of snaps on someone who’s not considered the solution is nothing short of irresponsible.

Growing pains are a given, but the lumps have to come eventually so the Cowboys might as well throw their rookie into the fire. If he looks like a disaster throughout training camp, then, and only then, should the Cowboys look to their veteran. Veteran backup tackles are supposed to be ready to go at a moment’s notice. Edoga doesn’t need the practice reps Guyton does.

Even if the Cowboys are just going through the motions in camp in order to give the appearance Guyton earns his spot in the starting lineup, the logic is flawed. He needs reps and he needs them next to the people he’s hopefully going to play with.

It’s one thing after another with the Cowboys this offseason and training camp may not be able to suture the situation. Hopefully the reports are wrong or hopefully the Cowboys reconsider the Guyton strategy, because slow playing his development on Day 1 isn’t the answer.

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The hardest position Cowboys have to replace in 2024 is…

It’s hard to envision any situation where the Cowboys LT play improves in 2024, and that’s going to make things very difficult. | From @ReidDHanson

The 2024 offseason will go down as an offseason of disappointment for many Cowboys fans. Not only did they fail to re-sign any of their major pieces on their roster, but they lost a handful of critical components as well. Replacing the lost players will be no simple task.

The cupboards are bare in the Cowboys running backroom. Tony Pollard left in free agency and Dallas decided to skip the position entirely in the draft. Johnathan Hankins departure left the Cowboys defensive tackle position in a sorry state. It was a position that performed poorly in 2023 and looks markedly worse here in 2024.

Receiver is also left in a worrisome state after Michael Gallup was let go. The Cowboys don’t have a clear replacement option ready and waiting and could be dangerously thin if CeeDee Lamb holds out for an extended period of time. None of those positions will be easy to replace this season but their difficulty pales in comparison to that of the left tackle position.

For over a decade, Tyron Smith was a fixture at LT for the Cowboys. He was an elite pass protector who was frequently left alone on an island, protecting Dak Prescott’s blindside from some of the most feared pass rushers on the planet. Reliability and diminishing play in the running game ultimately led to his departure. Now the Cowboys enter training camp with a rookie penciled as the eventual heir at LT.

Tyler Guyton, the Cowboys 2024 first-round pick, is the man the Cowboys hope to replace Smith with. Whether that happens on Day 1 or not is unknown at this time, what can be agreed on is whoever takes over at LT will have some pretty big shoes to fill.

Chuma Edoga, a player many expect to be the backup plan if Guyton isn’t up to the task, isn’t a great solution to the LT problem either. The five-year veteran has struggled throughout his career in pass protection, most recently allowing three sacks, 16 pressures and committing three penalties in 251 pass blocking situations.

Guyton himself enters as an abnormally raw first round pick. He’s athletically gifted but needs development time before he can be trusted in a way Smith was previously trusted. Unless Tyler Smith, the expected starting left guard, inexplicably moves to tackle, a step back at the LT position is expected.

Looking at the other positions, it’s not unrealistic to think someone will step up and do better than the man he replaces. Pollard’s 2023 season wasn’t terribly efficient so it’s perfectly possible Rico Dowdle and company could represent a mild improvement this year if the run blocking improves as expected.

Gallup struggled most the 2023 season so replacing him won’t be an impossible task for the Cowboys. Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks could both be up for the task, as could a handful of other unproven players waiting in the wings.

Hankins was a big loss but not because he was dominant by any means, but because the Cowboys did little to replace him. If either Mazi Smith or Justin Rogers can just rise up to average they would represent an improvement over Hankins.

It’s that LT position that’s going to be difficult to replace for the Cowboys. Even under a best-case scenario, Dallas will struggle to meet the level of play they got from Smith in 2023. It’s important the accept this because then they can scheme to minimize its impact on the offense

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Cowboys, OL Chuma Edoga agree to terms for 2024 return

From @ToddBrock24f7: The veteran started 6 games last season for Dallas and now looks to provide depth for an O-line that’s lost two starters this offseason.

The Cowboys know they have depth concerns along the offensive line. They did some covering of their bases on Wednesday by coming to terms with Chuma Edoga to return for a second season with the team.

Edoga, a former third-round draft pick by the Jets in 2019, signed with Dallas last March as a free agent and appeared in all 17 regular-season games in 2023, though he played just a handful of special-teams snaps in several of those contests.

Overall, Edoga played 35% of the offense’s snaps on the season. He started six games at left tackle, subbing for Tyron Smith in Weeks 1 through 4, Week 8, and Week 16.

The versatile 26-year-old can play guard or tackle, although the club reportedly feels he performed better last year at tackle. He’ll be in the mix during camp to patch up an offensive line that lost two starter- Smith and center Tyler Biadasz- to free agency. The Cowboys are widely expected to also look to the draft for an offensive lineman prospect in the early rounds.

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Matt Waletzko, T.J. Bass, Asim Richards, Josh Ball, and Earl Bostick Jr. are among the other depth linemen currently on the Cowboys roster.

Edoga will re-sign on a one-year deal. The terms of the contract were not immediately made public.

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Proceed with Caution: Cowboys can’t make same swing tackle mistake

The situation at LT for the Cowboys proved the Cowboys need a starting quality reserve is needed and there no short cuts or cheap fixes. | From @ReidDHanson

A year ago, the Cowboys found themselves in quite the dilemma. On one hand they had their generational LT under contract and eager to go. On the other hand, they had his injury history, averaging just 5.6 games over the last three seasons. When healthy, Tyron Smith was as good as there was in the NFL. Problem was he was rarely healthy.

The solution was a reworked deal which saved the team money. With any luck that money could be reinvested in a veteran backup OT who could fill in for the inevitable missed games. But since starting quality OTs are always seemingly in short supply, the Cowboys took aim a player many labeled a bust.

The Cowboys signed the maligned Chuma Edoga as the solution to their problems at LT.

Edoga, once a third-round pick, hadn’t lived up to his draft day expectations. Many wondered if he was better suited for an OG role given his struggles on the edge. The Cowboys entered the situation with an open mind because they were hoping for one of their previous mid-rounders, Josh Ball or Matt Waltezko, to make the jump.

They did not.

Instead of finding one clear solution to the problem at backup LT, they threw numbers at the issue. Nothing stuck. Waletzko, Ball and Edoga all failed in their own way to be a viable backup to Smith. Thankfully Smith had a resurgent season in 2023, only missing 4 games and keeping the damage of his absences down to a minimum.

In 2024, the Cowboys face a similar dilemma. With Smith a free agent, they are not only faced with the issue as to whether they should bring him back, but also who should they tab as his certain-to-be-used backup.

Smith had a top-five season in 2023, so as long as the terms are right, the Cowboys would be wise to bring him back. But also given his availability issues, they’d be wise to invest heavily in a backup because there’s a good chance Smith will miss more snaps than he’ll play,averaging just 503 snaps played per year since 2020.

This is not the usual OL6 situation in Dallas.

If Smith is a starter on the team, OL6 needs to be seen as a starter as well. Edoga taught the Cowboys cheap solutions don’t exist. Money or high-end draft capital needs to be spent because LT is one of the most important positions on the field and all indications are Smith will miss time.

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5 free agents Saints fans should watch in Cowboys vs. Packers

5 pending free agents New Orleans Saints fans should watch in Sunday’s Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers playoff game:

The New Orleans Saints are stuck watching the playoffs from home, but it’s a good opportunity for fans to scout some of the top players headed for free agency — and both the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers have some playmakers who could interest the Saints if they hit the open market.

Here are five pending free agents we’ll be looking for on Sunday afternoon: